Playmobil 5258 Bodyshell Removal

Tony Hunter

Tony Hunter

Tony - He/They - on long term break
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Hello!

I'm currently in the process of  trying to remove / unclip the bodyshell from the chassis of a playmobil locomotive from set 5258.

I've been attempting this for little over an hour now & frankly, I give up!

Would anyone recommend any methods, tricks or tips for removing the bodyshell?

Incase you're wondering, the reason I'm looking to remove the bodyshell is to get it cleaned, prepared for & repainted into a fictional South Down Railway livery for a garden railway we're currently building, but I'll do a future thread on that at some point! :D
 

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Tony Hunter said:
Hello!

I'm currently in the process of  trying to remove / unclip the bodyshell from the chassis of a playmobil locomotive from set 5258.

I've been attempting this for little over an hour now & frankly, I give up!

Would anyone recommend any methods, tricks or tips for removing the bodyshell?

Incase you're wondering, the reason I'm looking to remove the bodyshell is to get it cleaned, prepared for & repainted into a fictional South Down Railway livery for a garden railway we're currently building, but I'll do a future thread on that at some point! :D
Click to expand...
I've never taken one of these apart, but from experience with other Playmobil vehicles, you will find old-fashioned wooden spring style clothes pegs useful. Take them apart and thin down the thin end of each half if necessary and then push back the large clips with a screwdriver one at a time, pushing a half clothes peg in the gap created to hold it back should work.

With smaller tabs, it's a matter of getting each peg pushed back and slightly down with a screwdriver and hoping that when you push the next tab back on that side or end, the other one doesn't spring back into place. Thin strips of Plasticard might work here in place of the wooden pegs.

If there are no electrics involved, i.e. you've removed the motor etc. already (as seems to be the case) heating the body first in hot water or with a hair dryer to soften it might help.

I take no responsibility for any disasters, large or small.
 
There probably still the lights inside though,
 
When taking a Playmobil bus apart I ended up having to drill out the plastic tabs holding the body to the base. I was in danger of cracking the casing so it didn’t seem worth the risk. Some things just aren't designed to be dismantled.
 
This one is not the easiest to do, you probably need to find a 4 year old kid to do it for you. I managed mine but with lots of trashing of tabs. To be honest it still went back together and holds together just fine.
 
Tony Hunter said:
Hello!

I'm currently in the process of  trying to remove / unclip the bodyshell from the chassis of a playmobil locomotive from set 5258.

Would anyone recommend any methods, tricks or tips for removing the bodyshell?
Click to expand...
If you find out how, let me know. I've been too scared to touch mine, although I'd like to repaint it.
 
This guy explains the location of the tabs and such, and how he took it apart:
Someone ought to introduce him to this forum.
This was also interesting:
 
-bbbb said:
This guy explains the location of the tabs and such, and how he took it apart:
Someone ought to introduce him to this forum.
This was also interesting:
Click to expand...
I have not watched his vids all the way through, but I managed to get the body off without acceding the gears and motor as he has done. In the second vid he appears to show just the body separated.
 
Follow through to his other videos..
He shows a couple of 'bashes' to the Playmobil loco, one a rather neat use of the Swift Sixteen snowplough (plow) moulding..

PhilP
 
Soooo....

I've chipped out the little grey tabs behind the larges clips, have stuck in lollipop sticks like the Lima days to hold them in place.

I have trashed the other clips using a dremel tool I've been loaned in hopes of making life a bit easier.... nope. The body still won't budge!?

I must be doing something wrong, surely?

And yes, I may have gone a little too far, but I'll get that filled & fixed.... once the bodies off.

Thanks for the advice & tips, very much appreciate it. I think the next one I'll just use a lot of masking tape!!20220901_213233.jpg20220901_213225.jpg20220901_213206.jpg20220901_213156.jpg20220901_205339.jpg20220821_165038.jpg20220821_165050.jpg
 
Tony Hunter said:
Soooo....

I've chipped out the little grey tabs behind the larges clips, have stuck in lollipop sticks like the Lima days to hold them in place.

I have trashed the other clips using a dremel tool I've been loaned in hopes of making life a bit easier.... nope. The body still won't budge!?

I must be doing something wrong, surely?

And yes, I may have gone a little too far, but I'll get that filled & fixed.... once the bodies off.

Thanks for the advice & tips, very much appreciate it. I think the next one I'll just use a lot of masking tape!!View attachment 303645View attachment 303646View attachment 303647View attachment 303648View attachment 303649View attachment 303651View attachment 303652
Click to expand...
You are only holding back the 4 largest tabs? what have you done with the smaller ones?
 
-bbbb said:
You are only holding back the 4 largest tabs? what have you done with the smaller ones?
Click to expand...
I destroyed them....
Turns out there was two tiny, hidden tabs under the cab ends that where keeping me back, body is now off. Will post media in a bit.
 
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