How to remove shell on a Kato 113 Series Shonan Passenger Set 10-808?

[Mutro]

I recently acquired this passenger car set, used from HobbyOff in Sapporo.  I'm attempting to install interior lights to these (if these cars even allow such instal?) but I'm stuck at not being able to pry the shell off of the cars; the body does not drop off when the shells are spread open like my other passenger cars. Perhaps these are early Kato models that have a different method?

 

[cteno4]

This can be frustrating as each train can have slightly different things that need to get unstuck to pop them out. Just takes some fiddling usually to figure out each one. I’ve opened so many I’ve forgotten the details on specific ones. I’ve had individual cars in a set be cranky to slip apart for some odd reason while the rest popped right out.
 

Do you have any Spudgers you can slip in. Sometimes you need something thin to pop a catch further in that just spreading the bottom edge of the car does not get. At other times you have to slip something in to disengage catch’s at both sides at once as you get one side free and as you free the other side the first side becomes caught again…

 

Starbucks plastic stirrers use to have a thin flat end that was like 5/8” long an 1/4” wide and the end tapered to a decent point. They were perfect little spidgers to slip in, especially the units with 2 catches in both sides nearer the ends that pulling the shell apart alone usually did not release. Some find guitar picks work well for them. I like these as super thin and easy to wiggle around to find and pop the catches on the tricky one. Having multiples lets you keep them in place once popped to prevent recatching, but these are a bit bulky for that. I have a small drawer of spudgers and jsut grab the ones that look like will work as I fiddle.

 

i guess it would be nice if someone were to document on all models where the catches were and any tricks to getting shells off, but pretty obscure thing, but maybe someone will get fixated on it! I’d say 60% pop right out with simple thumb nail pulling of the shell center. 25% require a spudger to quickly wiggle a snagged catch loose, 20% require some sort of wedge to keep one side unlocked while you unlock the other side and 5% take some time and @#$&% words and fiddling to get off.

 

jeff

[Mutro]

Thanks for your advice and experience. I’ll keep trying and hopefully get it completed soon. 

[cteno4]

It’s one of the most fiddly parts of the hobby I’ve found over the years, along with getting some bogies off (usually nasty microace ones), and separating tabs easily on some motorized chassises. A lot of it is just diving in and fiddling and practice. I know it takes me a bit with a cranky mech when I havnt messed with a cranky one for a while.

 

keep at it and if you have issues try and take some pictures if you can and post.

 

i forgot one other way to hold body clips un hooked is to use those thin wooden coffee stirrers and just shave the front edge to a 45 and use to keep clips undone as you get all 4 (or sometimes 6) poppe open.

 

jeff

[RS18U]

I've had success using wooden toothpicks to help get shells off, both N and HO scales.

[Kamome]

The 115 I have is an older model with filament bulb lighting. To remove the cab cars, you need to pop the chassis out of the rear and then you can slide it out of the front housing. There is a plastic light deflector piece fitted to the shell that doesn’t allow both ends to be popped out at the same time. 

 

Your version is from 2012 so most likely a similar design.

Edited Monday at 02:57 AM by Kamome

[Mutro]

Thanks everyone for posting your suggestions.  Much appreciated! 

 

This follow-up post of mine is for future reference, as I discovered the following:

1. The non-motorized carriages (with end lights) are difficult in releasing the shell and I still haven't found a way. This is likely due to what Kamome mentions in his post above. But if the internals are similar to the powered carriage (see point #2), then even if I were able to release the shell, I would not be able to outfit this car with the internal lighting kit anyway.
2. The motorized carriage does allow removal of the shell by spreading it a bit and the rest of the assembly drops out like more recent Kato passenger carriages. HOWEVER, I discovered that the internals of this carriage does NOT accept the KATO 11-214 LED Interior Lighting Kit. There are no connecting parts to receive the lighting kit (see the second from the top photo of the exposed carriage below)

I could continue to explore a way to open these stubborn units, then concoct a way to solder on the lighting kit... or I may just have to replace this set with a later version of 113 (if such a model were available)...  Anyone interested in picking up a slightly used 113 set, without internal lights? 😁

 

 

[Kamome]

These older sets may have taken the older 11-204 (1 piece) and 11-206 (6 piece)lighting. They're a bit hard to find these days. Not sure how these fitted in, they may very well secure to the shell roof. I believe they used a filament bulb so there was no fancy wiring needed for different polarity. Not sure how these fitted to the motor unit though without any frame to mount the light unit onto.

 

As you have the newer light units already, you'd just need to glue the light next to the prism that clips to the roof. You'd then need to solder some wires from the light contacts to the brass strips on the chassis.  It won't look as refined as a newer set, but it would still work the same. Using black wrapping wire would help hide them shiny through the windows. The toilet end will also greatly help hide any wiring.