I just bought an old Bachmann sd40 (CN) from a concession for 15$, and I have difficulty detaching the wheels for cleanup, the loco is very dirty. Anyone knows where I could find a drawing or picture detailing where are the clips to detach the wheels. Thanks
Loosen the frame screws and drop the trucks out of the loco. Next, pry the sideframes away from the gear tower. Now look at the front and back of the gear tower. There is one tab on the front and one on the back. Pry these tabs away and the bottom of the gear tower will drop away exposing the gears and axles. The wheels are pressed into the axles. The axles are halved and pressed into the gears. Just pry the wheels away from the gear tower.
You mean pry those away? (Red cirlces in photo). http://www.pixagogo.com/Photos/Albums/Photo.aspx?id=S4PLybKlC771mHHjOct4aBDhrt8O0ncY7CZ5yFuygka6kMEvZ5WmvCjSrTlJXasL9Y
Now we are getting somewhere. You have GP 40. The old, old GP 40 with the metal gears. Disregard the previous instructions. Rock the gear tower while pulling down and it should pop out. Once the gear tower is out, insert a small screwdriver or something similar in between the rear of the truck frame and the gear tower. Pry out and down and out on the truck frame. Once the truck frame is removed, the wheels should lift out. The pins in your pic do help hold the truck frame in place, but you shouldn't have to worry about prying them loose.
Thanks doofus I thought that I had a sd40 , I'm not familiar with some terms you are using, "gear tower" do you mean the worm gear? I did a small drawing to show what I understood. http://www.pixagogo.com/Photos/Albums/Photo.aspx?id=S4Jn02tAoFbV0-OV25cEdCi0o34TsGNHq7kx4xxOKrhrhekF6y53r84XJDtvqPgMir Thanks for your patience. Ben Ben
animek: I, too, get confused. "Gear tower" is the part that sticks up and "tower gear" is the larger gear on the top that meshes into the horizontal "worm gear." There is an engineering website that talks about this terminology, but it isn't train related. I am not familiar with this GP40, but I think the whole bottom of the assembly will come off and the axles will come out.
That one's funny, it shows how much Bachmann products are viewed in the community, I'm pretty new to loco brand name, I wont be catch next time, at least 15$CND is not too much robbed, I got a nice brand new free micro train flat car with that. Thanks everyone for your help, but I am a big visual guy, sentence like pull the thing out of that is more confusing to me, Even if I’m an engineer, I need pictures or drawing to make sure I won’t brake the small thingny.
OMG both magnets detach themselves from the motor frame and BANG! Stuck themself on the poles, this is really an old, old loco. Anyone knows what kind of glue could holds together magnets on metal, because after my intensive cleaning it was running good. The old glue resembles rubber glue. Maybe contact glue?
Please don't expect very much from this engine. It is an old grinder, and didn't run very well when it was NEW. You have a nice engine to sit outside the shop building and look good. To glue your magnets try WALTHERS contact adhesive: GOO As they state on the tube "Fix It Forever"
Yep it sounds like an old coffee grinder, I've fix it with contact glue, and it runs again. I tell ya! The spirit of the old man who use to own this old crap is inside this loco. And I’m proud to make it run again.
The worm gear is the cylindrical shaped gear with the spiral teeth. It meshes with the tower gear.(the top gear in your pic) The whole part represented in your pic is the gear tower. That is the part that you will have to pull away from the locomotive mechanism frame. The truck sideframe is the part that has the castings on the side to represent the brake cylinders, axle bearings, and brake shoes. Once you remove that part from the gear tower, the gears and axles should be exposed. Sometimes the sideframes are used to keep each half of the gear tower together. That is why some sideframes are a one piece casting. Glad to hear you got the loco cleaned up and running!!!
