N Scale Hulett Unloader Now Shipping

[pnolan48]

I finally finished the directions for building the N scale Hulett Unloader, so shipping starts on February 15, 2017. I first showed the Hulett two years ago.





This is a challenging kit, with many parts and subassemblies, but at least no compound curves as in my ships. Prospective builders may want to view the kit directions at https://nscaleships.com/kit-instructions/hulett-unloader-directions/

 I am not accepting orders for completed models, as the price would be very high.

From Wikipedia (condensed):

The Hulett unloader was patented by George Hulett in 1898. The first was built the next year.

The Hulett machine revolutionized iron ore shipment on the Great Lakes. Previous methods of unloading lake freighters, involving hoists and buckets and much hand labor, cost approximately 18¢/ton. Unloading with Huletts cost only 5¢/ton. Unloading only took 5–10 hours, as opposed to days for previous methods. Lake boats became much larger, doubling in length and quadrupling in capacity.

By 1913, 54 Hulett machines were in service,  the vast majority along the shores of Lake Erie. A total of approximately 75 Huletts were built. They were used until about 1992, when self-unloading boats were standard on the American side of the lake. All have since been scrapped.

More details are at https://nscaleships.com/n-z-scale-ship-index/hulett-automatic-unloader/

[bdennis]

Very cool.. Unfortunately wrong RR / location for me.. but very cool all the same.

[seusscaboose]

Oh my

The NKP empire in the basement just got Huron added to TT

And Cleveland just got another industry

Talk to me Peter !!!

[tehachapifan]

Wow!! Amazing!!

[eric220]

For anyone who wants more info on the prototype:

[Tom L]

Really interesting  video. I can't believe they had guys sweeping up with brooms down in the bottom of the cargo bays!

Tom L.

[pnolan48]

The video is fascinating and helped me understand this machine, which to me resembles some huge dinosaur.

There are plenty of opportunities to superdetail this kit. It took me two years to write and photograph the directions--but, of course, there were other large projects going on at the same time. Cutting each one takes more than two hours. I resorted to .015 styrene because of the lattices. That made the Z scale version untenable without a lot of redrawing. Almost all of my N scale is cut from .020 styrene. Z scale is about 73% of N, so scaling down from N scale at .020 to Z at .015 is easy. But 75% of .015 gets down to nearly .010 styrene, which is unobtainable in large sheets.

Animating the beast is a whole 'nudder world.

[pnolan48]

Tom L

They would lower medium-sized front loaders into the hold to help the final cleanup.

[C855B]

Maybe the inspiration for the Star Wars AT-AT?

[pnolan48]

Maybe the inspiration for the Star Wars AT-AT?

Perhaps! They are about the right size, and somewhat fearsome looking! And the operatorsat just above the bucket, I think a two-hour shift was about all an operator could take.

[up1950s]

If one wanted to they could build some of its substructures . Then slice them up for loads , treating the slices to look like fresh cutting torch wounds . Probably could fill a dozen cars .

[eric220]

Maybe the inspiration for the Star Wars AT-AT?

Nope. Those were rumored to have been inspired by the container cranes at the Port of Oakland, but evidently they were actually inspired by a dinosaur. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walker_(Star_Wars)

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Oh my

The NKP empire in the basement just got Huron added to TT

And Cleveland just got another industry

Talk to me Peter !!!

Dude. That'd be awesome.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

If one wanted to they could build some of its substructures . Then slice them up for loads , treating the slices to look like fresh cutting torch wounds . Probably could fill a dozen cars .

And then proceed to get beaten up at the next train show. lol.

[Cajonpassfan]

That video is amazing
It's ALIVE! Wow, what a cacophony of sound and motion!
So basically, to do a scene right, one would have to build at least two or three of these, animate them to move in and out of sync, AND add sound, of course. Good thing I have absolutely no reason to have these on the layout
Nice job on the kit Pete, an absolutely fascinating prototype and model.
Regards, Otto K.