I have a mikado with a broken pilot and have no idea how to get the shell off to get at the screws to replace the part. I have the exploded view but no info on how to get the shell off to get at the screws under it to get the pistons off so I can install the new pilot. Athearn was good enough to send out the replacement part for free. I have tried, but can not seem to get it loose enough to get it all the way off. Can anyone please help me on this.
Thanks
John
The Genesis Mikado shell is pretty difficult to get off. After removing the screw holding the shell down, you have to remove the cab and smokestack. You also have to take off the smokebox front and unplug the headlight. There are also a couple of black plastic detail parts near the bottom of the smokebox that can be popped off to make things a little easier. After all that’s done, the back of the boiler has to be lifted over the top of the split frame (this is the most difficult part). The boiler can then be slid forward and off the frame.
It’s a difficult process, but it can be done. Just watch the wires, because they can be broken if you’re not careful.
Thanks for the tips
John
You might try here: http://www.the-gauge.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=718 where doctorwayne describes weighting and balancing one of the Athearn Mikes. You won’t need to go as far as he goes. Basic disassembly instructions are in the first paragraph.
Andre
Andre, thanks for posting that link - I had forgotten about that dis-assembly outline and was about to type out a reply, hoping that I could recall all of the steps. [(-D]
John, if you’re not planning to follow that link beyond the dis-assembly instructions, don’t throw away that long screw as suggested there, as you’ll need it to re-assemble your loco. [swg]
Wayne
John, if you’re not planning to follow that link beyond the dis-assembly instructions, don’t throw away that long screw as suggested there, as you’ll need it to re-assemble your loco. 
Wayne
Learn that the hard way, Wayne? [(-D]
I had your tutorial about weighting and balancing the Athearn Mike bookmarked. I’ve got one, but have never gotten around to disassembling it. One of these days.
Andre
Not at all, Andre, as the screws aren’t really needed if you do the conversion (the extra weight keeps the boiler in place). [swg] Of course, the screw could be used if one wanted to take the time to tap the new weight. Oh, and I didn’t actually discard the screw - model railroaders throw away almost nothing. [:D]
Wayne
Yeah, you never know when you’ll need a particular item. If you throw it away, you will DEFINITELY need it within 24 hours of discarding it. There seems to be a near 1 to 1 correlation between being a model railroader and being a candidate for appearing on this TV show: http://www.aetv.com/hoarders/about/ [(-D]
Andre
My wife has permission to shoot me if I ever get that bad. [(-D][(-D]
Wayne
Much to my regret I have two Athern “Genesis” Mikes. I fell for them because I believed I could kit bash and super detail them into Milwaukee Road L2b’s. Getting the boiler shell off is the biggest obsatcle to overcome, but once you have done it a dozen times during the “detailing” process it becomes second nature. Just grit your teeth and manhandle it off with a lot of force. Of course, once you have added all the detail to make it into something that it wasn’t before and added the DCC decoder you will find that the locomotive can hardly pull it’s own weight up a 2 percent grade. In my opinion, one of the worst designed steam locomotive offerings in recent history. But, only my opinion…
Split Reduction
Well, it was a little bit on the light side, although the fact that any weight which was there wasn’t at all balanced contributed just as much to its poor pulling capabilities. It is, however, a very smooth-running loco, especially for one with no current collection on the tender. Some had gear issues, but that problem is easily corrected.
The link which Andre provided covers not only adding weight and balancing the loco, but also deals with adding tender pick-ups, using Bachmann parts.
I liked the improved locos so well that I went out and picked up another two, both very slightly used, for a good price. A pair of them will handle a 100 oz. coal train on my very curvy 2.5% grades, although mine are DC-controlled.
Wayne