I've seen about a million questions regarding how to access the interiors of these cars over the years. Here's a quick video to help!
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Jon
VERY GOOD!!!!
Celebrating 18 years on the CTT Forum.
Buckeye Riveter......... OTTS Charter Member, a Roseyville Raider and a member of the CTT Forum since 2004..
Jelloway Creek, OH - ELV 1,100 - Home of the Baltimore, Ohio & Wabash RR
TCA 09-64284
When I first saw the thread title, "oh god, not another" came across my mind LOL. There seems to be quite a few requests for info on this, you did a great job on explaining it and this should be a great help for a lot of people.
Trevor
Like you Trevor, I got to the point where my head was about to explode on this one. Reassembling an E-Unit or a Scout motor is hard. This should be easy.
In case for some of you Jon's method turns out to not be as easy as he somehow makes it look, here is an alternate route:
http://www.jcstudiosinc.com/BlogShowThread?id=663&categoryId=
The J&C Studios O Gauge Archive is a place well worth bookmarking.
Pete
"You can’t study the darkness by flooding it with light." - Edward Abbey -
It's magic.
Ah, a gimmicked Baby Madison, eh.
For those who have the Milwaukee 9500 cars from 1973, the process is a bit more involved.
The instruction sheet is in the files section of my MPC yahoo group.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LionelMPC/files/
Ken
My son found an alternate method, which I do NOT recommend. During Christmas, I installed TMCC for the first time on a loop if the layout. For some reason, when we ran the boys' PE the first time (conventional, using the Power Master), the power kicked up to 18 volts, and the train took off like a shot. As the train went around the near 054 curve, the last four cars flew across the room and hit the floor. The roofs of two of them popped off (along with several wheel sets).
Fortunately, all went back together without incident. Still, if one is desparate to remove a roof, . . .
You mean I bought that band saw for NOTHING?
I have a lionel 6-9527 FDR campaign car sold in 1976 and it does not have window tabs, can;t figure out roof removal.
retired-920I have a lionel 6-9527 FDR campaign car sold in 1976 and it does not have window tabs, can;t figure out roof removal.
Yes, the raised windows are there, you just have to look a little harder, with your reading glasses on.
On the right side, they are the third and tenth windows back:
On the left side, they are the fifth and twelfth windows back:
Rob
Rob,
Thanks for the info, but there are no tabs to push in. I even tried the stick method that texas guggested and I coud see that windows are smooth all the way along. The car you show is the car I have. When I slide my sticks along between the roof and the side wall they stop and it it is very tight. It almost seems like the roof is screwd on from the bottom. There is a very tiny hole on the bottom on each end, but can't see in. Holes are smaller than 1/6" in diameter.
Thank you
retired920
Trust me - the windows are so slightly raised on the observation, but they are there. I'm not sure why they are so hard to see, but they are nearly invisible, and in the windows as I described. If it can be made any more clear, the roof is actually reversible - once you get it off, it can go on either way, so it's actually the same exact windows on each side.
You have to take a leap of faith and pretend you see them there, and use my method(don't wedge up the roof or pry it):
(This is a PE observation car)
The secret to getting these apart without tools is to squeeze the windows in from the bottom or sides instead of trying to reach over the top... hold the car in front of you with the side windows facing to your left & right between your hands.Press in on the "notched/raised" rear windows with both index fingers using a pushing up motion at the same time to "unlock" the raised tabs from the windows. Switch to the front windows(turn the car around) and do the same. Repeat on back windows again... usually by this time you have opened up the roof enough to get a grip on the roof panel and raise it straight up & out of the car. On the observation car pictured above, there are three small screws that go up into the overhang that must be removed first.
Bob,
I have tried everything and no go. I even took a pencil eraser and pushed in on the correct windows on both sides and my wife tried to lift off the roof no movement. I saw several comments on the net that Lionel used the 9502 President Washington observation car from 1973 and put on the buntings to get rid of some of the inventory. I understand that the 1973 manufacured cars open up differently, but I can't find this information. Knowing my luck I may have one of these. I don't want to damage the bunting to peak underneath.
