A few weeks ago I bought a new in box vintage HO athern hustler with genuin rubber band drivetrain. I had enough forsite to get a bag of new rubbers with it. After replacing the dry rotted rubbers, it actually doesn't run that bad. It has a little sling shot effect that increases with load. Have any of you done the Earnst Regear on one of these babies? Is it a big improvement?
Athern Hustler (rubber band - yeeeha!)
- Thread starter jon-monon
- Start date
How Dey gonna re-gear dah rubber band drive loco? You mights wanna save yo $8.95 plus shippin'
It 'don have no gears
HI Jon, I 've had a ton of those things over the years...they are fast....I mean fast!!!.... My gold one still holds the world land speed record for a model locomotive...682.7333 scale MPH over a measured course!!! 
It 'don have no gearsHI Jon, I 've had a ton of those things over the years...they are fast....I mean fast!!!.... My gold one still holds the world land speed record for a model locomotive...682.7333 scale MPH over a measured course!!!
I had a few of those years ago but gave them to a friend when I moved to N gauge. Reliable running and all at a bargain price back then
I done regeared mine with the Earnst set, and put NWSL 36" wheelsets on it. Runs great!!!! Da wife confiscated it for her annual Christmas diorama and has it pulling a 'tourist' train through her Christmas village.
The gears are worth it in my book. After Christmas I get it back as my industrial switcher.
The gears are worth it in my book. After Christmas I get it back as my industrial switcher.
OK, OK, we'll GEAR IT, not regear it. Some folks sure are picky (not to mention VICS NAME LOL, virtual elbow in the ribs for Vic hehehe). Now, Vic, are they the the fastest on the planet with the gear kit or with rubbers? This is valuable information. If someone ever wants to dragrace me for pink slips, I'll blow 'em off the tracks with a stubby lil hustler!!!
Shamus: Didja flywheel it with earnst gears or the rubbers? Funny, I was lookin' at the walthers cat just this AM and saw flywheels for $6 and thot, those are free for me. I can chop bar stock, even turn it down if need be. I will definately flywhhel it. I was thinking of how to add some weight anywho. We'll get that lil rascal goin' up our 10% grade! You know what they say, "Where there's a Knudson, there's a way."
LOL, virtual elbow in the ribs for Vic hehehe). Now, Vic, are they the the fastest on the planet with the gear kit or with rubbers? This is valuable information. If someone ever wants to dragrace me for pink slips, I'll blow 'em off the tracks with a stubby lil hustler!!!Shamus: Didja flywheel it with earnst gears or the rubbers? Funny, I was lookin' at the walthers cat just this AM and saw flywheels for $6 and thot, those are free for me. I can chop bar stock, even turn it down if need be. I will definately flywhhel it. I was thinking of how to add some weight anywho. We'll get that lil rascal goin' up our 10% grade! You know what they say, "Where there's a Knudson, there's a way."
jon:
apologies from those of us who, whether we said it or not, thought that it was impossible to gear a Hi-F drive.
And the Hustler won (or lost) the speed competition back in the early 60s in Model Railroader, being clocked at 400+ mph. This was before any regearing units were available.
apologies from those of us who, whether we said it or not, thought that it was impossible to gear a Hi-F drive.
And the Hustler won (or lost) the speed competition back in the early 60s in Model Railroader, being clocked at 400+ mph. This was before any regearing units were available.
Hey Jon, all kidding aside back before I got into narrow gauge HO I re-geared every Athearn I had with Ernst regear sets and was quite pleased with the way they would run!!! I was "poking fun" at the ad for the re-gear set! on the link that you had in your post. By all means my friend it was not intended at you!!! ...Pokes Jon in the ribs with a track hammer!
In Hustler speed competition the only drives that are legal are the rubber ones For short track competition you may remove the shell!! to keep the thing from tipping over on the turns!!!
60103....I remember that MR contest...It was all most as good as the "biffy" (outhouse) contest that the NMRA had!
back before I got into narrow gauge HO I re-geared every Athearn I had with Ernst regear sets and was quite pleased with the way they would run!!! I was "poking fun" at the ad for the re-gear set! on the link that you had in your post. By all means my friend it was not intended at you!!! ...Pokes Jon in the ribs with a track hammer! In Hustler speed competition the only drives that are legal are the rubber ones
For short track competition you may remove the shell!! to keep the thing from tipping over on the turns!!!60103....I remember that MR contest...It was all most as good as the "biffy" (outhouse) contest that the NMRA had!
Oh man! The answer to my dreams! I have a half dozen of these babies and wondered if they could be (re) geared. I'm gonna' order the kits right now...
I also have the RDCs with rubber band drive but they are for looks only. As Jon noted, the slingshot effect is pronounced and I'm afraid of the liability of causing whiplash to all the little plastic people inside...
Tom F
) geared. I'm gonna' order the kits right now...I also have the RDCs with rubber band drive but they are for looks only. As Jon noted, the slingshot effect is pronounced and I'm afraid of the liability of causing whiplash to all the little plastic people inside...
Tom F
Tom F,
The Earnst set for the Hustlers comes with a set of flywheels also. The conversion process is not a 'drop in' and will take some work, but the results are worth it. I would suggest some NWSL nickel silver wheels also for your Hustlers. If'n ya have any questions about installation, give me a holler.
