Howdy all! I've been lurking here for quite some time just reading and getting very useful info from the fine folks on this board. But I finally decided to register...mainly because I now need your expertise! I guess this could go in either the DCC or HO forum, but thought I'd try here first. I feel kinda stupid asking this question, but here goes: First, a little background. I recently took the plunge into DCC after about 10 years of DC cab control. I bought the MRC prodigy after careful consideration, figuring it was the best way for a DCC novice like myself to get started. I also thought that I'd be able to install the decoders myself, since I have a basic understanding of electronics...I may be in over my head on that one, but I'm willing to still give it the old college try. But I digress...my question is (like I said I feel silly asking)... I have a Life-Like Proto 2000 SD7 that I know is DCC ready, I just need to install the decoder. But I can seem to get the bloomin' shell off! How can I go about getting the shell off without breaking handrails, lift rings and such?
Welcome! I too have an SD-7, and it's not too hard to get the shell off, once you learn how to do it. Virtually impossible until then.... On the underside of the unit, around the front and rear trucks you may see some small plastic tabs poking through the chassis. These are the little critters that hold the shell on. Once you deal with these the shell slides right off. Try using some dental tools or a jeweler's screwdiver to work on them. I now have the opposite problem, how to keep the shell on because I've messed up the tabs. I end up sliding a tiny wad of paper behind the tabs to lock them back in place. You can't see it unless you're looking for it, but I don't like it! Mark
Thanks for the reply Mark! I saw those tabs and thought that would do the trick, but nothing happened when I tugged on the shell. I tried the jewelers screwdriver, and I think I ended up breaking one. That's when I stopped! I'll try it again this evening. Thanks again for the help!
<font color="336633">I have a P2K SD7 in bits on my work bench at the moment awating time to get it detailed and into BN, the body was only held on the couplers, the footboards come off and the body just sliped off the chassis. Let us know how it goes and Welcome to TrainBoard </font>
Hi Stickymonk: Thanks for welcoming me aboard! Well, I looked at the tabs on the underside of the chassis again, and worked on those a little more....guess what, I've broken all of 'em! I was able to get the shell off after using an exacto knife to remove / pry the footboard away. I only needed to remove one, and was able to tilt the shell over the other coupler to completly remove the shell. I installed the decoder, re-installed the shell, glued the footboard back in place, programed it on my new MRC Prodigy (my first experience with DCC)...held my breath...throttled up...and it worked! Thanks again for the advice! It's really a tremendous help having this board to refer to. Thanks for all the efforts in keeping this up! [ 01 March 2002, 14:07: Message edited by: Jerry Marx ]
Jerry, Not to be a smart *** but I would not have glued the footboard onto the pilot! They will hold themself and also hold the body onto the frame with the little pins that goes into the pilot body. To do basic maintenance and or repairs the gluing of the footboards will make it harder then you may think! I own my own shop and do all kinds of repairs on just about everything! In all scales and as to this thread I also have a SD-7 by Proto 2000 and I also broken all the tabs off the body and it worried me as well for breaking them, but then the footboards were installed and tested and they hold themself and the body to the frame! Without being glued! I seen the thread here and thought I'd take a look and see what the question was and seen your reply to the gluing of the footboards and thought I'd be sure to inform you that those didn't need any gluing at all as long as the pins on the footboard itself was in good condistion and all being that the hoses hold the pins in place for the footboards and the footboards hold the body to the frame.
