Good grief. I can't figure out how to get the shell off beyond removing the 4 screws. What am I missing?
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A hammer? 
All kidding aside, it's probably just stuck for some reason or other. I have one too, after removing the 4 screws, seems like I had to wiggle the body a little bit to get it to finally release from the frame. It should just pull straight up off the frame. Don't forget to disengage the hand rails where they attach to the hoods and the cab before you pull the cab/hood assembly up.
Since it's been almost a month since I did that with mine, and have disassembled several other locos and cars since then, I think that's all you need to do.
Well, taking a better look at my unit, I just noticed something - if you turn it over, and look at the speaker portion of the frame casting, you will see four square channel openings (one at each corner. Look down in these openings, and there looks to be a plastic "hook" in each one, part of the plastic cab molding. If you disengage these four hooks, that should release the cab/hood assembly from the frame. That must be the magic secret. Evidently, I forgot all about that.
Give that a try, and see if that doesn't do the trick.
You have to release the cab before it'll come off. Be careful of the railings, they the most fragile pieces of crap I've ever seen!
Thank you for the information. Even knowing what to do and to look out for, I can see why it is said that it is not an easy one to get into . I only broke two railings.
Since there is no longer a CC Lite, what the heck would go in this little baby?
@gunrunnerjohn posted:You have to release the cab before it'll come off. Be careful of the railings, they the most fragile pieces of crap I've ever seen!
And make it known a set of railings from Bachman will run you about 25 bucks plus shipping! Quite a bit for a few pieces of cheap plastic!
The Mini Commander II will fit into that unit easily. It supports the sound serial data so you can also have sound.
@Bucky posted:Thank you for the information. Even knowing what to do and to look out for, I can see why it is said that it is not an easy one to get into . I only broke two railings.
Since there is no longer a CC Lite, what the heck would go in this little baby?
Wow, talk about a coincidence! Me too! 
There is no reason to touch the handrails when removing the body/cab from the chassis, unless...
Old Goat
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@Old Goat posted:There is no reason to touch the handrails when removing the body/cab from the chassis, unless...
You obviously live in an alternate reality. In the real world, the WB scale 44-ton locomotive railings join the cab and the main body in a number of places. Also, once you remove the body, the rest of the fragile handrails are sticking up out of the frame making it close to impossible to work on it. You should actually look at the item in question before making such pronouncements.
Mini Commander II going in as soon as I can get one. That would mean the couplers could be controlled! That is if there actually is one that could replace the weird ones on it now.
Did you look at my thread on upgrading the WB 44-Ton to command? I made the couplers, and was a PITA!
illiams 44-Ton Upgrade with ERR CC-Lite, Sound, & Electrocouplers
Thank you sir! What a thread! 
I will not be converting the couplers. I could probably create something following your example, but I don't have the time...........in the rest of my life......... working 8 hours a day.
Yep, it can be done, but it's not pretty. I'd probably do it a bit different the second time anyway. However, after seeing how delicate the handrails are and breaking a couple, I decided that I was done putting effort into the WB 44-Ton locomotives. The MTH handrails are small and somewhat delicate, but they're metal and don't break if you sneeze around them.
Gunrunnerjohn,
Alternate reality? Well, we are all playing with trains.
Currently my hobby items are in an off site storage facility while we are between moves. I located a photo from several months back when I started to convert the loco to 2 rail. You are correct, there are 10 handrail attachments before the hood/cab can be removed from the chassis. Sorry about that. The highlighted areas show the tabs that hold the body to the chassis in addition to the four screws.
Most likely the broken handrails can be repaired with a Loctite adhesive.
I commend Williams/Bachmann for the scale handrails...unfortunately the hood width is incorrect. 
Old Goat
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There is a special plastic 2-part kit for this kind of plastic from Loctite, I'm trying it out on the handrail stanchions on a aux water tender.
The handrails on these are a PITA because they were jammed in pretty firmly, and it seems no amount of gentle coaxing will get them out intact in many cases.
I would have been happier with Bachmann if they used metal handrail like MTH did. For the money they charged for the engine, I think they could have squeezed that into the budget. 
Gunrunnerjohn,
I can't recall if an adhesive is used at the stanchion base or if they are a friction fit. No access from the bottom?
Search the internet for the pdf: henkel-loctite-design-guide-plastic-bonding.pdf
Go to pages 14-15, Acetal Homopolymer (Delrin)
Review the list of Loctite adhesives and their bond strength. Is your 2-part adhesive listed?
Also, review the section: Other Important Information
I plan to try one at least one of the lesser expensive and readily available adhesives when my hobby items are out of storage.
Thanks,
Old Goat
After reading this thread, speaking as someone who has 44 tonners from MTH and WBB...
1) I haven't tried to open up my WBB unit, so many thanks for the heads-up regarding the challenges of disassembly.
