Taming an Athearn Hustler

[kelticsylk]

Hope you don't mind me sharing this. Haven't posted since I dismantled my N scale layout. Now working on a 4'x8' HO layout.

Anyway....Excuse the quality. I used my phone. The critter will run slower. At full throttle runs a little faster than you see here.

The drive is taken from the March 1959 Railroad Model Craftsman. A fellow named Chris Travis developed a way to slow down the Hustler while still using the band drive. I made my own version of the "Travis drive" and powered it with a Canon motor. I think the total cost was under twenty dollars. I had the Hustler for years and built the drive using plastic scraps and a cheap plastic pulley. The only parts I bought were the pulley and the motor (cheap off EBay).

Regards,
Frank Musick

[kelticsylk]

I've repowered the Hustler with a Canon motor. Clocked the little critter at 2.3 mph. Top end hasn't been checked, but it can't be more than 30...I aplogize for the lousy video. I used my phone.

I also put a Canon in this AHM SW1. Slowest speed is just under 9 mph. Omce again I apologize for the video (and the awful sound)...

[Philip H]

Frank,
Nice to see you back at it. And interesting resurrection of an old MR idea. Since I don't have access to that years MR can you summarize the changes you made to the Athearn unit.

[kelticsylk]

Travis' idea was to add a secondary shaft between the drive shaft and the axle. He put a 7/16" pulley on the secondary shaft. This changed the ratio of the shafts maybe 10 to one. The drive shaft then turned the pulley and secondary shaft. The secondary drove the axles. My version is pretty much the same, but I used plastic in lieu of brass. The rubber bands are still used but an additional band drives the pulley.

The Canon motor I used is a low speed 12v motor.

I don't understand all the mechanics behind it. I just know it works.
I have a copy of the original RMC article on my blog under the entry " Cheap Diesels" blog link below in my signature...