A/F Cattle Car

[Beatle]

I have an american flyer cattle car.  How can I open it to get to the wiring?

[stebbycentral]

All the older Flyer cars have metal pins in the outside corners of the underside that go through the metal base into corresponding holes in the car body.  The pins are a press fit.  They must be extracted by prying them up with a fine flat-blade screwdriver, or the tip of a small pair of cutting pliers.  I prefer the latter tool because it's easier to exert equal pressure on both sides of the lip of the pin.  The biggest problem you should have is with the  truck/coupler getting in the way.  Once the pins are out, the shell should pop straight off.  

[Sturgeon-Phish]

Another tool that works really well for removing the small brass pins is a small cats claw, like you would use for small finishing nails.  It works much like the side cuts stebby was referring to but has a flatter angle.  What ever method avoid twisting them because the pins are ribbed and twisting enlarges the hole making reinsertation and a firm hold difficult.

Jim