Right now, I am in the midst of working on a 1980's Sunset USRA PRR 0-6-0. It has a horizontal drive hidden within the frame. The motor faces rearward, hidden completely within the firebox end of the boiler, with a cogged belt to turn the hidden drive shaft. Its a bit complicated to disassemble, and took notes as I did it so I can get the thing back together again in a few more weeks after its painted and lettered.
It has a thin coat of gold paint on it, that must come off before it gets painted. It also has to be removed to re-solder some parts that broke off or were cold soldered to begin with. These repairs will make the details sturdier for undergoing the paint stripping, cleaning and surface prep for painting.
I've disassembled it into basic components - cab, back head, cylinders, valve gear, frame, boiler, and smoke box front. Work on tender will come later.
This model has a large number of very small Metric screws in two sizes. What I've done was to take photos of each component as it was removed, and put the screws back into their holes again. This keeps other stuff for getting into the threaded holes and also keeps the screws in their correct locations, per size, thread and length.
As I will be painting the locomotive frame first, the drivers and the hidden drive shaft and the drivers must be removed from it. So the frame and all the things on it must be taken off. This will involve 22 more tiny screws! I will use the same method, replacing each screw as the part it holds is taken off. I use sytrofoam egg cartons to put the small parts in, as they may be right or left handed, forward or rearward facing. The driver bearing retainer straps and their screws are kept as specific right and left side sets as well as for first, second or third axle. That's 6 egg carton pockets for the driver bearing retainers, each pocket is marked specifically for a location on the frame. I will also put the driver brake shoes in each pocket per location as well.
Keeping screws in their holes while painting also keeps paint out of their threaded holes. Since the vast majority of those screws are hidden anyway, it makes no difference to me if they get painted.
Tedious, but it sure helps in not losing any of those tiny, short Metric screws that can disappear in a flash.
S. Islander
