Trains.com

HLW Mack and R/C

5081 views
12 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    September 2009
  • From: Sunny West Coast of Florida
  • 448 posts
HLW Mack and R/C
Posted by IRB Souther Engineer on Monday, May 3, 2010 2:58 PM

Is it possible? I heard that parts in some HLW products are glued together. Does anyone know if the Mack is glued together? If it was, you could never get into it right? Also how hard would it be to replace the frosted windows with clear ones?

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Chandler , Indiana
  • 36 posts
Posted by Dennis Paulson on Tuesday, May 4, 2010 7:43 PM

As you look at the bottom , on one end there is a angled looking piece that you place a large flat blade screwdriver in and pry it out while pulling the motor block out .

Then undo the 2 screws and the cab and weights come off , then from inside the cab push outward from the inside of the cab on the headlight sticks/lens . The roof is now loose ,  Now with the roof off you can slide up and out on the windows and install clear ones .

 Easy once you do it one time , you will see .

Look here it even has pictures

 http://www.gscalecentral.co.uk/f/tm.aspx?m=57892&high=hartland+mack

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Smoggy L.A.
  • 10,743 posts
Posted by vsmith on Wednesday, May 5, 2010 9:58 AM

NOTHING on the Mack is glued together, everything is screwed together or uses tabs to hold in place.

The above description is spot on, with one caviet, be very gentle with the tab holding the motor block down, it can snap off if too much pressure is applied so you have to do a two fold operation by gently prying the tab while simulatiously gently pulling on the motor block. you will eventually reach the magic point wehere the block will come out.

 You can also remove the roof from the cab but its rather tricky, using an xacto blade, VERY VERY carefully pry the headlight lenses out, once the lenses long stems are out the roof just lifts off, the glazing is just held in place by cast in tabs and comes out very easily once to roof is off. Be sure to keep the side window mullions as they really add to the look of the Mack.

HLW older Kalamazoo incarnations like the Kalamazoo built 4-4-0s were entirely glued together to the point that they were the single worst engine I ever had tried to work on. I cant say about the newest incarnations but so far everything else I have from them has been pretty easy to work on.

   Have fun with your trains

  • Member since
    September 2009
  • From: Sunny West Coast of Florida
  • 448 posts
Posted by IRB Souther Engineer on Wednesday, May 5, 2010 5:05 PM

So the windows just slide out? What should I use to replace the frosted windows?

  • Member since
    September 2009
  • From: Sunny West Coast of Florida
  • 448 posts
Posted by IRB Souther Engineer on Wednesday, May 5, 2010 5:10 PM

Another question: How hard is it to put new replacement couplers in the Mack?

  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: AU
  • 320 posts
Posted by TonyWalsham on Thursday, May 6, 2010 2:25 AM

I did two different articles on how to fit battery R/C to the Hartland Mack.

Both articles were published right here at Garden Railways.
I tried my links to them only to find they have disappeared and cannot be found.

I had a trawl through the other websites and the best I could come up with is:
http://www.mylargescale.com/Community/ForumArchives/tabid/100/Default.aspx?FORUM_ID=55.

Be advised they are easy to get into.

Best wishes,

Tony Walsham

   (Remote Control Systems) http://www.rcs-rc.com

Modern technology.  Old fashioned reliability.

  • Member since
    September 2009
  • From: Sunny West Coast of Florida
  • 448 posts
Posted by IRB Souther Engineer on Thursday, May 6, 2010 4:18 PM

TonyWalsham

I did two different articles on how to fit battery R/C to the Hartland Mack.

Both articles were published right here at Garden Railways.
I tried my links to them only to find they have disappeared and cannot be found.

I had a trawl through the other websites and the best I could come up with is:
http://www.mylargescale.com/Community/ForumArchives/tabid/100/Default.aspx?FORUM_ID=55.

Be advised they are easy to get into.

Where is it? Also, does the Mack only have one light in it? If that is true and I added R/C that would change...

  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: AU
  • 320 posts
Posted by TonyWalsham on Thursday, May 6, 2010 5:46 PM

Where is what?
I rewired the Mack and removed their single light to install the RCS controlled constant brightness directional ones.

Best wishes,

Tony Walsham

   (Remote Control Systems) http://www.rcs-rc.com

Modern technology.  Old fashioned reliability.

  • Member since
    September 2009
  • From: Sunny West Coast of Florida
  • 448 posts
Posted by IRB Souther Engineer on Thursday, May 6, 2010 7:03 PM

TonyWalsham

Where is what?
I rewired the Mack and removed their single light to install the RCS controlled constant brightness directional ones.

I don't know. What are you trying to show me at link you posted?

  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: AU
  • 320 posts
Posted by TonyWalsham on Friday, May 7, 2010 6:47 AM

My apologies.

I have no idea how that link works. 
So, click on: 
http://www.mylargescale.com/Community/ForumArchives/tabid/100/Default.aspx?FORUM_ID=55

Then select page # 43 and click on the second subject down.

Best wishes,

Tony Walsham

   (Remote Control Systems) http://www.rcs-rc.com

Modern technology.  Old fashioned reliability.

  • Member since
    September 2009
  • From: Sunny West Coast of Florida
  • 448 posts
Posted by IRB Souther Engineer on Friday, May 7, 2010 10:08 AM

Thank you for the clarification.

  • Member since
    September 2009
  • From: Sunny West Coast of Florida
  • 448 posts
Posted by IRB Souther Engineer on Friday, May 21, 2010 4:04 PM

Ok, just thought of another question: Does the Mack have any interior detail?

  • Member since
    September 2009
  • From: Sunny West Coast of Florida
  • 448 posts
Posted by IRB Souther Engineer on Friday, May 21, 2010 4:27 PM

In an effort to answer my own question I looked at some pictures and, from what I can see, it looks like the interior is bare. All I was hoping for was a seat for an engineer. If it is bare inside and I added clear windows I think it would look stupid. But maybe frosted windows are best because I want to add R/C and sound (and battery).

Look at this though: http://www.bobsgardenrailroad.com/WBRR-MACK.html 

Search the Community

FREE EMAIL NEWSLETTER

Get the Garden Railways newsletter delivered to your inbox twice a month

By signing up you may also receive occasional reader surveys and special offers from Garden Railways magazine. Please view our privacy policy