Traction Tires/Side Frames on ALCO C628

There are 2 screws holding them on. Unfortunately they are on the topside of the side frame. You will have to remove the shell. On the underside center of the truck you will see a screw. The screw secures the truck to the motor. It’s a fairly long screw and when removed the truck can be pulled away. The wires for the pickup and ground can remain in place. This will give you room to access the screws to remove the side frame and install the new tire. Just make sure the motor engages the truck properly when you reassemble it. Turn the flywheel to make sure the gears are engaged before you put the screw in place.

What Dave said......it is a pain in the a.. cause you have to remove the body to make sure the motor stays in place, once you remove the long screw holding the truck block onto the worm gear of the motor.

Once the truck is free, you will see the two screws holding the tops of the side frames to the truck body, and away you go!!

Be careful on re-assembly to ensure the truck block is correctly "seated" back onto the worm gear (after re-greasing, of course), and tighten down the long screw.

One other thing to be very mindful of....make sure there are no wires that can get pinched between the plastic body of the loco and the metal chassis, when you re-fit the body. That will cost you dearly, as the electronics hate shorted wires....don't ask me how I know!!!!

Like I said.....it is a real pain in the a..   

Peter.....Buco Australia.

90% of the tires can be changed from the bottom using two angled dental picks.  I cut the tip off one to shorten it and blunt the edge so it doesn’t pierce the tire.  Done hundreds this way.

While you can indeed change most tires without removing the sideframes, it takes some practice to do that for many diesels.  If the sideframe screws on on the bottom, I just take them off as it's much easier.  For some Lionel models with the Lionel puzzle trucks and the screws on the top, that's when I break out the dental tools since just taking the truck off is a royal PITA!  I usually just drop the truck for MTH stuff with one truck screw, I find it easier than fishing around with the dental tools.