Advice on the best way to remove the shell.

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I’m new to this so please be patient. After reading a lot of these posts I almost feel stupid asking this, but I just got a used Life-like diesel in N scale and cannot get the body off. well, let’s say I am afraid to force it off for fear of breaking it. I tried to look up some diagrams but it would seem since Walthers bought them out they have not maintained a Life-Like site. I have some Atlas engines and they are so easy, just pull, but that doesn’t seem to work on the Life-like. It runs but is loud as heck and slow running is poor and it looks dry as a bone from the bottom, thought it could use a spot of oil. Any advice on this would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Russell

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Hi Russell - Do you know which loco it is?

E-unit or Alco PA, there are a couple tabs above the fuel tank, so the body needs to be spread a bit to clear them;

New run GP18 and GP20, remove the body just like an Atlas;

SW, the cab needs to come off. This will help you push down on the top of the frame. Just be careful of the truck pick up tabs. They can easily be bent and torn off of the walkway. Don’t ask me how I know…;

GP38 and early first run GP18, these are plastic frame locos that have tabs on the frame that fit into slots on the body, I think above the walkway. It’s been a while since I did one of those!;

I know there are others, but these are the ones that I’m most familiar with. Good luck!

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Sorry, i should have known to identify the loco type. It’s an N scale GP38-2, the frame is metal of some sort. I can see some tabs sticking through holes over the floorboards right over the rear truck. but the bottom has a lip that comes in over the bottom of the metal frame. I was wondering if the body came off of the walkway? or is it all one piece? and if so how do you spread those pieces all the way out past the frame? And I cannot see what is holding the front, I assume it is the same as the rear but hidden by the cab. It just didn’t seem possible to spread those parts out past the metal frame the way they turn in under it about 3/16" or so. It all seems more complicated than it has to be after removing an Atlas that just pulled straight off with no issues at all, but such is life, and Life-Like apparently.