The Earnst set for the Hustlers comes with a set of flywheels also. The conversion process is not a 'drop in' and will take some work, but the results are worth it. I would suggest some NWSL nickel silver wheels also for your Hustlers. If'n ya have any questions about installation, give me a holler.
Shamus: in addition to the query about the flywheels (were they in combonation with a gearing kit), I would like to know what kind of nut, is that a person nut, or a nut nut?
60103: No appologies, I'm just havin' fun readin' and learnin'! No offense on this end. You gotta say somthin' bad about my wife to get me riled, otherwise, no holds barred! I had a good laugh at vics regearing post. Yaknow, you send that Paulsen kid out there to regear an athern, he'd be diggin round unjder the hood for days tryin' to find the old gears to pull out!
Vic: OUCH! I just gave you a little virtual nudge with my elbow, and you came at me witha tack hammer!?!?!? a real one!?!?!?! Yikes :O hehehe Actually, I think you would be right in correcting me as I labelled the link "regearing" and the ad says "gearing kit".
Tom: Good thinkin' I think plastic vertabre heal slower than calcium products.
BTW: Guys, if you want more, before spendin' anythin on e-bay, check you LHS, I got mine for $11.00 I think. Whatever Athern stamped on the box years ago. He said it had the newer motor Looks like this one, but it's the blue box special.
60103: No appologies, I'm just havin' fun readin' and learnin'! No offense on this end. You gotta say somthin' bad about my wife to get me riled, otherwise, no holds barred! I had a good laugh at vics regearing post. Yaknow, you send that Paulsen kid out there to regear an athern, he'd be diggin round unjder the hood for days tryin' to find the old gears to pull out!
Vic: OUCH! I just gave you a little virtual nudge with my elbow, and you came at me witha tack hammer!?!?!? a real one!?!?!?! Yikes :O hehehe Actually, I think you would be right in correcting me as I labelled the link "regearing" and the ad says "gearing kit".
Tom: Good thinkin' I think plastic vertabre heal slower than calcium products.
BTW: Guys, if you want more, before spendin' anythin on e-bay, check you LHS, I got mine for $11.00 I think. Whatever Athern stamped on the box years ago. He said it had the newer motor
Looks like this one, but it's the blue box special.Jon,
When I found a Northwest Short Line "PDT" for the Hustler, I got one, and did a little detail work on the shell. I'm still looking for a "cheap" way to gear drive the little devils. With the rubber drive.............whoooooshhhhhhh!
I've also been considering, for the humor of it, building an A-B-A set (hustlers), and using them to haul several "Pikers" and an "Oscar".
When I found a Northwest Short Line "PDT" for the Hustler, I got one, and did a little detail work on the shell. I'm still looking for a "cheap" way to gear drive the little devils. With the rubber drive.............whoooooshhhhhhh!
I've also been considering, for the humor of it, building an A-B-A set (hustlers), and using them to haul several "Pikers" and an "Oscar".
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Pete, that's sweet! How can ya not love a dinky? I'm gunna go reverse a rubber band and have a dinky dance! I know you've probably seen my two MDTs, I got another on e-bay for $2, $9 after shipping and I'm lookin' fer a DDT to add to the collection. My hustler is still in it's factory paint. Is that a capacitor gas tank, or di you make it? Seems like capacitors can look a lot like a tank with a pipe be good...
and I'm lookin' fer a DDT to add to the collection. My hustler is still in it's factory paint. Is that a capacitor gas tank, or di you make it? Seems like capacitors can look a lot like a tank with a pipe be good...I have a shell like this one. Might bid for giggles if it stay low. Note the two fans, enough air flow for a large diesel. I don't think any of the dinkeys had a fan mounted on top like that, certainly not two, but I could be wrong. Jeez I'm tired. A schmadrt guy would get some sleep!
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Back to our rubber banded baby in question, does anyone know who made the prototype? What model it is?
Could it be Porter?
Or a Whitcomb?
I've been lookin all over for a proto pic and haven't found anything real exact, but the older industrials were retty loosely based on the proto in many cases, I think...
Could it be Porter?
Or a Whitcomb?
I've been lookin all over for a proto pic and haven't found anything real exact, but the older industrials were retty loosely based on the proto in many cases, I think...
Jon:
I suspect you'll fond that they copied bits from a number of different locos and filled the gaps with imagination.
Remember, in those days a boxcar was a boxcar, unless it was a B&O wagontop that really looked different. [Not like today where you have to get the right ends, the right roof, the doors have to be mounted correctly and even the underframe has to be the right way round.]
I suspect you'll fond that they copied bits from a number of different locos and filled the gaps with imagination.
Remember, in those days a boxcar was a boxcar, unless it was a B&O wagontop that really looked different. [Not like today where you have to get the right ends, the right roof, the doors have to be mounted correctly and even the underframe has to be the right way round.]
Your probably right, #6. Funny how they copied Marx or Marx copied them, when they coulda just copied a real industrial 
I guess Athern bought the tooling from Marx.
I guess Athern bought the tooling from Marx.
