# Making a USAT GP-38 Freewheeling, How is it Done?



## SteveF (Jan 2, 2008)

I recently became the proud owner of a USAT GP-38. What I would like to do for now is make it into a battery car, to supply "'Trons" to my SD-45. I would like to do so in a manner that will allow me to reverse the procedure easily sometime in the future, should I so desire. 

Has anyone done this before? Any hints? Suggestions? 

Thanks, in advance. 

Steve Featherkile


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## Paul Norton (Jan 8, 2008)

The article on our club web site shows in detail how to remove the motor blocks from a USAT GP38-2. Just click on the link. 










The top of the blocks can be lifted by removing 6 screws. The motor with worm gears can then be lifted to let the axles freewheel. 

The electronics would be easy to remove and replace with battery packs and a receiver. Most either unplug or are held in with small screws. 

Take lots of digital pictures when disassembling the unit. Put everything you remove in a large Ziplock bag marked with the road name, diesel model and road number. Print the pictures and put them in the bag. It could be years before you refer to them and you may have a new computer or hard drive by then. 

Leave all the screws fastened back in the frame. Even if you could find them years from now, which would be unlikely, it would a real pain figuring out which go where. 

I learned these lessons the hard way when selling locomotives years after I had converted them to battery power. The new owners wanted them returned to track power. It took a long time to find or make the parts. I now remove as little as possible and save everything.


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## Guest (Sep 16, 2008)

Steve, 
you can unplug the wires that go to the motor blocks, make sure you mark them and tape them up good so they dont short out and tuck them up in the loco out of the way. then remove the motor blocks and wheels from the side frames, then you will need to get either a set of usa trians freight car wheel set or sanval wheels you can find them on ebay and just install them into the bushings in the side frames and wa la there you go a gp-38 dummie loco.. 
Nick..


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## Guest (Sep 16, 2008)

OOOOPS Paul beat me to it by 2 minutes...


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