Brooklyn
New Member
I was running my Kato GG1 around my layout, as I had hundreds of times. Leaving the layout running is not usually a problem. When I returned a few minutes later, the GG1 was no where to be found. Walking The layout I found it, laying at the bottom of a ravine, having derailed and tumbled off a tressel. The shell was trashed, having cracked down one side.
The only option from Kato was an undecorated shell. That’s when I found the nicely decorated shells from Bachmann. Were they different? For $27 I was willing to bet they were close enough to fit.
the alterations to the Bachmann shell were as follows:
1. Removal of four interior corner posts
2. removal of pantograph insulators
3. enlarged headlamp opening to 2mm
alterations to Kato chassis:
1. removal of chip cover, securing with captan tape
2. removal of ladders from contact strip retainer clip
assembly:
1: glue (or tape) the headlamp optic conductor from Kato shell into Bachmann shell
2: install retainer clip, with ladders removed on chassis. (The Bachmann shell has the ladders installed on the shell exterior)
3. Insert pantographs from Kato onto the Bachmann shell and glue. Holes and posts align.
4. insert kato chassis into Bachmann shell
job done. Back up and running without any issues. not too terribly fiddly for n scale so I can go ahead and recommend this for shell replacement on the Kato GG1!
The only option from Kato was an undecorated shell. That’s when I found the nicely decorated shells from Bachmann. Were they different? For $27 I was willing to bet they were close enough to fit.
the alterations to the Bachmann shell were as follows:
1. Removal of four interior corner posts
2. removal of pantograph insulators
3. enlarged headlamp opening to 2mm
alterations to Kato chassis:
1. removal of chip cover, securing with captan tape
2. removal of ladders from contact strip retainer clip
assembly:
1: glue (or tape) the headlamp optic conductor from Kato shell into Bachmann shell
2: install retainer clip, with ladders removed on chassis. (The Bachmann shell has the ladders installed on the shell exterior)
3. Insert pantographs from Kato onto the Bachmann shell and glue. Holes and posts align.
4. insert kato chassis into Bachmann shell
job done. Back up and running without any issues. not too terribly fiddly for n scale so I can go ahead and recommend this for shell replacement on the Kato GG1!