2) While the WBB is a nice unit at a bargain price, it doesn't seem worthwhile to try to upgrade it - if one wants the upgraded functions, it sounds like it makes more sense to just spend the extra money on an MTH unit.
@Mallard4468 posted:2) While the WBB is a nice unit at a bargain price, it doesn't seem worthwhile to try to upgrade it - if one wants the upgraded functions, it sounds like it makes more sense to just spend the extra money on an MTH unit.
That's true, but when I upgraded the WBB model, the MTH one didn't exist. 
@Old Goat posted:Gunrunnerjohn,
I can't recall if an adhesive is used at the stanchion base or if they are a friction fit. No access from the bottom?
Search the internet for the pdf: henkel-loctite-design-guide-plastic-bonding.pdf
Go to pages 14-15, Acetal Homopolymer (Delrin)
Review the list of Loctite adhesives and their bond strength. Is your 2-part adhesive listed?
If we're still talking about the WBB 44-ton, clearly the handrails aren't accessible from the bottom as that implies you already have the shell off. Catch-22, you have to get the handrails off to take the shell off.
This is what I'm using, don't know if it's listed in your references, but you can check. Loctite specifically mentions the plastics that these are made of, which is why I'm trying it. I also don't put a lot of stock in the ad copy, if the product is stated to work with the materials I have, I want to see it for myself. AFAIK, this is the only one that I know of that claims to glue these types of plastic. Time will tell if that's true.
Loctite® Plastics Bonding System
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Gunrunnerjohn,
Which location(s) broke? Which roadname do you have?
Loctite offers a variety of adhesives engineered to bond specific materials. I realize reading the PDF is not for everyone but it is very informative and could save a modeling project from disaster.
The Loctite adhesive in your post appears to be somewhat generic. I highly recommend reading and following the application instructions on the Technical Data Sheet. Let us know the result.
Thanks,
Old Goat
@gunrunnerjohn posted:There is a special plastic 2-part kit for this kind of plastic from Loctite, I'm trying it out on the handrail stanchions on a aux water tender.
The handrails on these are a PITA because they were jammed in pretty firmly, and it seems no amount of gentle coaxing will get them out intact in many cases.
I would have been happier with Bachmann if they used metal handrail like MTH did. For the money they charged for the engine, I think they could have squeezed that into the budget.
I was very lucky regarding the price paid for my WBB PRR diesels. I mentioned it once in the forum. Paid $35 for one and $38 for a second the next day on Amazon. Of course the price immediately went way up. I should have bought all the had on that first day! Dumb.
The fondness I have for these items stems from my childhood when my grandfather let me ride a couple times on the real one that resided in the small yard back in my hometown in PA. Of course, it was not quite as impressive for little me as the time I rode the fireman's seat in the 44 tonner's predecessor, a B6. That ride is why I am in this hobby now. Interesting what triggers a person to go down the path.
Gunrunnerjohn,
Which location(s) broke? Which roadname do you have? Can you post photos?
Thank you,
Old Goat
My major issue at this point is the front and rear railings and lift bar. I got the side railings sorted out, but I just left the front and rear off for now. One day...
Gunrunnerjohn,
Curious...did the Loctite Plastics Bonding System bond the broken Williams 44 ton handrails?
Thank you,
Old Goat
Haven't tried it on those, but it did seem to work on the stanchions of a TMCC aux tender, they're plastic to support the antenna function.
@Old Goat posted:Gunrunnerjohn,
Alternate reality? Well, we are all playing with trains.
Currently my hobby items are in an off site storage facility while we are between moves. I located a photo from several months back when I started to convert the loco to 2 rail. You are correct, there are 10 handrail attachments before the hood/cab can be removed from the chassis. Sorry about that. The highlighted areas show the tabs that hold the body to the chassis in addition to the four screws.
Most likely the broken handrails can be repaired with a Loctite adhesive.
I commend Williams/Bachmann for the scale handrails...unfortunately the hood width is incorrect.
Old Goat
Just did this today to try to increase the volume.
1. Remove four screws underneath
2. Release the side handrails from the body by gently prying them out.
3. Release the four end rails by placing a small flat head jewelers screwdriver behind the insertion point of the handrail to the body and rocking it back and forth till it is free. It helps to hold down the rest of the handrail with your finger so only the part you are trying to remove comes out without too much flexing.
4. Hold it upside down watching where the fragile plastic handrails are and Insert a small flat head jewelers screwdriver in front of the four tabs holding the body on and push them in and down (toward the cab).
5. When they are partially released turn the whole loco on it's side and insert the jewelers screwdriver into the partially separated body and pry up to release one side then turn it around and do the same on the other side.
6. Move the handrails out of the way before you pull the body completely off.
Results: The volume pot was up all the way anyway (clockwise to increase volume). I guess it just isn't that loud. But it was good to learn how to take it apart.
John
