03-29-2012, 10:00 AM
Sorry, no photos of the take-apart operation, although I think I've done it 5 or 6 times at least. 
You're right about the "overlapping" of the assembly steps, as the body won't come off the floor until the platforms have been removed and they can't be removed until the couplers are out of the way. As you remove the parts, set them aside with their screws - the ones for the couplers are different from those for the platforms, and they may also be different from the ones used to attach the roof.
The couplers are removed first - they don't look like they'd be involved, but they're in the way of the railing removal. The railing, ladder, and end beam are all one piece, with nubs on the inner face of the end beam pressed into recesses in the edge of the platform floor.
First, disengage the wire step braces from either the bottom step or from the end beam and from either the other end of the step or the car body - I found it easier to remove all of them completely, as they're less likely to get lost during handling. Next gently pry the end beam free first, then grasp each stile of the ladder, in turn, as close as possible to the point where it enters the roof, and pull them free. Next, pry the ladder away from the roof's end - there are two nubs which press into the roof's edge, so you'll need to insert a small screwdriver or knife blade close to that area. The end beam/railing/ladder assembly should now be free.
Remove the two screws from the underside of each platform, noting which end faces the car body and which faces the railing. You should now be able to remove the body from the floor - gently spread the lower edges of the sides, and the floor should drop out. The roof is secured only with the four visible screws (no glue) and may be easily removed if necessary.
Re-assembly is pretty-much the reverse, although it's probably easiest to add the wire step braces last. Using pliers, insert the upper end into the car body or end beam, then, by slightly distorting the step downward, swing the bottom end of the wire over the step. Align the wire with the hole, then, with the bottom step on a hard surface and a firm grip on the wire with the pliers, press down with the pliers. The wire should snap into place. Repeat for the other seven braces.
While you have everything apart, you may wish to paint the platforms and ladder/railing/end beam assembly. These are moulded in Celcon or a similar engineering plastic, and, while the plastic is similar in colour to the painted parts, they don't match exactly. This type of plastic doesn't accept most kinds of paint very well, but I read somewhere that Tamiya is one type which can be used. I mixed a colour to match CNR cabooses, both brown and orange versions and the CNR brown was also used on the ex-CPR car. Once the Tamiya is cured (I generally allow a minimum of 24 hours for most paints, although some take even longer) it may be over-coated with most types of paint - I used Pollyscale for the caboose shown, as an out-of-the-bottle colour was a good match for the CPR caboose. For the yellow handrails on the end platform, I used Pactra RC85E Bright Yellow, applied right over the Tamiya. However, this Pactra paint, which is intended for polycarbonate plastic car models, is also one which is suitable for use on engineering plastic, so you may be able to find an appropriate colour in their product line.
Wayne
You're right about the "overlapping" of the assembly steps, as the body won't come off the floor until the platforms have been removed and they can't be removed until the couplers are out of the way. As you remove the parts, set them aside with their screws - the ones for the couplers are different from those for the platforms, and they may also be different from the ones used to attach the roof.
The couplers are removed first - they don't look like they'd be involved, but they're in the way of the railing removal. The railing, ladder, and end beam are all one piece, with nubs on the inner face of the end beam pressed into recesses in the edge of the platform floor.
First, disengage the wire step braces from either the bottom step or from the end beam and from either the other end of the step or the car body - I found it easier to remove all of them completely, as they're less likely to get lost during handling. Next gently pry the end beam free first, then grasp each stile of the ladder, in turn, as close as possible to the point where it enters the roof, and pull them free. Next, pry the ladder away from the roof's end - there are two nubs which press into the roof's edge, so you'll need to insert a small screwdriver or knife blade close to that area. The end beam/railing/ladder assembly should now be free.
Remove the two screws from the underside of each platform, noting which end faces the car body and which faces the railing. You should now be able to remove the body from the floor - gently spread the lower edges of the sides, and the floor should drop out. The roof is secured only with the four visible screws (no glue) and may be easily removed if necessary.
Re-assembly is pretty-much the reverse, although it's probably easiest to add the wire step braces last. Using pliers, insert the upper end into the car body or end beam, then, by slightly distorting the step downward, swing the bottom end of the wire over the step. Align the wire with the hole, then, with the bottom step on a hard surface and a firm grip on the wire with the pliers, press down with the pliers. The wire should snap into place. Repeat for the other seven braces.
While you have everything apart, you may wish to paint the platforms and ladder/railing/end beam assembly. These are moulded in Celcon or a similar engineering plastic, and, while the plastic is similar in colour to the painted parts, they don't match exactly. This type of plastic doesn't accept most kinds of paint very well, but I read somewhere that Tamiya is one type which can be used. I mixed a colour to match CNR cabooses, both brown and orange versions and the CNR brown was also used on the ex-CPR car. Once the Tamiya is cured (I generally allow a minimum of 24 hours for most paints, although some take even longer) it may be over-coated with most types of paint - I used Pollyscale for the caboose shown, as an out-of-the-bottle colour was a good match for the CPR caboose. For the yellow handrails on the end platform, I used Pactra RC85E Bright Yellow, applied right over the Tamiya. However, this Pactra paint, which is intended for polycarbonate plastic car models, is also one which is suitable for use on engineering plastic, so you may be able to find an appropriate colour in their product line.
Wayne