Hulett Unloader

[Dave V]

Hi Pete,
    Nice , fast work..But with the way the loader is posed it looks pornographic...

That's how little loaders are made.

[pnolan48]

Hi Pete,
    Nice , fast work..But with the way the loader is posed it looks pornographic...

Ummm, OK. I don't know how else to pose it. They work the way they work. Really rhythmic.

[Missaberoad]

They work the way they work. Really rhythmic.

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[pnolan48]

I made the ore carrier and the larry car this week--basically the underside of the ore transfer mechansim. This is already a fairly complex build, so I might as well try to model in some of the complexities of the transfer mechanism. These are interesting beasts, to say the least. I'm building a repositional-parts model that could be animated with a lot of care, and substitution of plastic wheels with reduced width metal wheelsets. I think that if you have the skills to animate, you have the skills to substitute the wheels and rails. This week I also finalized the pivot mechanisms with 1/16" tubing inside of 3/32" tubing bearings.

This will never be apparent in photos, but I moved the upper pivot down a little bit to gain more clearance, so I could get a prototypical 35 degrees up and down. This worked just swell, except--now the "dipper" swings instead of staying vertical. It just means I'll have to move another pivot point to keep things in the correct geometry.

Building for animation in this scale requires more precision than I might be able to achieve in a "kitable" version.

[pnolan48]

Just received my Walthers HO kit, so I can cross check the structures. Wow! The kit has twenty full frets, perhaps 8" x 10" each, of injected styrene parts. I haven't assembled all the parts onto manufacturing sheets yet, having thus far cut the parts a few at a time but, just from the weight of the assembled structure, this takes a lot of plastic! It takes 3.5 real FEET of railings--and I haven't started with the ladders and stairways.

Instructions to build will be the delaying factor. Of course, I built it without instructions as I was inventing it, but can't expect others to do so, after looking at the pile of plastic in the Walthers kit. I got the kit for $71 plus $15 shipping, and can't see how Walthers made any profit at that price. Even at retail price ($138?), the kit is a great buy.

[rschaffter]

I grew up near Cleveland, and always saw the lines of PC ore hoppers by the parking lot when we went to the Stadium.  The four Unloaders were across the river on Whiskey Island.

Here is information at the Library of Congress on the Huletts at Cleveland with many photos and some nice drawings showing their arrangement and how they operated...

http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/oh0121/

[pnolan48]

Thanks, Rod. I found those drawings and they were very helpful. I think my version will remain a bit simplified for N and Z scale.

[pnolan48]

Here's the more finished version, in red oxide primer.






I'm not sure where all the ladders, stairways, and machinery goes until I builld up the Walthers kit, which will give me some ideas. And I have to lay it out for production cutting. But I'd say it will be ready by about April 15, at about $125 with all the photoetched brass for pre-orders. Just a guess. They way this went together, I'd say that I'm about 90% of the way for accuracy, which I'll correct on the next pre-production model--that is, everything fits really well, but may not yet be the correct shape or profile.

It looks like I'll be staying in Alabama for two extra weeks, given two ongoing family medical situations (and generally lousy weather up north!).

[Chris333]

There is (or was) a Hulett still in Cleveland, in pieces:
http://binged.it/1ERBx2H

[Mike C]

I assume everyone has seen this .

[pnolan48]

I think I've watched it a dozen times. Like dinosaurs feeding. It gets mesmerizing.

[eric220]

I was wondering where the operator's cab was. A few feet above the bucket... Of course.

[delamaize]

Something about that machine makes me wish I could operate one. Pretty damn impressive.

I was wondering where the operator's cab was. A few feet above the bucket... Of course.

[pnolan48]

Something about that machine makes me wish I could operate one. Pretty damn impressive.

To me, they are a typical American solution: apply absolute brute force.

[BCR751]

If I had the time, and the money, I'd find the most accurate N-Scale model of a vintage "Laker" ore boat out there, purchase and build four of Pete's Huletts, build up some ore jenny rail cars, construct a complete diorama that depicts the process and donate it to a museum in Cleveland.  You just gotta preserve this sort of stuff.

Doug