Loco Disassembly?

[cid]

My friend Charles has purchased a used Genesis #9001 Dash 8-40, and he is trying to remove the radiator (per the instruction sheet) to access the decoder board and jumper plug. Supposedly it just lifts up in the front, but it's so tight we're afraid of breaking something. Anyone know if there's a trick to it?

[Green_Elite_Cab]

First of all, stop trying to pry at the radiators. If this is actually a Dash-8, the DCC plug is not located there anyway. No DCC ready Dash-8s that I know of have a dummy plug anywhere near the radiators. They are located, without exception, somewhere just over the motor in the long hood, no matter which brand of Dash-8 you have.

You can find installation guidance here- <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.tcsdcc.com/Customer_Content/Installation_Pictures/HO_Scale/HO_Search/search.html">http://www.tcsdcc.com/Customer_Content/ ... earch.html</a><!-- m -->


Secondly, lets be sure you actually have a Dash-8. Is it a B40-8, B40-8W, C40-8, or C40-8W? What is the actual brand? Athearn Genesis does not make a Dash-8, and none of the Dash-8 Series locomotives go by the name "Genesis". Is 9001 the road number or Item number? if its the road number, what railroad?

The only GE locomotive I know of with a decoder plug in the radiator is the Broadway Limited AC6000CW locomotives. In this case, the radiators should be removed easily, so if you can't get it off, something is wrong.


for future reference and to reduce future confusion, you should use the actual model designation of the GE locomotives. This isn't necessarily your fault, but rather a long-standing railfan error. GE locomotives can be in the "Dash-7", "Dash-8" or "Dash-9" series, but their model designations are not written that way. All freight GE locomotives are identified in the following format- [Axles][Horspower]-[Series][Modifications].

For instance, a "C40-8W" is a 6 axle 4,000HP Dash-8 series wide cab diesel. A B40-8 is a 4 axle 4,000HP Dash-8 diesel with a standard cab. Some people refer to the former as a DASH-8 40CW, and the latter as a DASH-8 40B, but these are at the very least, seldom used, and in any case, they are not listed this way on the GE operator's manuals.

This only applies to a "Dash-X" series engine. the "U-boats" and the more modern types follow a similar but different nomenclature format.