This is just another thread on a company that provides good service.
I recently purchased a BullAnt powered truck from Geoff Baxter at Hollywood Foundry. I had spec'd it for a Grandt Line 25 ton switcher, but after I received it I decided to install it in a Grandt Line Box Cab instead. The wheel bases are slightly different so I asked Geoff if he could sell me a replacement frame at the correct length thinking it would be a smple swap. He wrote back that there were other things which had to be changed besides the frame, specifically the layshaft. He then offered to rebuild the unit AT NO CHARGE (pardon the yelling) if I paid for postage both ways. I thought that was a very generous offer.
Ultimately I declined because I would rather invest the postage to Australia in another BullAnt instead but I thought his kind offer of free labour and parts deserved mention.
I have no affiliation, other than as a happy customer.
http://www.hollywoodfoundry.com/BullAnt%20Intro.htm
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
These have looked like very interesting power trucks. I am pleased to hear that the manufacturer is accomodating to the problems of his customers. That is, sadly, too rare.
I have wondered if they are noisy. The spur gear drop-down usually is, so I assume they are. I am the proud owner of two Tenshodo early articulateds that bear this out. And also some Hobbytown drives that generate noise, but the noise is so slitheringly reassuring that I tend to forgive it. But neither are "sound appropriate".
I also note in the photos that the engagement of the final spur gear to the jack shaft appears minimal. I am, perhaps, in error.
Ed
Dave,
That's a magnanimous offer, even though you didn't take it up. Hollywood Foundry has a solid rep in the narrowgauge community, who are a fussy bunch sometimes. Good stuff.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Hi Ed
There is some gear noise but it is really minor, at least I think it is. You can hear one operating here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwZqS7C_g20
Granted this is a locomotive with sound so the gear noise is masked. If you listen closely you can detect a bit of gear noise when the locomotive is at the higher speed.
I'll set it up again and video it without the sound on to give you a better idea of what it is like.
Last January when I was looking for a Bull Ant to fit my 3D printed boxcab, I emailed Geoff with the dimensions I needed. In about an hour he replied with a CADD drawing of the Bull Ant. Great service; each one is custom designed to the customer's needs.
As to the noise, I just got the thing running yesterday. There is some, but not a lot. The instructions say it needs to be run in for a few hours to smooth things out due to their tight tollerances.
George In Midcoast Maine, 'bout halfway up the Rockland branch
Here is a video of the 25 tonner with the DCC sound turned off. There is definately some gear noise. Like George's box cab, this one has not been run in yet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fK3pZUl_-w
Pardon the poor focus, and the crumbs on the table!
hon30crittercrumbs on the table
As my son used to say, you need a clean-up dog.
In my how-to discussion, I have posted a video of the boxcab doing a test run on the Boothbay Railway Village layout. I sent links of this to Geoff at Hollywood Foundry. He replied that the drive sounded noisey. I will have to check it out further when I go to the museum next Thursday.
George:
When I play the video of my 25 tonner the sound seems to be much more pronounced than it really is. I suspect that the camera's sound recorder is amplifying the noise. In the video the sound is really grating but it doesn't bother me much at all in reality.
I suspect you're right about the camera amplifying the sound, Dave, but I never minded a little gear growl in diesels, and neither did my late brother, whose two Penn Line Whitcombs had a bit of gear sound. That said, that sound module really brings that little Canadian "critter" alive! I wondeer if that engine sound is amplified in the other video, too?
Deano
Hi Deano:
I would say that the sound is also amplified in the video with the DCC sound on. I like my sound volumes set pretty low. I want to be able to hear the locomotive but I don't want it dominating the conversation as it were. When I watch the video I feel the volume is too loud, but when I listen to the locomotive directly it seems fine.
Bottom line is that with the DCC sound off the gear noise can be heard quite clearly, but with the DCC sound on it is hard to distinguish between what is gear noise and what is engine sound, at least for me anyhow. I'm very happy with the way the BullAnt performs. If it gets quieter as it wears in, so much the better.
Interesting website. Has anyone put this drive under an Athearn Hustler body?
If you are referring to the Hustler drive that Hollywood Foundry makes, it appears to be a drop-in replacement for the Athearn drive. There is a video of one on the site. It costs a bit more than the Bull Ant I bought, but seems to be good value for someone who is serious about taming the Hustler.
Edit: This is what Tin Can is talking abouthttp://hollywoodfoundry.com/Hustler.htm
At Aus$101.20, it only a few dollars more than the Bull Ant I bought. When buying from Hollywood Foundry, remember that the quoted price includes the 10% Aus Goods & Services tax, which is deducted for overseas shipments when you check out. The final cost will depend on the current exchange rate and they have a link to a currency conversion site.