Rubber Band Driven Model Train? | Piko Mytrain Unboxing & Review

[@ecpcharles]

Congrats! You just bought an imaginary model made back in the 1950s called "The Hustler" by Athearn. Its nearly identical to the original, shell and drive and all! The original had a rubber band drive, and diecast sides as opposed to the plastic sides yours has.

[@SamsTrains]

So I've heard Charles - had no idea it dated back that far when I bought it!! :O Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@retr0bits545]

@@SamsTrains Athearn called the rubber band system a “Hi-F drive.” This type of drive system was used on the hustler as well as: F-units, GP-9s, and the Budd RDC (there are probably more but that’s all I know as of current).

[@strasburgrailfan90]

I mean it makes sense that they would keep an old design for a kids toy

[@batmangamer3122]

I still have my hustler, and I don't know if it's common or not but mine's a speed demon. Can't run it on curves at %40 because it flies off the track.

[@ecpcharles]

@@batmangamer3122 it is lol, someone clocked the speed at only 12v at 110 scale MPH!

[@churrodead7191]

This model was originally made by an American company called Athearn in the 50's. They called it the Hustler. Their early diesels had this rubber band drive system, it didn't catch on because of the unrealistic speeds. The locomotive itself is not really based on any particular prototype, its mostly a freelance design. Its interesting that the tooling for this model ended up at piko.

[@roybergauer8973]

Very nice! I have never expected that you can buy this model today again. It is a very old contruction from East Germany (GDR) from around the 1970s. It was the s called JUNIOR line from Piko GDR especially made for children. It were the cheapest modells at the model railway market in GDR. And this is what they are made for. I can remember that I have got this model in blue colour with red chassis when I was around 7 years old. This was 1986. It was sold in a box with two coal waggons for around 15 Mark (GDR). It is difficult to convert Euro or Pounds. If you tried convert Mark (GDR) to DM (FRG) you had to pay 5 to 10 Mark for 1 DM. This ould be around 1.50 EURO. Unbelieveable that Piko sells this again.

[@modelyh0]

I had the blue one few years ago

[@OlivierGabin]

Roughly, the street exchange rate of the GDR mark was 7 M for 1 DEM in january 1990, that's the more reliable rate I can find. That would have represented 2 DEM in 1990, so, factoring inflation, that would make 1,67 € today, which is GBP 1,44. That's the problem with former eastern block currency : non-convertible, or having a completely artificial rate of exchange for foreign travellers (GRD Mark = 1 DEM for occidental tourists), and you can't have a reliable equivalent. I had to tackle this problem some years ago while I was writing a novel about everyday's life in GDR...

[@johnkirkpatrick1523]

The Athearn "Hustler" - the first ballistic locomotive!

[@ecpcharles]

He paid good money for a model made back in the 50s LOL with nearly the same drive!

[@JDsHouseofHobbies]

When I first saw the title, I thought Sam had found one of the old Athearn Hustlers. I think Athearn's old BART cars were rubber band drive.

[@alanhaynes4576]

@@JDsHouseofHobbies Athearn Budd Rail car were and I had one. Ran very well.

[@alanhaynes4576]

@@JDsHouseofHobbies They did have a 5 pole motor though

[@stephendollahan425]

The drive system is based on an American company called Athearn's 1950s - 1990s band drive the called "hi-f" or high friction. Athearn produced several locomotives using this drive including one called the hustler which used the exact same body shell as this one, maybe Piko bought the tooling. The drives were known for being rockets on wheels.

[@darkshade2k7]

18:06 oh god, when you looked at the camera it had me in stitches, lol

[@SamsTrains]

haha!! It had to be done! ;D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@FerroequinologistofColorado]

When I read “rubber band driven” I was thinking that there was no motor at all in the engine and it would be driven off of a wound up rubber band. Thank goodness I was wrong.

[@alex-py9rw]

same here

[@Taschenschieber]

I mean... as a small kid I've had loads of fun with Lego Duplo and / or Brio trains that had no drive at all so a wind-up loco with a rubber band would probably have blown my mind back then.

[@FerroequinologistofColorado]

@@Taschenschieber I bet. I’m sure someone has tried making a rubber band powered locomotive

[@eugeniomarins2936]

Hahaha! I thought about a very simple elastic band driven plane i had a thousand years ago. Cheers from Brazil!

[@FerroequinologistofColorado]

@@eugeniomarins2936 that’s kinda how I envisioned the mechanism

[@BritanniaPacific]

The “advanced” models are for serious railroaders, this is more of a birthday present for your nephew/niece. Just keep it quiet about what you know about it.

[@logsaplenty]

But rubber train though 😳

[@SamsTrains]

Yeah I guess you're right - still a fun/different thing to look at though! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@tracynation2820]

A number of modern HO locomotives use belt drive or have belt driven accessories. 💙 T.E.N. Edit: During Athearn's "Hustler" days, you could buy almost everything for this locomotive, including gear drive, new top, sides, and cab, custom fitted weights, custom lighting, real optical glass in the windows, quite literally every bell and whistle, and even new sideframes. I wish that I had bought one new, because it would have fifty years of patina on it now from all of times it was used to haul a train, and would look quite realistic next to my other trains. 💙 T.E.N.

