Gandy Dance Dissection

[Doc Holliday]

Gandy Dancer Dissection

I'm about to take apart a perfectly good Bachman gandy dancer. I want to strip away all the non-essential parts, leaving only the motorized chasis and wheels. Has anybody out there done it and can tell me where to start?
Thanks,
Doc

 

[N Gauger]

YOu mean the yellow one - the powered one with the trailer??

 

[Doc Holliday]

Here is a pic of what I'm talking about.
Doc

 

[N Gauger]

ah - Out of my league I thought you meant the G one Good Luck anyway!

 

[shaygetz]

I don't envy you, I did one last year about this time. That side screw is the key, everything else is held together by the two halves of the frame. Rather clever---just make sure you do it over a table with a white sheet over it. There's a spring or two I recall by the motor brushes set to go suborbital if you're not careful. :thumb:

 

[jon-monon]

I've done it, plus cut off the tool boxes with a dremel. Makes a small, but poopy power truck. 2wd. It can pull one flat car on the level LOL

http://www.the-gauge.com/showthread.php?t=3532&highlight=mack

If you can handle a slightly larger truck, a bach 44 tonner (old style) or 70 tonner would offer two that run better, and have removable side frames. The gandy will run fine if it's for a speeder or such and won't need to pull much.

 

[MasonJar]

NWSL makes powered trucks for HO scale... Maybe a cheaper solution than stripping that Bachmann gandy dancer...?

Andrew

 

[jetrock]

The NWSL "PDT" is a lot bigger than that Gandy Dancer--although the "Flea", a "build your own power truck" device, is pretty tiny. The old 44 tonner power trucks are more compact than a PDT, although taller.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Thanks for the suggestions. Jon, that's a pretty cool "critter"!

I've already got the gandy dancer (used from ebay) and want as small a platform as possible. I don't plan on pulling anything so the limited power shouldn't be a problem. I guess I've just got to take a deep breath and start cutting.
Doc

 

[jon-monon]

Thanks, Doc You'll do fine, fire up that dremel!

Jet, you can flip the motor on its side and reduce the height on a 44 tonner truck. Steeple cab trick

Andrew, the NGSLs are presumably a much higher quality, and definately a higher price. Trainworld has gandys for $15. 44 tonners were $30, but theve only got the new style now They both use the same weak, unreliable motor.

 

[LIRR]

That gandy dancer allways looked like two guys playing a piano to me. I used to run mine off unfinished sections of elevated track when i was little, never broke.

 

[jon-monon]

hehehe I like to run them full blast. I've got one of the old metal manned ones I can't get myself to cut up