markpierceThrow it away (alright, convert it to a dummy) and forget about it!
Throw it away (alright, convert it to a dummy) and forget about it!
Mark
Thanks for the replies. I know what I am doing now.
maxmanProbably looks like something similar to this, http://hoseeker.org/assemblyexplosionAthearn/Assembly%20Explosion%20Athearn%20%20Hustler%201991.jpg , except with two rubber bands per truck.
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
I recently got an old Athearn Hustler from a friend and I am totaly rebuilding the drive from rubberbands to gears. I found out that the Athearn 4 truck gear sets will fit into the Hustler with no problems. So out with the rubberbands and in with a new NWSL small can motor, gears from Athearn, a Digitrax Decoder and Leds for the headlights and a yellow becon. Was thinking about putting a sound decoder in to it later like West Port Terminal did for his small switcher that he did. Just trying to find an engine sound that would fit an Hustler type engine. Any Ideas? Kevin
Athearn still lists the rubberbands as available. Part number 90101.
I had a couple GP7's and a RDC as well as a pair of Hustlers with the Hi-F drive. They ran like a bat out of hell. The bands at times stuck to the drive line making for some interesting happenings.
gmcrailOne thing that is hinted at in the instruction sheet but not mentioned, is that all of the rubber bands must go around the drive shafts in the same direction; coming up from the back of the rear axle to the right-hand side of the drive shaft and down to the front of the axle. At least, get them all the same. Otherwise, your axles will be turning in different directions, and your loco won't move very well. Been there, done that.
One thing that is hinted at in the instruction sheet but not mentioned, is that all of the rubber bands must go around the drive shafts in the same direction; coming up from the back of the rear axle to the right-hand side of the drive shaft and down to the front of the axle. At least, get them all the same. Otherwise, your axles will be turning in different directions, and your loco won't move very well. Been there, done that.
Having both trucks turning opposite directions is a good way to find out if one end is more heavily weighted...
Nelson
Ex-Southern 385 Being Hoisted
SteamFreak Here's a Hi-Fi GP-9 instruction sheet with a good view of the band arrangement.There are hair bands made by Goody you can find at any Wal-Mart that are more like a stretchy vinyl, and don't rot like traditional rubber bands. I've had some on an old Budd car for a long time without any deterioration.
Here's a Hi-Fi GP-9 instruction sheet with a good view of the band arrangement.
There are hair bands made by Goody you can find at any Wal-Mart that are more like a stretchy vinyl, and don't rot like traditional rubber bands. I've had some on an old Budd car for a long time without any deterioration.
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Gary M. Collins gmcrailgNOSPAM@gmail.com
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"Common Sense, Ain't!" -- G. M. Collins
http://fhn.site90.net
Probably looks like something similar to this, http://hoseeker.org/assemblyexplosionAthearn/Assembly%20Explosion%20Athearn%20%20Hustler%201991.jpg , except with two rubber bands per truck.
I had an old Athearn RDC with rubber band drive. The pully shafts were longer and I think each had a steady bearing at the end to keep it supported. I suspect the F7 is similar.
This old drive system had solid driveshafts held in bearing posts. The rubber bands ran over the driveshaft and down around the large axles. Each axle had a rubber band on it.
You have to disassemble the truck and disconnect the drive shaft from the motor to install new rubber bands. I don't remember the procedure, but I do remember that it wasn't difficult.
I still have my old rubber-band powered loco stored away. It was my first HO scale loco and I ran the heck out of it. The rubber bands are long gone now. I had a paper route as a kid and used small rubber bands to roll up the papers. Those rubber bands fit the locomotive perfectly! I had thousands of those rubber bands! Wish I could remember what size they were, but that was almost 50 years ago!
Good luck fitting new bands on the axles. It isn't hard to do, just time-consuming.
Darrell, quiet...for now
Ok, I know about the Athearn rubber band drive, but I have never seen one assembled. I have a bunch of the trucks with the large axle for the rubber bands. My question is related to how the rubber band goes around them. Does it just loop down and go over the bottom of both axles, or is there supposed to be one rubber band per axle? If two bands how does one get them over the axle without disassembling the truck?