I've been passed a Hornby Hogwarts Castle to take a look at. The loco has been in the wars and one pickup is pointing in distinctly the wrong direction.
Now, I should be able to wave a magic wand, incant something and all will be well. Sadly, I might look a bit boy wizard-like (although more Where's Wally if I'm honest), I can't do magic. When I can do is wield a screwdriver.
With the model upside down in a Peco cradle, I simply undid every screw I could see until the plastic keeper plate on the bottom came off. That's three screws, one of which is actually a bolt so the nut at the back of the motor it screws into has to be held or you just spend the rest of the evening rotating the screwdriver.
Keeping everything safe, I eventually got to the pickup plate show and re-bent the phosphor-bronze piece with some small pliers.
Re-assembly was the reverse of the above, although it took me two goes as I bent a different pickup putting it back!
Rebuilt and after the thorough wheel clean, the model runs perfectly and will hopefully delight its owner again.
To be honest, I could have probably bent the piece back to shape with some very fine nose pliers, but it's fun taking things to pieces isn't it.