M7A on LIRR and VV?

This makes me think that it's possible for the M7As to be on the LIRR. Is this true? And is the opposite true? And can M8s run on the LIRR?

That photo was taken at Arch Street Yard. During the delivery of the M7's and the M7A's Bombardier temporarily set up shop there to perform warranty work on both fleets of M7's. The shoes were removed before LIRR crews brought them down to Arch Street. They cannot run in revenue service on the opposite system, just work moves at slow speeds.

There's nothing electrically preventing the M8's that have the double-sided third rail shoes from running on the LIRR, but their cab signal systems are not compatible at this time, so they wouldn't work.

Used to work the list, and we occasionally Burned in Metro north equipment when delivered. They will run on the LIRR with replacement 3rd rail shoes. LIRR over the 3rd rail, Metro North Under.
As far as speed control differences, they can be cut out and run as a failure.

The M7a's were delivered to MN on their own wheels to Harmon, not to LIRR, Bombardier did lease the Arch street shop as it sat unused for warranty work.
MN M-7a's were hauled by MN locomotive from Harmon to New Rochelle and by LIRR locomotive from New Rochelle to Arch street shop.
for the move all shoes were removed.

I remembwr seeing photos of M2s at Willets Point/Shea stadium-were they there for testing or there for maintenance to be performed? Sorry if it's a dumb question I'm just curious

not M-2's but the Japanese Tokyu M-4 was brought in via LI.

Very possible it is an M2. I have an old slide transfer from the early 70's of a red striped M-unit PAIR at Shea. Wern't the M2-M4 triplets?

Also the M1s had warranty/mods done by Budd at Shea early on, so it makes sense that theu would do the same for the M2

yes its a M-2 and since it is on a track with no third rail or overhead its towed there, it looks like one of first cars produced.
the M-2's when delivered came in special Penn central moves straight to South Norwalk were GE had a test/modification setup in Dock yard.
Dock yard at that time was still several tracks and had overhead power.

You can see the comprimise coupler on the F end. Intereseting this is that there IS third rail there, just not that track, which was converted to an inspection pit for the Budd work. I dont know if the pit is still there, it was recently. The LIRR now uses some of those World's Fair station tracks for car cleaning as they temporarily lost some tracks in West Side Yard.

I can't see in this pic if there are third rail shoes on that pair, and if so, were they over-riding shoes perhaps for testing on the LIRR.

I know that (unrelated) when the TA bought the R-32's a display train was equipped with Under-riding shoes and a train cas showcased in GCT, that was 1964.

was their a budd plant in Shea Stadium yard itself being that they did work on cars like these their? I have seen photos on the internet of subway cars in the same location testing on LIRR tracks as well PATH train cars testing on those tracks, what is the story behind those photos?

Not so much a plant. In 1969-70 or so the LI leased those unused tracks to Budd for mods to various cars Budd had MTA contracts for. They installed an inspection pit, and a ramshackle tin shed underneath the Worlds Fair overpass.