Removing Golden Gate Passenger Body

Bill,

As far as I know the floor slides in from the end.  This being an observation car, it makes it easy to determine which end.

The last bottom screw that goes into the round end of the car, goes into a brass stud. That stud is what seems to hold the bottom from sliding out. After removing that screw, I had to get the bottom to clear that stud, if I remember correctly.

 I can take a picture in a few minutes.

somebody busted the car trying to get it apart. The end plastic bottom has to come off!!

BILL; I have had other GGD cars apart. Sometimes you need to spread the car sides apart. This is easier than you might think, Just a little outward pressure on the sides from the bottom ,will let the floor slide out much easier. This worked out fine on my empire cars. Franky-Ogee

but the end car is different

did you get it?

I have opened a GGD N&W P/Arrow coach car and one end, if I remember correctly either end in the case of a coach, snaps off. Now, you may have to remove screws on both ends, but, once the end snaps off the frame is able to slide out. I don't mean to make this sound easy. The trucks do get in the way and I'm sorry that I am unable to take you through each thing that you have to do. However, spreading the sides is not the way to remove the frame. Some more photos might be useful.

Thanks to you all.

The sides will not spread more than about 0.02 mm. As Big Jim posted, the ends have to come off. Well, since it's an observation car I think i know which end...

Success ... well, not really.

The end of the car popped off very easily. There is a vertical ridge over which the bottom plate must slide. I managed to get the bottom plate of the interior about 2" out of the car before it stuck and then it became a question of how much force do I want to apply and how easily can I break something. I decided to take a break before I did break ... something.

I took 6 of them apart and back together with no damage but the first one or two were nerve racking.  Some were tight and some were nearly impossible to move.  Spreading the side was the key, just enough to remove some of the side pressure on the floor.  A friend of mind came up with the idea of making a few small blocks just a hair (1/32 or less) longer than the width of the sides to hold the sides apart  while tugging on the floor.  Just support and hold the body to eliminate doing any damage.  I even used a block of wood and hammer taps to get the floor out.  Before I put them back together I removed the paint from the floor where it slides into the car and lubed the slot as well.   

Thanks for sharng your experience. I realized I had exaggerated and got the floor only about 0.5 inches out before it was just stuck. I gave up for now. Using wood to spread the bottom of the car sides is a good idea. I'll try that when I re-engage this project.

Ideas for gaining clearance,

Many squeeze clamps have removable ends so as to remove it and install it facing the same direction on the opposite  end of the bar.  This allows you to use the squeeze clamp as a spreader bar (s).

The standard size Irwin clamps feature this option. 

Another approach is to use a sliver of a shaker shingle and tap it against a slightly undersized block until you have needed  clearance movement.  I always use these shims as opposed pairs so as to keep both surfaces parallel.

Thanks, I'll have to try spreading it with some of my clamps. It is just in there tightly and that aluminum body is not inclined to move much at all.