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…..--- Bachmann DCC N Scale GP7 Disassemble/Reassemble ---

I took the following pictures of disassembling and reassembling a DCC Bachmann GP7 when a friend on one of the forums was considering doing it due to a broken piece the holds the truck in that needed to be replaced.

The shell fits the frame very tightly. I tried the trick of placing the front and rear steps (one at a time) on the edge of a jewel case and dropping it to separate the shell from the frame. That didn't work. Tried prying the shell apart at the fuel tank but that didn't work (found out why when I did get it off). Finally was able to pry the shell up at one end with a small screwdriver placing it on the ledge above the truck.

If I was to do it again I'd try and get tooth picks in at one end of the shell on both sides where the dimples are. Hopefully then the shell would come off the dimples easier maybe even using the jewel case trick.

Also check out Spookshow's site ( HERE ) for more info on this and the GP7 in general.

To make it easier to put the shell back on and remove it in the future if needed I filed the dimples a little flatter and tried slopping them a bit on the side that contacts the shell first on reassembly. I also used the rounded side of the shell to round the shell where the dimples first connect it. I showed both of those mods above.

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I didn't go any further with the disassembling of the loco so don't know how hard it is to get the towers off that locate the trucks.

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===================== UPDATE ===========================

Bachmann sent the two truck assemblies to the person having problems. My guess is that if the block shaped tower above the truck isn't the broken part but the tab at the top of the left truck is broken then use the left truck. It should slide right into the existing tower.

If the top tower is broken where the tab clicks into it then use the right truck with the tower. Looks like it is a matter of sliding the old one off the driveshaft and sliding the new one on. The block like tower slides into the two frame halves making that part easy. If sliding the tower off and into the drive shaft is easy then this is an easy fix.

On the one I took apart shown above I didn't try to separate the tower from the drive shaft. Now I wish I would of. One thing I noticed is that the driveshaft connection to the tower shaft looks different now that I look back at the picture.

Other than struggling with the shell to get it off it only took about 5 minutes to get it apart and another 5 minutes to get it back together if I discount the time to file the dimples and the shell and putting the frame nut back on in the right direction

The loco might not have quite the detail that the Atlas GP7/9's have but I don't notice much difference in them and this one is already DCC equipped and runs really nice with exceptional slow speed creep if that is important to you. Again read Spookshow's review ( HERE ).

I need two 'identical' coal trains with identical engines and cars for a project I hope to finish at one point. It is described ( HERE ). I have about 6 Atlas GP7/9's that I'll equip with ESU decoders. I'd like three engines running in consists for each of the identical trains. If I can match the Bachmann's to the ESU Atlas locos I might use that combo but will probably use 3 Atlas loco's in both trains as they should be easier to speed match all being the same.

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