The Lionel DL&W FM with TMCC....circa 2004 - Looks good but it ain't !

Is this 6-18322 or 6-18375?

This is the 18375 unit.   The wheel tread grooves are cut in a concave pattern, so this locomotive is going to wobble like a fish no matter what you do.  The question is.....can I get somebody else's trucks/ motors to fit in this frame, or do we swap out the whole nine yards !   The latter would solve the conventional operation issues.   Best looking POS Lionel has ever made !

Jaygee, shoot me an email if you don't mind. NJTorqueracing@gmail.com

Thanks!

Is this with the new scale tooling? Don't know how easy the WBB chassis insertion would be. Have run the older FM Trainmaster Demos which should be comparable to these and they run fine under TMCC.

I wouldn't force the hatch but it should come off (unlike the Pennsy F's with roof top antenna!) worst case you'll have to take the body off and investigate why not. Have not tried to control one in conventional, using a TMCC Cab-1 system or the Legacy "Lite" version would be worth it as this should operate nicely and then you'll have operating couplers and  don't need to install a battery for sounds.

As to the tires, unless the grooves are not concentric, being concave rather than flat should not make it wobble.

The older ones do take different tires, .625" ID x .036" TH x .150" WD #6106001065,  than other diesels IIRC. These take .625" ID x .044" TH x .138" WD #6208815206, per Lionel parts.

We were talking conventional operation here.....as everyone knows, Lionel command engines run fine with TMCC.  It has been said that they will run OK in conventional, but most of them do NOT !   This is certainly the case with this machine.   You guys who are having all kinds of success with this TM are using 'em in the digital environment.  You still can't get away from the wobbly wheels, and the ridiculous one wheel drive.

You mean one axle drive, not one wheel. Yea I got that crap on my other wise good looking Lionel GP30's. 

jaygee posted:

We were talking conventional operation here.....as everyone knows, Lionel command engines run fine with TMCC.  It has been said that they will run OK in conventional, but most of them do NOT !   This is certainly the case with this machine.   You guys who are having all kinds of success with this TM are using 'em in the digital environment.  You still can't get away from the wobbly wheels, and the ridiculous one wheel drive.

The FM TM Demos are the new scale body with the four wheel drive design truck prior to the one axle drive IIRC. We don't have any of the Lionel "one axle drive" units. Drifting the thread a bit, anyone know if the Wabash FM TM units have the same trucks as his?

Understand your frustration with the conventional operation, though it shouldn't wobble if the tire groove is concentric to the axle and the tire is smooth in the groove.

Whatever possessed Lionel to use concave grooves for traction tires in the first place ????   After comparing frames, it looks like I'll have to swap different trucks into the original frame.....which looks like  a major PITA !    I'd dump this loser in a nano second if it wasn't for the killer body shell !