Model Railroading > Getting the shell off an Atlas SD26

I have taken the couplers out. I have unscrewed two small screws in the undercarriage between the fuel tank and the rear truck. The fuel tank itself has been removed. I don't get the sense I've made any progress whatsoever in identifying what I need to do to get the shell off to install a DCC decoder.

A friend who owns a hobby shop says that if I squeeze toward the rear, it should pop off at that end, then I'll need to pry under the cab with a small screwdriver to pop tabs in that area. But squeezing toward the rear seemingly accomplishes nothing. What should I be doing differently?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/31/12 20:02 by toledopatch.

There should be tabs on the shell just to the rear of the fuel tank that hold the rear of the shell and two towards the front of the shell. They can be a pain in the rear, as you know. Sometimes you just have to keep at it till you find the rite spot. Don't try to force it you can damage it .

Posted from Android

CR4103 Wrote:
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> There should be tabs on the shell just to the rear
> of the fuel tank that hold the rear of the shell
> and two towards the front of the shell. They can
> be a pain in the rear, as you know. Sometimes you
> just have to keep at it till you find the rite
> spot. Don't try to force it you can damage it .
>

Well, this is the problem. NO matter where I squeeze the hood, I feel no give, no reaction at all. And there's nothing really good to grab onto on the frame with my other hand, either. If I try to grip on the fuel tank, it just pops off. The metal underneath the fuel tank is too slippery to grip. And I don't want to counter-pull on the trucks, lest I damage them.

My Atlas GE's are very easy for shell removal. Why do these things have to be such a pain in the a**?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/31/12 20:49 by toledopatch.

Take it to your friend with the hobby shop and have him do it.

Jim

Jimmies Wrote:
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> Take it to your friend with the hobby shop and
> have him do it.

If I can't otherwise figure it out before I next visit his shop -- 12 hours away from me -- that's what I'll do.

Why don't you call Atlas?

TomPlatten Wrote:
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> Why don't you call Atlas?

Wanted to see what the Voice of Experience is here first. But that will be a logical step. Probably send Customer Service an e-mail.

I may also suggest that, along with their exploded-view diagrams, it wouldn't hurt to have some basic instructions for decoder installation/replacement, since that's one of the more common reasons for wanting the shell off.

toledopatch Wrote:
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> TomPlatten Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Why don't you call Atlas?
>
> Wanted to see what the Voice of Experience is here
> first. But that will be a logical step. Probably
> send Customer Service an e-mail.
>
> I may also suggest that, along with their
> exploded-view diagrams, it wouldn't hurt to have
> some basic instructions for decoder
> installation/replacement, since that's one of the
> more common reasons for wanting the shell off.

Try this, found with a quick Google search:

http://forum.atlasrr.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=63445

http://www.atlasrr.com/Support/locoshell.htm#hosd35

Thanks for the reference. It reinforced that I was trying to do the right method.

I have succeeded now. It requires pinching lower and farther toward the end of the long hood than I expected. Once I released the rear-most tabs, the shell came right off without requiring any pressure on the other tab locations. The little screws behind the fuel tank are irrelevant to this and do not need to be removed.

Not sure any of the decoders I have on hand will fit, but at least now I know what I'm likely to need.

toledopatch Wrote:
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> Jimmies Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Take it to your friend with the hobby shop and
> > have him do it.
>
> If I can't otherwise figure it out before I next
> visit his shop -- 12 hours away from me -- that's
> what I'll do.


Ohhhhh... didn't realize that. Sorry. Best of luck then.

Jimmies Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> toledopatch Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Jimmies Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Take it to your friend with the hobby shop
> and
> > > have him do it.
> >
> > If I can't otherwise figure it out before I
> next
> > visit his shop -- 12 hours away from me --
> that's
> > what I'll do.
>
>
> Ohhhhh... didn't realize that. Sorry. Best of luck
> then.

Finally worked it out. And a TCS DP5 decoder just barely fits....