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 Posted - June 14 2012 : 1:53:16 PM
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Well, I thought I might be able to add a shell to my running Bachmann chassis, which has EMD Blomberg-type 4-wheel trucks. I picked up an SD 40/45 shell for $1 at my local hobby shop, figuring I could cut it down to make a GP 40-2. I planned on adding some nice brass railings and a horn, but otherwise not spending alot. Although an O-scaler, I have picked up a few HO decal sets over the years, including one for Conrail diesels, so fugured a Conrail GP 40-2 would be cool. But . . .
The shell is marked MEHANO Made in Slovenia, and it is the most brittle plastic I have every seen. I made just a couple cuts in the running board and it shattered. What gives? Was it in a hot attic for ten summers? Or is this just characteristic of Slovenian plastic? What should have been straightforward is now going to require me fabricating a floor and running boards.
Has anyone else had this experience?
Bruce Clouette
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Posted - June 14 2012 : 2:00:58 PM
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Bruce,
Was the paint stripped? Brake fluid can make some plastic brittle like that, and so can some oils. Many Tyco 2-8-0's have brittle boilers from Tyco's smoke fluid.
I haven't found Mehano shells to be brittle, so it must have been exposed to something. Their handrails are another matter, because they should never be molded out of styrene. 
The Tyco Depot
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Posted - June 14 2012 : 2:31:19 PM
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The shell hasn't been stripped, so that is not the problem. The running board piece seems to be much more brittle than the body itself. I took 1 scale foot out from behind the cab, sawed off one dynamic brake fan, and removed some brake louvers with no problem. I also took 1 foot out of the fuel tank. But when I tried to remove the air tanks from the running boards, one broke apart. I wonder if the running board piece became brittle because of heat from the motor?
This is going to come out OK, but maybe a little more $ than I anticipated. I chalk up the expense as entertainment, as I try to make something from all these leftover parts.
The Mehano SD40 is a pretty good starting place for a Conrail GP40; it even has the ATC box on the front hood as per prototype. The handrails were shot, so I knew I would have to replace those.
Bruce Clouette
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Posted - June 14 2012 : 3:52:28 PM
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I've noticed the internal components (U-clips, truck tabs, etc) on Mehano diesels are woefully fragile. So are the tabs on the chassis that retain the motor. The engines are easy enough to disassemble, but it's almost impossible not to break something. Very frustrating to want to tun a mint NOS engine and have it fall apart on you.
Having said that, I will say the shells in general (handrails excepted) seem to be fine. I'm modifying an Alco C628 Demonstrator to be a little more accurate, and haven't had much trouble. Then again that hardly qualifies as surgery, either.
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Posted - June 16 2012 : 06:46:50 AM
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If the motor clips ar the same as the ones on my AHM center cab diesel, when one broke, I fashioned a new one from a large sized ( not standard size) metal paper clip by cutting the straight portions a bit longer than needed, inserting the arc on top of the motor thru the chassis retention holes where the clip went into, marking the length on each leg to where it secured the motor well, then used a needle nose plier to bend each leg sideways to form little "feet" which held it in place, using the spring tension of the paper clip arc It was thereafter removable by nudging one of the feet back thru the hole.
My old center cab articles show an image of the replacement "paper clip motor clip" replacement in use.
Siouxlake/ Ron
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Posted - June 16 2012 : 11:10:11 AM
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Here is what I am referring to w/respect to the motor clips:
I added a bit of heat shrink tube to the arc of the paper clip as a friction grip for the motor.
Siouxlake/ Ron
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Posted - June 16 2012 : 7:29:00 PM
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That's a good fix, Ron. I've done the same thing with paper clips, or brass and steel wire.
I recently did this to repair my MRC/Lima C-420. The 4 legs of the motor retainer end in an upside down T, and 2 on one end snapped when I tried prying them loose. Bending a square U out of steel piano wire was the perfect fix, and actually makes it easier to disassemble.
The Tyco Depot
Edited by - NickelPlate759 on June 16 2012 8:17:36 PM
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Posted - July 10 2012 : 8:01:44 PM
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I believe in the case of the SD40, the shell is a typical plastic, but the chassis/walkway/handrail portion is made from a cheap acetal. I have an older Mehano (Life-Like import?) FP45, and the front and rear handrails are brittle due to the acetal frame.
Darth Santa Fe, doing weird and challenging projects for the fun of it!
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Posted - July 10 2012 : 9:06:05 PM
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quote:Here is what I am referring to w/respect to the motor clips:
I added a bit of heat shrink tube to the arc of the paper clip as a friction grip for the motor.
Siouxlake/ Ron
Originally posted by siouxlake - June 16 2012 : 11:10:11 AM
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Ron, you looking for a new part? I have plenty of them laying in the parts bins! 
~John
Many have tried to, and failed, ya just can't repair stupid...
Do NOT try to Idiot-Proof anything!!!! God, will simply create a better......IDIOT!
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