GTR 1120 Wheel removal and replacement

I’ve looked in vain for a video or description of someone else who has successfully taken apart a Spectrum 4-4-0. A lot of the parts seem to be glued or held in place with invisible tabs. The exploded view diagram was no help. So, rather than risk further damage to the model, which came with a broken pilot, I have taken the approach of minimal disassembly.

The one catch is a pair of wires that pass from one hole in the frame, beneath the rear axle and back up through another hole in the frame. With the wires in place, it is impossible to remove the rear axle. I ultimately cut them.

As soon as I put the new wheels into the frame, I noticed that one pair of wheels was at 90 degrees and the other was at 270 degrees. So, I printed a new set of wheel centres, cleaned the Loctite off the metal bits, and repeated the process of creating a wheelset.

I’m going to make a cradle to hold the engine steady upside down while soldering those wires back together. It’s surprising I’ve never built one before, but now the time has finally come. After all, it would be sad if I got one wire back together and then the engine tipped over on its whistle, making me push the soldering iron through the spokes.