I just purchased an old version of the BKLW SW-7 with QSI sound and have a couple of questions. First, having not yet disassembled the body from the frame, is the boxy headlight baffle essential or could a smaller box be fashioned? From the skimpy exploded drawing included, it seems to be mainly a light baffle. How is the body best removed? Thanks for any help you can give.
John C., Mebane, NC
BLW? BKLW? [%-)]Do you mean BLI, Broadway Limited Imports?[%-)] If so an e-mail to them will get you the info you need.[:)]
BLW? [:-^] BKLW? [:-^] One of the definitions of BKLW that Google turns up is a Russian web site about the New World Order. What brand name are you trying to tell us? There’s no such company as BLW or BKLW.
You probably mean BLI.
The body comes off via 4 clips below the walkways and removing the rear cab vertical handrails on the SIDES NOT THE CENTER REAR.
If you flip the engine upside down and eyeball the walkways/body where they meet above the trucks you will see small plastic clips of sorts. Squeeze gently on the body in the front until you just get it loose from the walkway. Then near the cab. Notice that the small handrails at the corner steps must come out to lift the cab and body away from the walkway.
Do it SLOWLY. There is NO room for spare space under those bodies. it’s all speaker, wires, motor and gear towers under there.
When reinstalling, make sure that you dont get the wires between the motor and the sides of the body, there is alot of heat made by that motor from time to time.
Yep, I meant BLI! E-mail hiccup! Thanks for the advice. I did get the shell off and have stripped the paint successfully. Ah, now to get it painted and put back together in working order.
John C.
You could have just bought an undecorated one, be easier than stripping. [;)]
The boxy black thing in the cab is only there to block the light from the rear headlight from shining in the cab. It kinda spoils the look of the engine since you can’t see thru the cab with it there. I’m sure you could use a metal tube or build a smaller box, but I just removed it and the rear light on my NW-2. Since my switcher runs 99% of the time back-to-back with another switcher, not having the rear headlight isn’t really an issue.
BLW = Baldwin Locomotive Works.
I run my two back to back. I find the rear headlight useful when deciding which way it’s gonna pull. There are places in the layout where one more inch this away is too much at times, particularly when wrestling a cut of 9 cars onto the outbound train.