Retired920
I did some more checking and found out that I definitely have the 9502 car from 1973. The 1973 cars had plastic trucks and plastic non operating couplers. The 1976 cars had die cast trucks and metal operating couplers. If you have any idea or know where I can find information on the President Washignton 9502, I would appreciate it.
Thank you for your time so far.
On the chance you do have an early car, turn it upside down and check for 6 white tabs/nubs protruding through the slots in the floor. If these are present, you must take one more step and remove those nubs with a hobby knife, as they are actually part of the roof casting. This "feature" was discontinued quickly when it was determined the window nubs/tabs alone were enough(or a service station went to change a bulb on the first one to blow out!).
If you go to my Lionel/MPC Yahoo Group, you'll find the directions for taking apart the Milwaukee Road 9500 cars. This includes where to cut the tabs away. This document is in the files section.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LionelMPC/?yguid=158658952
Cut tabs, pryed the top off with butter knife. Thanks again for the info and your time. Now I know why General Mills stayed with making cereal.
Rich
Thanks again. Roof off, very happy.
Thank You Jon! This was the best explanation I've ever seen. I sure wish MPC gave such forward instructions when I bought the Broadway Limited set back in 75. I had a few bulbs go out about 15 years back and never changed them because I didn't want to damage the car getting to them.
Thanks again! (BTW nice NH EP-5!)
That's fine for the pulman passenger car. How about the baggage car ? No windows just doors. I have a pullman set I bought abt 20 yrs ago, 3 passenger and one baggage. want to change a bulb in the baggage car.
JOSEPH A MURPHY SR That's fine for the pulman passenger car. How about the baggage car ? No windows just doors. I have a pullman set I bought abt 20 yrs ago, 3 passenger and one baggage. want to change a bulb in the baggage car.
Baggage cars will typically have doors with windows. MTH made baggage cars without interior lighting about the 20 year back time that Mr. Murphy mentioned but I'm not sure about Lionel.
That being said if it's a Lionel Madison car there's only two, possibly three ways of getting the roof off to get at the bulbs. If it isn't a squeeze the window and lift the roof method (look at those doors carefully) then check the underside of the car for screws that hold the roof on. The third way would be to get a firm grip on both ends of the car and twist it. Maybe the roof will pop off that way.
Just to add, some streamline cars have circular "vents" on the roofs that are actually knobs you turn off to remove the roof.
It's always interesting to scroll up through these old threads and see names and faces we haven't heard from in a long time.
Same me, different spelling!
ADCX Rob JOSEPH A MURPHY SR That's fine for the pulman passenger car. How about the baggage car ? No windows just doors. I have a pullman set I bought abt 20 yrs ago, 3 passenger and one baggage. want to change a bulb in the baggage car. If there are no windows, what is the purpose of the bulb?
If there are no windows, what is the purpose of the bulb?
We should add that if the roof's never been off it's going to be a bit "sticky," so you'll have to work it a bit.
krapug1 If you go to my Lionel/MPC Yahoo Group, you'll find the directions for taking apart the Milwaukee Road 9500 cars. This includes where to cut the tabs away. This document is in the files section. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LionelMPC/?yguid=158658952 Ken Since Yahoo Groups shut down, this link is now dead. Does anyone know where else to find the instructions for opening the Milwaukee Road 9500 cars? I have 4 with dead bulbs I would LOVE to fix.
Since Yahoo Groups shut down, this link is now dead. Does anyone know where else to find the instructions for opening the Milwaukee Road 9500 cars? I have 4 with dead bulbs I would LOVE to fix.
Mr_MilwaukeeDoes anyone know where else to find the instructions for opening the Milwaukee Road 9500 cars?
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