How do I declaw the Lionel RB truck?

 I did post how to do it a few years back. They do come apart if you desire to keep them intact. Some guys just dremel them apart. That would seem quicker. I tried both ways and to me it's as easy to dis-assemble them.

 I'm trying my best to remember. I think it's easier to get the claw out when that front axle is out of the way. Later on I figured a way to get it out without totally removing the side springs by loosening the frames and tipping the axle out? I just can't remember.

   I'm not sure how you would get just the claw off. You would probably need to pop

  the rivets on top. I recently took apart  a set of Lionel caboose trucks with the 

  intention of 2 railing the model. There were 4 rivets per truck that needed to be

  removed in order to get down to just the truck frame. My trucks were a little 

  different than the roller bearing trucks you have pictured but I'm guessing the

  construction is something similar.

          Geoff

Looking at the pictures above, won't the whole coupler assembly come off if you remove the 'C' clip on the brass pin so that the pin can drop down?

I call it an E clip, but this was also my thought without having the truck in my hand.

The fastest I found is to use a high speed dremel cutting wheel and cut off both ends.  It took about 30 seconds for each of the 48 trucks I did in this photo with minimal fussing. When doing it in bulk its faster to just do it in a dissembly line.

I have a Snap-On extra heavy duty pair of side cutters, with VERY long handles in order to apply extra force, and I have done essentially what Michael does, i.e. cut all that sheet metal crap off.

Dremel Cut- Off (not " heavy duty cut- off") and eye protection!

Sure, but the Dremel "cut-off" method makes too much mess for me. That is why I simply cut the sheet metal off with good strong cutters.

I cut them in my boiler room sink.  You can also surround it in a box, to catch shavings.  I just aim the wheel so the debris falls down.  At mid speed on the Dremel it'll melt the metal quick and you're also going to get a lot of sparking as well.  Oh and yes and eye protection!  Interestingly on page 59 of O Scale Resource magazine also has whole articles on it.

...I miss the days of bulk NWSL wheels at a discount.

Thanks everyone. I did cut them using a dremel tool as subsequent searched on this forum show me where to cut. NOw my unique project is off to Malcolm!