[4586]

Hi,

Long story, but I some time ago inherited a Lima TGA Atlantique HO model (Cat #. 149714). It is the only Lima model I own, and I have no manuals. Its not clear to me how to get the top/cap/housing off of the motorized unit. It appears one removes the two screws that give access to the compartment with the weight and remove that. What happens after that is not clear. It appears it must snap off somehow, but I'm afraid of breaking something by applying force in the wrong place. As this forum is sponsored by the current owner of Lima, I thought someone here might know where manuals can be found on line or describe a safe way to get the housing off.

Thank you,

Enno
Ardentown, Delaware, US.

 

[clive hayward]

Hello Enno,
welcome to the forum. Although I model SNCF I'm afraid I can't answer your question. However I'm going in to my local model shop tomorrow (in Toulon France) and will ask the Patron if he's got any ideas.

Regards

Clive

 

[4586]

Much appreciated, thanks in advance to you and the Patron.
Enno

 

[poliss]

I found some photos of a dissasembled Lima TGV Atlantique near the bottom of this page if they are of any help.
http://www.donkerstudio.org/Subpages/historyehrr.htm

 

[clive hayward]

Hello Enno,

spoke to le "patron" this morning, he didn't have a second hand one in, but if his memory serves him rightly, once you have taken out the screws the lead weight comes off, you then need to remove the chassis. What he suggested was using 2 small screwdrivers gently prise the body away from the chassis, starting at one of the bogies. Once the 2 sides have been prised away at one end the chassis should come out easily.

Hope this helps

Clive

 

[4586]

Thank you Poliss and Clive. Between the advice of "le Patron" and the pictures, it seems I was headed in the right direction. But it appears that the word "easily" is a relative one, and I stopped too soon at the prising stage because of fear that something might crack. Unfortunately the real world in the form of the end of the holiday period is upon us, but I shall report back after next weekend. Stay tuned, and if you hear a loud "crack" across the Atlantic next Saturday....

Enno

 

[mikewalder]

Hi Enno,

If the TGV is one of the old Lima ringfield TGVs (rear bogie drive only), then you undo the two screws, then prise the body off of the rear of the model, being careful to insert a narrow screwdriver between the buffer beam and the panel that sits behind the wheels. There is a small catch in the middle of the back of the body.

If it is the later model, which is all wheel drive, then the body just prises apart from either side, with great difficulty, but I don't think these models had screws at all.

Regards,

Mike.

 

[4586]

Thanks all. Sorry this is late, but a weekend sick. I wish I had read Mike's response before trying this again on the basis of the pictures, because this model is a little different than that in the pictures. You have to start at the very back of this one, as Mike says. There is not one catch on this one, but two tiny plastic prongs or posts on the end of the chassis. These insert into the cross bar which is the same piece from which the "skirts" on either side extend down behind the bogey. By with a fair amount of brute force with a small screw driver pushing the chassis in so that the prongs come out of the holes in the cross bar/skirt piece, that piece can slide out. Unlike on the model in the pictures, on this model the skirts are not part of the main body. Once that piece slides out, the back of the body is no longer locked or wedged onto the chassis at the back and the body can be lifted off from the back first, sliding forward off the front.

So it is fruitless to attempt to start at either of the bogies prying the body open on the side, and fruitless to try to start at the front.

So now I can change the address on the decoder. While this is an attractive model (Lima 149714 TGV Atlantique, blue gray, 515 km/hr insignia on the sides), it was a gift from a well meaning relative that doesn't really fit on my layout. I run Märklin digital, and this model has been rebuilt to run on Märklin track (pick up shoe in the middle) and on their Motorola system. It will occasionally get a ceremonial run around in honor of my relative. But if there is a layout somewhere where her kind thoughts can be more fully appreciated, I would be willing to listen. I suspect such discussions are not appropriate for this forum, but feel free to contact me off the forum. I am located in the US.

Thanks again for all the help and pointers. The bottom line is all these models, while similar, do not come apart in the same way, and one needs to be careful but at the same time not fear to apply brute force. Now to see if I can get it back together.

Enno

 

[4586]

P.S. On putting it back together I noticed the catch Mike mentioned is there. To put it back together, the crossbar went in place over the prongs and then it snapped back together in about a second (versus an hour to open it). Opening it will thus work either with the catch or by removing the cross bar, which removed tension on the catch. Bottom line is as written early, after removing the bottom piece and weight, to get to the engine and any decoder one must start at the back, not the sides or front.

Enno

 

[chelsea07]

thanks for the info for getting into this model. can it be chipped? any known dealers around lancaster who could do this. regards