Greetings,
Does anyone here know right offhand if the shells for a Proto 2000 "blue box" (Life Like) and "gray box" (Walthers) E7 are interchangeable with each other's powered chassis? I'm primarily interested if the powered B-unit shells can be swapped with one another.
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
Given that I've stumped the band, maybe someone knows whether the E7 gear ratios are the same between Proto 2000 L-L and Proto 2000 Walthers? (And I might be able to hum a few bars if you ask nicely. )
Tom
tstageGiven that I've stumped the band, maybe someone knows whether the E7 gear ratios are the same between Proto 2000 L-L and Proto 2000 Walthers?
I tried to reply earlier but I had been 'logged out' of cs.trains (I never log out and can't remember the last time I had to sign in again) and my log in credentials wouldn't work.
Anyway, the Walthers gearing has only been recently upgraded (in the last six or eight years) so if you are looking at one of their 'latest' releases it will have helical gearing and I believe a 12:1 ratio (slightly slower than previously).
The gearbox will not have the hinge and the journals will not be free-floating. The helical gearing really makes for a smooth running locomotive! Backlash is practically eliminated.
Life Like Proto E8 truck by Edmund, on Flickr
Original E-7 E-8 truck above. Latest version below:
Walthers_E7-gearcase by Edmund, on Flickr
As far as shells and chassis, there were quite a few variations over the years. One major change is the elimination of the 'working' cab and engine room doors. Removing the hinge and spring allowed the chassis to not have the large gaps at the motor and cab area.
Life Like early body shell E7 by Edmund, on Flickr
Early chassis with a gap for the door hardware and 'latch pins' made to look like fuel/water fillers that are part of the metal chassis.
Life Like early chassis by Edmund, on Flickr
A later chassis, no door recess and the latching pins are part of the plastic fuel tank molding:
Life Like E7 later chassis by Edmund, on Flickr
Another variation used wedge-shaped keys to hold the shell in place:
Life Like E8 mid-later chassis by Edmund, on Flickr
Over the years I've switched and swapped lots of L-L/Walthers powered and dummy chassis. There wasn't any physical difference in the chassis itself other than elimination of the motor, drive shafts and worm gears. Sometimes the trucks would have a full set of gears, other times only the axle gears. Some of Life-Like's earlier offerings were paired A-B or A-A sets and often one would be a dummy.
Train shows were a good source for replacement engines to harvest parts or powered chassis sometimes finding NOS E units in the $25-35 range.
Hope that helps —
Good Luck, Ed
Thanks for the great info, Ed. The one difference I discovered in the past is that the dummy shells will NOT fit properly onto a powered chassis, as the powered chassis interferes with the four bosses that secure it with screws to a dummy chassis. You can remove the bosses but it's a bit of work to do it cleanly.
tstage Thanks for the great info, Ed. The one difference I discovered in the past is that the dummy shells will NOT fit properly onto a powered chassis, as the powered chassis interferes with the four bosses that secure it with screws to a dummy chassis. You can remove the bosses but it's a bit of work to do it cleanly. Tom
Rich
Alton Junction
tstageYou can remove the bosses but it's a bit of work to do it cleanly.
Oh, yes! Now you reminded me of those four bosses inside the shell. Just another variation that I forgot about! I do recall nipping them out using the fine Xuron nippers. It is possible that L-L removed the added weight from the dummys and the bosses used the same screw holes. Again, this variation was during the 'middle years' and wasn't a feature of all variants.
With every 'phase' of the Proto 2000 E units Life-Like AND Walthers made various changes. Thankfully they got rid of the clumbsy coupler arrangements of the early days. Kadee made a retrofit kit that was a big help.
Kadee Swing Bracket 453 by Edmund, on Flickr