How do you remove the bogies?

[Graham Bridge]

I've got a DCC ready 73. The pickups from the bogies are not making proper contact with the body. I need to remove the bogies to clean and retension the wipers.

I've removed the body and bogie frames. I think the next step is to remove the solebar but it seems like it's glued.

Ideas please?

[Andy Dapol]

Hi Graham Bridge,
Some of these models with plastic chassis blocks did have the sole bar glued in place. The metal chassis versions were all OK in this respect.
When removing the sole bar from either type be careful as it is very fine forward of the battery boxes/fuel tank block. It is clipped in place.

Regarding the glued type, a modelling knife (or similar thin object) can be slid along the top, between the sole bar and chassis, careful it doesn't slip! This will sometimes break the glue seal, no cutting is recommended. An alternative is to remove the screws holding the chassis halves together, this often gives sufficient 'slack' to allow the bogies to be prised out.

If neither option works for you then please contact DCC Supplies, (quoting this message) for them to contact me and we will organise a chassis replacement for you.

[Graham Bridge]

Many thanks Andy,
I did manage to prise one end of the sole bar loose. Loosening the screws the other end worked. Unfortunately the bogie/body interface wipers were past their best so I've now hard wired the bogies to the chassis. This has resulted in a massive improvement in slow running.

[Andy Dapol]

Hi Graham,
Good news. Thanks for the update.