I bought a Hartland ?Mack? loco for only 99 AUD, mainly for my grandson.
I originally had plans for a major rebuild using the motor block only, but decided that for now, I?d just put in simple battery control. It has just a forward/off/reverse switch on the roof. I have used this system for 2 small diesels for my other grandsons and the locos have proved to be super useful little shunters or push-up engines when the kids aren?t around.
The motor block prises out from a clip (very carefully!), and the cab is held by 2 screws from underneath the motor block (- brilliant design that ? if the screws had been moved 2 mm you could get the cab off without taking the motor block off). There?s a couple of steel weights. The roof of the cab comes off when you push the headlights out!
It?s a bit tricky to figure out how to dismantle it, but when you finally get it apart, these are the bits you have.
The motor block is held together with 4 screws. I took it apart to disconnect the motor from the wheel pickups, and soldered 2 wires direct to the motor.
Then I hot glued 5 NiMH cells under the ?skirt? and took the 2 wires up into the cab via the centre hole. I put charging lugs at either end for my standard crocodile charger clips. It runs at about 20-25 kph
The horn on the roof pulls out and a DPDT switch fits straight in!
That should have been the end, but I decided I?d put some sound in. Just a simple 555 oscillator running at around 12 Hz doesn?t sound too bad. Had a 40mm speaker I put on the cab floor with the cct under. To get enough volume I had to take the frosted windows out and it looks a whole lot better. Unfortunately, the speaker comes right up to window level and I still have to disguise the wires up to the roof.
A bit of repainting and some decals and here it is?
And a 20sec video .....
http://www.members.optusnet.com.au/satr/eddie1.wmv
I originally had plans for a major rebuild using the motor block only, but decided that for now, I?d just put in simple battery control. It has just a forward/off/reverse switch on the roof. I have used this system for 2 small diesels for my other grandsons and the locos have proved to be super useful little shunters or push-up engines when the kids aren?t around.
The motor block prises out from a clip (very carefully!), and the cab is held by 2 screws from underneath the motor block (- brilliant design that ? if the screws had been moved 2 mm you could get the cab off without taking the motor block off). There?s a couple of steel weights. The roof of the cab comes off when you push the headlights out!
It?s a bit tricky to figure out how to dismantle it, but when you finally get it apart, these are the bits you have.
The motor block is held together with 4 screws. I took it apart to disconnect the motor from the wheel pickups, and soldered 2 wires direct to the motor.
Then I hot glued 5 NiMH cells under the ?skirt? and took the 2 wires up into the cab via the centre hole. I put charging lugs at either end for my standard crocodile charger clips. It runs at about 20-25 kph
The horn on the roof pulls out and a DPDT switch fits straight in!
That should have been the end, but I decided I?d put some sound in. Just a simple 555 oscillator running at around 12 Hz doesn?t sound too bad. Had a 40mm speaker I put on the cab floor with the cct under. To get enough volume I had to take the frosted windows out and it looks a whole lot better. Unfortunately, the speaker comes right up to window level and I still have to disguise the wires up to the roof.
A bit of repainting and some decals and here it is?
And a 20sec video .....
http://www.members.optusnet.com.au/satr/eddie1.wmv
