I bought a Bachmann Climax loco from the Trainworld in the USA, as they are no longer available in this country, and also the price including the postal and customs charges was much more reasonable!

This was after a friend sent me some photos of his modified version which I thought looked much better. Thanks Rich!

When the loco arrived it has a small tapered chimney, and a steel cab; both these were to be changed, to in effect backdate the loco, BUT it is a freelance design, and does not follow any particular version.

The chimney came off easily, and was replaced with a new base, that was the same size as a spare Bachmann Spectrum chimney I had, also from a friend. This was made from plasticard and fitted in position, the Bachmann chimney is too long as supplied; I cut out of it a section 7mm deep and re-inforced the join with an internal piece of plasticard. There is still a hole through the chimney so the smoke unit can still operate if required. To the top I fitted a spark arrestor made from a piece of the aluminum expanded mesh that is used for covering holes prior to fiberglass being added. The chimney has a hole added later at the rear to accept the exhaust from the Westinghouse pump. Paint the chimney black, I added a red ring around the uppermost ring, purely as I liked it. When dry give it some weathering – it will look much better with a bit of dirt around it.

Now for removing the cab – this is difficult! First remove the cab roof by undoing the 4 screws just below the edge of the cab roof. Remove the screws and store them. For storage I use the clear plastic ‘tic-tac’ (sweets) containers. This will free it off, and it can be gently removed, leaving four sliding contacts that are for the cab light, and the roof mounted reverse headlight. At this point remove or slack off the four screws visible from under the floor that hold the cab in position; it will not move but it is part way there.

Now, find a piece of A4 paper, and make a start with a pair of pliers to carefully remove the assorted pipes and operating wires that pass through the front wall of the cab. Fix these with bits of ‘Sellotape’ to the sheet of paper marking on it where they came from. You will forget when the time comes to replace them; thus speaks the voice of previous experience! I had about six items I think; one of these is the small pipe that runs through the four contacts unit – this may need to be cut. It is in fact the throttle tube in real life. The handrails do not need to be removed; mine were quite tight in their fixing, they were freed off with a pair of pliers and slid forward till I had the new cab in position, then slid back into their prepared holes. Also the rear pipe from the driver’ side does not need to be removed – it will slide into the tank, leaving sufficient sticking out for you to put it into the prepared hole in the new cab.

Now free off the two running boards by undoing the screw under the front end of each one, this will allow the running boards to be pulled out of the cab front, and the boiler where they fit in with a tab each. The opening cab doors are held in position by two cemented in crosspieces that can now be seen; touch each side of them with liquid cement, and free them from the cab, store them carefully as they are re-used on the new cab. Also remove the small pipe from the air pump to the cab and its control valve and add it to the collection on the paper sheet. The pump will be loose but is kept in a general location by the extra ‘still in position’ pipes.

There is one thing that holds the cab in position, and it is a difficult ‘so and so’ to remove. It concerns the Johnson bar or reversing rod. This at Bachmann’s Chinese assembly desks is, I believe, fitted after the cab. There is a slot low down on the driver’s side that the operating rod passes through. This I enlarged with a cutting burr in my ‘Dremel’ style tool and removed the bit of the cab behind the operating arm; it takes some time and you will need a long-shafted cutting burr to dig your way in. First of all stuff some tissue into the space above the central gearbox to stop the bits of plastic getting in the gearbox, then attack the small piece to be removed, you need to make it into a wide slot so the cab can be rotated around the slot to remove it. . It becomes obvious when enough has been removed as the cab can be moved around and will rotate upwards on the engineers (drivers) side. You will need 3 hands at this stage: persevere; it will come off in the end!

It is now time to get the cab off! Check that the 4 fixing screws are out and stored. Then with a twist and a pull it should come off in one piece – Congratulations, now we can start work!

see part 2