Will a Lifelike (P2K?) E7 body fit on a Bachmann E7 chassis with DCC and sound?
An E-7 body will fit any E7 chassis. You may have to do something to make the body stay in place, new screw holes, or some kind of latch gizmo, but this can be done. Not to worry. If the new chassis is stuffed full of DCC and sound speakers you may have to do something, but if the old E7 body fit, the new one ought to fit as well.
Lifelike Proto were fond of slip on shells. Switching shells sounds easy but it isn’t.
The things to watch for are the amount of interior room, not all shells that are the same outside are moulded the same inside. Screw mounts for example. Secondly, securing methods differ quite a bit.
Why anyone prefers a Bachmann drive to a Proto drive escapes me entirely. In fact, the Bachmann drives are probably the worst of the major makers. Bachmann twin tower drives are just no good, imho. They don’t work and they can’t work as manufactured. The tower design is fine in principle but the manufacture is pretty awful.
Lifelike Proto drives are basically an improvement on the Athearn BB drive, itself a pretty robust and excellent drive. Athearn developed the BB into the excellent Genesis version which is pretty much the equal of the Lifelike drive. In its day the Lifelike drive was possibly the best drive out there for the money.
Just btw, “body switch” is quite an eye catching subject line but maybe I just watch too many British murder mysteries on tv…
I don’t have a Bachmann E7 frame but as David said all E7 shells are pretty much the same.
The E7 happens to be my favorite passenger diesel. I have swapped Proto/Life Like, Model Power, Cary metal bodies around with no problems. My favorite frame for the E7s is the Athearn SD40-2 with a Mabuchi FK280SA-14200 motor. Any E7 shell fits the Athearn SD40-2 frame.
I even use the E7 Proto shells on Athearn and Proto frames for camera cars using the SQ series micro camcorders in the nose.
The Proto E7, E8 & E9 shells are interchangeable.
Model Power shell on Athearn SD40-2 Frame.
I like the Model Power E7 shells because they are really easy to modify and they fit any E7 frame.
I use the E7 Bs to hold my lighting power supplies to power my passenger car lighting. Again the E7 B shells fit any E7 frame.
Mel
Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951
The combination of a Cary E7 metal body on an Athearn SD40-2 frame with the Mabuchi motor makes a super power house with a 9 oz drawbar. They weigh in at just under 2 pounds each.
Mel
Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951
My Model Railroad
http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/
Bakersfield, California
Aging is not for wimps.