Looking for replacement postwar Lionel 44-tonner shells

[Flintlock76]

I don't think  a Williams shell is 100% interchangeable with a Lionel frame.  I have  mounted a Lionel shell  (A U-34CH) on a Williams frame but had to "chop and channel" the shell a bit to get it to fit. 

Anyway, here's the Williams parts information, you'll have to make your own judgement call on it.  The Williams shell apparantly uses four screws to mount to the frame, I've got one of those old Lionel 44 Tonners and I know it uses only one.

https://estore.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=77_240&zenid=38o313ko1gh0nu33fasguje645

I don't know, I think if I were you I'd try to repair the crack, maybe with some epoxy on the inside.

 

[Benjamin Maggi]

I purchased a used postwar Lionel 44-tonner (#628) for a custom painting project. Cleaning the frame and repainting went well. I then stripped the shell per advice I received here and afterwords I primed it. Once the primer dried I noticed that the entire top of the hood had a large crack running the length of the shell. It must have been there before but I didn't notice it on the shiny black painted body.

I would rather not move forward with putting a nice custom-painted job on a cracked shell, and I don't think I can easily repair the crack to hide it.

Question: does anyone (Williams, Williams by Bachmann, Lionel) make replacement undecorated 44-tonner shells that will fit a postware Lionel frame? Are all the bodies the same, or are the modern ones molded differently inside?

Thanks.