You don't have to cut off claws on Lionel cars. Unscrew the truck from the body, take out any other truck/coupler related screw, slightly bend one tab with a plyers and you can work loose the claw and take it right out. I have done it about 100 times. No cutting necessary.
Next, unfortunately on the newer Lionel Passenger cars they screwed up their Kinematic couplers. They uncouple all the time and had to covert all to kadees anyway.
- Crank