Devices and tooling system for maintenance of dynamic weight management systems on railroad vehicles

A method of removing a cover plate of a dynamic weight management (DWM) system, comprising:

• mounting a removal device onto the cover plate of the DWM system attached to a frame of a truck assembly of a railroad vehicle, the removal device including:
• an actuator configured to provide a driving force;
• a base coupled to the actuator, wherein the base has one or more key openings configured to receive one or more keys to secure the base to the cover plate of the DWM system, wherein the base defines a central opening configured to receive a main shaft of the DWM system such that the main shaft of the DWM system is surrounded by the central opening when the main shaft of the DWM system is inserted into the central opening;
• at least one mandril disposed within the central opening of the base configured to:
• contact, at a distal end of the at least one mandril, the main shaft of the DWM system;
• and
• receive, at a proximal end of the at least one mandril, the driving force from the actuator;
• and
• activating the removal device, wherein activating the removal device causes the actuator to apply the driving force to cause the at least one mandril to push against the main shaft of the DWM system in a first direction and the base to pull from the main shaft of the DWM system in a second direction opposite the first direction causing the cover plate to separate from the frame of the truck assembly.