Bachmann (China) class 45-46 body removal?

[lappylugs3]

Hi, i can`t see any screws that hold the body, it`s china made, possibly small lugs under cabin doors? please help

[Bigmet]

Bachmann typically have underside screws attaching the body, rather than bodyside clips on D+E traction. (Just to be different, all of Bachmann's BR 'first generation' DMU's and EMU's I have looked at have clip on bodies...)

Was there an assembly diagram in the box? This can be very useful, as Bachmann sometimes put a rectangular box around the body securing screws.
If you don't have that look here on Bachmann's site:
https://bachmann-spares.co.uk/page/instructions

You will need to look at all the 45/46 sheets listed until you find the one that matches your model, as I think now there have been three versions, one from the early 1990s, one from the 2000's, (they helpfully have that in their 'pre 2017' section) and a current sound fitted version.

HTH

[Mountain]

I have some myself of the first of the Bachmann class 46's (Though one has a Mainline class 45 body) and the bodies come off the exact same way as the Mainline ones do. The bodies are identical to Mainline except that mainline had a pair of inner rib supports to add strength and Bachmanns new chassis with central motor drive takes up a lot more internal space so Bachmann removed the ribs in the design.

The bodies are simply held with four clips as older diesel locos from Mainline, Lima and Hornby used to be.

Now I will say something here before you proceed is that since then it is more then possible that Bachmann has done some upgrades in design as my pair of locos were produced a year or three before Bachmann altered some of their chassis designs so they could have a DCC plug. I believe Bachmann started doing this from around 2004 onwards? (The older Bachmann versions of the class 46 were easy to convert to DCC via the hard wire method).

Incidently. Out of interest the class 46 was the first central motored diesel that Bachmann made for the UK market and these models are really built to last! I origionally purchased mine to run on a 00 gauge garden railway which sadly was never finished.

I do remember though two screws underneath the bogies so be aware of this just incase but I believe these were to hold the cassis together? I am going by memory here.

[Bigmet]

... the class 46 was the first central motored diesel that Bachmann made for the UK market and these models are really built to last! Originally purchased mine to run on a 00 gauge garden railway which sadly was never finished...

'Bob on' concerning the robustnessI My two purchased in 1992 went into service on my outdoor OO line (until I moved house a couple of years later) and did brilliantly thanks to all the weight for pick up and traction. I was already familiar with the (now common) centre motor with drive to both bogies mechanism layout, having used Athearn HO PA-1 and PB-1 mechanisms under Airfix class 30 bodies -again for their competence outdoors - and was very pleased to see Bachmann introducing this style of drive to the UK market.

After the first purchase I quickly bought another Bachmann Peak, and having seen the construction of the first unit by dismantling it, robust and grease packed, have left the second mechanism untouched since puchase: now coming up to 30 years in operation in June, first outdoors, then on large indoor layouts. Still run and pull the side out of a house quietly and smoothly, better than the best from the likes of Hornby Dublo or any other mass market European produced RTR OO brand. The two chassis now stripped down to just the BoBo mechanisms run upweighted as the 'mules' for my track cleaning drag, and run every day the layout is operated, which = 'near daily'. Will they outlive my operational capability? They are bidding fair to do so...

[Mountain]

When I converted them to DCC I was attempting to find the stall current, and I just couldn't stall the things. I dared not put my full weight on them but I wasn't too far off and I was thinking "Any moment now and the axles will bend or the bogies will collapse...." but they just did not stall! Their wheels just kept turning! I just guessed and put in the decoders I had anyway! (Early Lenz decoders which handled an amp and a half).
After that, purchasing other Bachmann diesels which started to come in with8 pin decoder sockets, I bought Bachmann 8 pin decoders (Which were the cheapest decoders out there as just a few years earlier decoder prices were almost the price of a decent loco) and hoped for the best without finding the stall current and ll went ok.
But I never forget that. I pressed down far too hard to be honest, and the wheels kept turning... other locos I had would end up with bent axles or broken wheels, but these things... If one said one sat on one and went for a ride I would believe you! (Do not really try that just incase as I don't want anyones lovely model ruined).