While some vintage (and, oddly, current) models used direct belt/band drive, other companies opted for using belts and bands as a means of getting power to driveshafts with gears. In some instances, it seemed logical, but in others, not so much.
Many of the early mass produced H0 scale models used this. Varney comes immediately to mind, as does Revell. For a brief time I had a small brass industrial switcher that used this as well, however this has gone to another "line". What I want to talk about here is how three companies approached this system, and what my experience has taught me about them so far.
Lionel
Lionel was late to the H0 bandwagon, only beginning their production in the mid-1950's, and then being rather sporadic after. While they used rolling stock from other manufacturers such as Athearn and Rivarossi, they did manufacture their own locomotives, and I know of three (actually, more) that used belt-to-driveshaft.
The first are their diesels. While I only have their GP7/9, they all seem to share the same chassis, for better or for worse. Initially they all rode on ALCO style trucks, not only including their FA but also their F unit as well as their Geep (if Lionel were anything, they were thrifty). In these models, the band ran from a long shaft that ran from either side of the motor, as in Athearn's models, down to a pully wheel in each truck, thus powering the wheels.
But no ordinary band would do, and replacing them was a chore.
First, the bands had to be very thin. I've tried this with ever so slightly thicker bands, and the result was binding. Second, to access the driveshaft in each truck one had to drop each truck ,carefully remove two plastic clips, and then carefully lift the driveshaft out. Bear in mind that as plastic ages it becomes brittle, and with every belt replacement you are increasing the odds that one of these clips will break.
In time, Lionel replaced this design with one that used not only a less proprietary motor but also gears.
The other two Lionel locomotives were steamers, an 0-4-0T and a 2-4-2. The former has a mixed heritage, using a shell that was from HobbyLine. The latter looked like an old Lionel 027 model shrunk down to H0. Both use the same system - belt to driveshaft. While I am still having problems making the 0-4-0T run smoothly, the 2-4-2 runs well enough. The low speed on both, however, leaves much to be desired. These two models used the same belts as the diesel chassis. Also, like the diesel chassis, these are no fun to work on.
My personal opinion on these is mixed. While I can understand using the belt drives on the diesel chassis, using them on the steamers just makes little sense. A simple modification to the designs would have allowed the use of gears, which would have performed better. Alas, these two models were only in production for a short time, and near as I can tell were never reintroduced.
Marx
Once more our friends at Lou's company come in, and much like their previous 0-4-0, this model was found in a battery powered set. In this case, it was a new chassis in their venerable F3.
This one used a lower voltage motor with very long shafts. Like the Lionel diesel chassis, the belts/bands would run down into the trucks where they turned a pully and thus the wheels.
Also, this is the loudest H0 scale diesel I've ever encountered. I am unsure what the problem is. This model uses bevel gears, but my experience has always been that those tend to be quieter. Rest assured that this is something I am still looking into.
Unlike the Lionel models this one is far easier to work on. Simply remove the shell, disengage the shafts, remove the belts/bands, and the whole truck drops out. Accessing the drive shafts is simply a matter of popping out the axles and then the drive shaft. And, unlike the Lionel models but more like the Athearn and other Marx models, small rubber bands, such as ones for braids, work just fine. My biggest complaint about this model, aside from sounding like an M47 tank, is that there are only two sets of pickups, one set per side per truck. This model bottoms loses power easily.
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| (Note the additional weights in the shell. My model was missing the chassis weight) |
One very important thing of note.
Be careful replacing the axles. The bevel gears on each axle are opposite each other. Whilst the pickups share a side, the gears do not. Both set have to match.
Jouef
The belt here appears to be rather robust, and thus Jouef got it right. The model runs fine, with little noise. I have not determined if the previous iterations, from 1964 to 1974, used this system.
Is That It?
Which is a good question. I suspect that, while not the most practical means of making a model run, using rubber bands and belts had the convenience of being remarkably simple, and from the corporate standpoint, was inexpensive. There are probably others out there, and as I stumble upon them, rest assured, they will land here.
