Little Big Hauler

Overview:

This is a small, inexpensive line of locomotives and rolling stock that was short lived. Much less expensive construction than the venerable "Big Hauler" (if that is possible!!).

Significantly, the drivetrain, and wheels and bearing surfaces are even less robust.

Models:

I purchased the one that looks like a small 0-4-0 industrial loco, but there is a tank version. I got this one, because it had a tender, so I could add a speaker and decoder easily, and also that I intend to add metal wheels and power pickup to the tender to help power pickup.

Tender:

The tender is an empty box, with a loop coupler at each end. The coal load just drops in, turn the tender over and it falls out. No holes for a speaker, and plastic wheels.

The loco has a simple hook that engages the loop in the tender.

The axles run in small plastic journals that snap into the tender floor. So, changing out the wheels will be merely getting the right size, and grinding the axles to length if needed. The plastic journals could be easily modified to handle different diameters.

Not a great picture, but the clip that snaps into the tender floor that is the axle journal is this:

Wheels are 1.18" near the fillet, but the fillet is grossly large. 1.3655" over the flanges, axle diameter is 0.1175" and axle length is 2.734" The axles are strongly magnetic.

Locomotive:

The chassis has a horizontally mounted motor with a brass worm, a small nylon reduction gear and a nylon gear on the rear axle are the drive train.

Below, I have removed one axle from the sideframes. The axle bearings are small thin squares of grey plastic, and the bearing surface is an extension of the wheel casting. Clearly not a long term wear item.