Does anyone have a sure fire cure way to dismantle the current line of WALTHERS passenger cars (both Heavyweight & Streamline) to release the sides from the “core frame” successfully.
There has to be a good way to release the sides without breaking off the locking tabs attached to the side that hold it to the core frame/interior piece.
Instructions are included on “popping” the roof to get the lighting sets in, but nothing has been said on how yo get the sides off so you can detail, kitbash, or I am desiring to know, for painting the Undecorated cars I have.
There should be a set of diagrams in the box with the car. These diagrams show where the tabs attach. To remove the roof, insert a small screwdriver into the wall/roof joint, and gently pry. When that one comes free, stick another screwdriver in the gap, and move to the next one, and so on. The roof should pop off. Walls can be removed the same way. Go slowly and carefully, and the entire car can be taken apart. If you’re wondering, I’ve taken a couple of the streamlined cars apart for repainting/relettering. I wanted PC cars, but all I could find were NYC and Amtrak ones. I also took then apart to drill out the grab iron mounting holes–for me, it’s easier to drill on a flat surface, not a 3D one.
I have disassembled several of the lightweight cars, and the sides come off fairly easily. The “frame” is fairly flexible, so once you get one tab out, the entire side comes off really easily. If you break a tab off, don’t sweat it. A little plastic cement is a quick fix for those cars. The one thing that I have had problems with breaking are the retaining tabs on the roofs. Again, I just glued them back into place without any problems.
I have removed the interiors without having to remove the sides, but you will have to remove the bottom of the car. You will have to re-tape the electrical contacts to the weights if you plan on using the lighting circuit that comes in the car for the drop in lighting. It amzed me to see that the weights are simply taped to the underframe.
I have considered taking the sides off the two Walthers Baggage Heavyweights but went ahead and jammed the doors in after removing some other interior boxes that were blocking it.
It seems the plastic tabs WILL break, I already lost one or two somewhere on one car trying to get into it.
The Roof is bad enough. I managed to get mine clicked back into place on both of the cars and dont think I will ever get back into these cars again. I also removed the metal tabs over the trucks and find that they perform somewhat better on rough track. If the trucks need stablizing in the future, Im prepared to install a soft material similar to foam on them.
The Diagrams are included. But I suspect that these cars are assembled one way at the factory and is not designed to withstand disassembly.