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Below you'll find step-by-step instructions for installing our laser-cut wood
decks for the N scale Athearn 53' Flatcars.
Removing the Decks
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The first step is to remove the plastic decks. Start at one end and
use a hobby knife to gently pry up the end, breaking the glue. Work you
way along the side toward the other end, prying the deck up a little at
a time to break the glue. |
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Once you've broken the glue along an entire edge, you can pry this
entire edge away from the frame, which should break the glue joint along
the other side of the deck. If there are any spots that resist, you can
use your hobby knife to pry the deck where it sticks. |
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If you have a bulkhead flatcar, you'll need to remove the bulkheads.
This requires a little bit of car. Gently rock the bulkhead toward the
center of the car, as shown here, to break the glue holding the back
pins in place. |
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There are also two large tabs holding the wood bulkhead in place.
You can gently pull on the bulkhead to release these. Note: You
will most like break some of the alignment tabs in the process, but
don't worry--you'll still be able to glue it back in place. |
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Next remove the trucks using a small Phillips-head screwdriver. |
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You can use a screwdriver to gently pry out the four small decks at
the ends. Take your time and work your way around the edges. You'll
eventually break the entire deck away, and there will most likely be
some plastic that stayed attached to the frame. |
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Carefully cut away any plastic that remained behind. This plastic
needs to be removed so the new deck will fit flush with the top of the
frame. Take care that you don't scratch the paint on top of the deck as
you're removing material. |
Adding the new Decks
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First remove the protective backing from the top deck and place it
into the paper jig as shown here (face down). |
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Place the underside of the main deck into the jig, starting at one
end to make sure it's aligned properly. When you're satisfied with the
alignment, finish putting it into place and press the two halves
together. Next cut the small tabs at each end that hold the decks to
their carriers to free the deck from the carriers. |
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Push the deck into place. Your flatcar should now look this this. |
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Remove the protective backing from the small decks. If you have a
bulkhead flatcar, you'll want to use the decks with the slots in them,
as shown here. For a regular flatcar, use the decks without slots. |
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Place the bottom side of the deck into the jig, making sure the
scribed lines are up as shown here. When you're satisfied with the
alignment, press the two sides together. |
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Remove the decks from the carrier board and press them into place.
The bottom decks are keyed so they only fit one way into the frame, so
make sure you put them in with the correct orientation. If you're
upgrading the bulkhead version, you might want to apply a small amount
of thick CA from the underside to make the joints stronger (since the
adhesive strip holding the decks to the frame is very narrow). |
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Finally, glue the bulkheads back in place. Use a square to ensure
they're perfectly vertical when the glue dries. |
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