HELP - Removing Atlas RS-1 Trucks

I removed the shells from my early Atlas RS-1's so I could install an ERR Cruise Commander.  It was such a pain that I wrote down the procedure.  Here it is.

You will need a precision set of Phillips screwdrivers, especially one with
a long and very thin shaft. The shaft needs to fit between the drive wheel
and the sideframe of the trucks. If you don't have a screwdriver this
skinny, don't even try to remove the shell! It is also very helpful if your
screwdriver is magnetized so you can lift out the screws. This is more
important when re-installing the shell, since there is very little room to
work when trying to put the screws back in!

The Atlas instructions show the "general" location of the screws that hold
the shell on. There are 6 of them: 2 at each end of the hood, and 2 where
the long hood meets the cab. These last 2 are easy to get out. The ones at
the other end of the long hood are not too bad, they are a little hidden
under the truck but the truck can be swiveled enough to get a small Phillips
screwdriver on them. The ones at the end of the short hood are the biggest
problem. They are way under the truck and you have to use the thin
screwdriver inserted between the truck sideframe and the wheel (with the
truck properly rotated) in order to remove the screws.

Once all 6 screws are out, you can remove the shell. There are actually two
shells: the short hood and cab are one assembly and the long hood is a
separate piece. Remove the short hood/cab first. The cab has 2 plastic tabs
that fit into slots in the walkway at the long hood end. There are no
locking tabs, but be aware of these tabs, especially when re-assembling. The
handrails fit into small holes in the cab, and the low handrails will keep
the cab from coming off. Grab the handrail wire near the steps on the pilot
and you can slide the rail out of the hole in the cab (it will slide through
all of the stanchions). You'll need to release the rail on both the short
and long hood. The high handrails can be flexed easily out of the holes near
the cab roof.

With the handrails released, the cab should start to lift. I used a small
flat-blade screwdriver to help get it started. The cab will lift off, but
the wires to the headlight LED are just barely long enough, so the cab/short
hood piece cannot really be set aside.

To remove the long hood, the plastic bosses that house the screw holes must
be flexed apart so they can slip past the smoke unit. These bosses are at
the cab end and you can lift the hood enough to get your fingers in there to
gently spread them apart.

WOW!  Thanks Bob for the instructions.  Unfortunately, it is making me reluctant to even attempt.  I removed that shell from an Atlas SD-35 once and was never able to get all the lights to work again. 

I have also considered adding ERR cruise to this engine (it is one of my favorite paint schemes-Santa Fe black with silver stripes), but due to the small size of the shell, I was concerned there would not be enough room.  How did your installation go and was it worth it?

If I am going to take the shell off, it certainly would be the time to do it.

Thanks,

Don

Dropping the truck to get to the mechanism is another intricate procedure.

I would call Bill Seratelli at Atlas when you are ready and ask him how to do it or if you can send it in for repair. 

I don't have their RS1, but I do have their GP9.

I found that removing the truck sideframes first, gives you better access to the body shell mounting screws, this way you don't have to fight with the trucks to get to the screws.  Hope this helps with the RS1, just work slowly and you should be fine.

I bet I've had my GP9 apart more than any engine has ever been taken apart.  It's gone from an unpowered unit to one with basic PS2 (taken out of a RailKing F3), then reconfigured with PS2 wiring harness so all the lights would work.  I expect I've had it apart 4 dozen times since buying it new.