RE-TIRING TIRES

Center screw allows you to separate the drive block assembly (truck) from the motor and motor mount, thus dropping the truck. This allows you to turn the truck enough to reach the screws holding the side frames.

You could also try this method. https://ogrforum.com/topic/cha...ick-with-right-tools

I remove the shell and then take the one screw out of the bottom of the truck and pull the truck off.  That allows you to remove the sideframes using the screws that on the top of the sideframes.

These are easy, wait until you have to replace the tires on a Lionel TMCC model with the puzzle trucks!

"The MTH F3 engines I have, have side plates that are held on by 2 screws. Remove screws, plates come off, tires go on, and back to running. Easy peasy as they say."

Thank you to all. WHY did they put the screws in such an inacessable place???? WHY not on the bottom, so like the F3, you flip the engine over on its back, remove two screws on each plate, put on a tire and put 2 screws back!!?? Were they just trying to make people mad?

I was not going to pull that center screw out to find out what trouble that would cause, until I checked with people who knew more about it than I do. Since I probably need a BCR from GRJ, and need to take the shell off to install that, I will probably just leave it alone and not run it until I get chance to do that.

Again, replies were appreciated.

Greg  (no John....I want NOTHING to do with anything called the puzzle trucks!)

They DO make the screws face downward on many Premier engines.

It's mostly early engines (you checked that box) and Railking that have the upward facing screws (facing the frame). Again, a feature on a lot of Premier engines is the sideframe screws then face down towards the track.

As with any rule- there are exceptions, but that is my experience.

Many newer engines the makers finally figured out that screws under the truck made more sense.  Many of the TMCC and early MTH engines had the screws on the top so you had to remove the trucks.

While you are there, Relubricate the drive

"While you are there, Relubricate the drive"

There is a good idea! Thanks. BUT....after looking at the "paper clip" solution posted above, (see ChiTown Steve post) I decided to try to use some picks that I had to get them on in a similar fashion. I am happy to report that 3 went on nearly effortlessly, while a 4th made it most of the way around. I had to, while the engine was cradled, take two leads from a transformer, and touching a roller and ground, get the wheel to make a half turn rotation so that I could get it the last fraction of an inch over the rim and into the groove on the 4th tire.

Nice to run the engine again while pulling a string of cars. And, the battery seems to charge and hold it for a good while after shutdown. I will order the BCR because it is a battery....and can't last forever.

Perhaps then I will take on the "relubricate" suggestion. Kind of hard to imagine they did not consider the "screws on top of the side plate" situation when they designed these engines.

Thanks to everyone who replied. Next, I will tackle and ask questions about a speaker replacement in a new topic. Stay safe if you are in either a fire or a snow situation. (I would rather fight my snow than a fire!)

Greg