[@MrBnsftrain]

That locomotive looks nearly identical to the band-driven Athearn "Hustler" diesel I have, and that one dates back to the late 1950s. Athearn is known for producing versions of some of their locomotives with rubber band drives from the late 50s to probably the 70s Although this loco is not an exact replica of a real loco, it is heavily based off of an H.K Porter diesel locomotive of the late 1940s

[@danhudson4614]

As a kid I built a rubber band powered glider on holiday. It took me ages to build and wind up After I finally got to release it, it soared off and I never saw it again! Hopefully a train version fairs better 😁

[@bartoszkrawczyk3946]

This loco is sure an interesting one; but how about checking out a "normal" piko model? I own a PKP Class EU07 (4E type) from them, and I think it is a nice one to check. Also there is EU06 and EP08 locos that look basically the same (EU06 was made in Britain, EU07 was the licensed version made in Poland and EP08 has a higher top speed and a nice orange livery)

[@OlivierGabin]

Agreed. I have an italian heavy diesel shunter from them, it works fine and looks good.

[@robertwilloughby8050]

Ah, the "Angliks"! Based on the British Railways Class 83 (AL3). Funny that the British ones were APPALING, yet the Polish ones were rather good.... (must not tell my electrician joke......)

[@derhamburger9289]

Well I want to buy polish locos. But I can say piko is pretty good like my ger class 143 is perfect

[@railwayjade]

Sam would love the flat cars as they are metal

[@derhamburger9289]

@@railwayjade well in my experience are they made out of plastic.

[@railsuisseromande]

Hi Sam, nice video as usual ;-) As it was already mentioned in an earlier comment Piko is in fact a German company They have a very white range of models separated in different categories : - Hobby : child trains as you reviewed and some of the models which where present on the instruction sheet - Classic : good quality model with good finish, without decoder - Expert : highly detailed models with lots of metal parts, with digital decoder sound and smoke generator (for steam locomotives) - Expert Plus : As expert but with digital operated automatic coupling (allowing to decouple a train without having to do it manually) The two last categories have high price tags going from 300 to 500 €

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks so much for the info - appreciate the knowledge on the categories too, good stuff! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@derhamburger9289]

This train is a old starter from the GDR Still produced today. The new models from piko are great btw. I recommend you the expert line.

[@SamsTrains]

Yeah so I've heard... definitely need to try some new stuff! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@hexxon77]

I bought set MyTrain with this loco (plus three little cargo wagons) for £55 for my son and this is just a great fun. Of course this is not serious model, just a bit more advanced toy. But Piko owner René Wilfer is actually in my opinion a very smart man. He is selling A LOT of this models across Europe. He is introducing train models to young generation other makers (like Hornby) just in fact started following Piko suit recently. There are a few things truly genius about MyTrain models: they are cheap, simple, surprisingly well made and they run (almost) like a "real" models on the PROPER HO track, not just a some plastic sh... They are well packed and issued with whole "shebang" of papers and instructions like a PROPER models. Why? Because Herr Wilfer knows how to buy a loyalty of his future customers. He is treating them seriously. And when other makers struggle to turn profit in this "old fashion" industry Piko (at least before 2020) was doing actually fine. So this little rubber driven loco is showing very clever approach of the potential survivor...

[@cefnonn]

Well said! It's worth scrolling down through the comments - yours is spot-on !

[@tinplategeek1058]

"I won't tell you what the unique feature is". Obviously Sam hasn't looked at the video title as that rather gives it away.

[@nickp5036]

You beat me to it i was just about to say the sams

[@SamsTrains]

haha that's true... I never think these things through do I? ;D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@pawelsmartbin7046]

The model comes straight from the 70s and was produced in the former GDR as part of the Piko Junior series. The drive was made exactly the same and it worked very well in practice! Interestingly - from what I can see the modern model is a bit ... Simplified! There are no full bumpers which were - in the old version - made from rubber (oh yes... rubber, rubber, everywhere rubber) and no horns on the side of the body ... Anyway - very nice start loco!

[@davidbrigenshaw8721]

I have several Piko locos, including a number made in the former East Germany. They are all very well detailed and run superbly. Many even have directional lighting, including some with LEDs.

[@einfachhonig6284]

Oh if you like that you have to see more german stuff like Märklin, Fleischmann or Liliput.

[@andrewpalm2103]

If you search for "Athearn Hustler" you will find the US original for this design, rubberband drive and all. They had a reputation of being rockets, just like the Hornby 0-4-0 of today. It came out in 1957 and cost $4.95US. It was extremely popular, and in the 80's I built a free-lance electric locomotive using two Hustler bodies joined at their front ends on a B-B chassis. At one time there were re-powering kits for it that used gears. Lionel had a similar HO version that was geared, and Marx had a geared knockoff, too. The Marx version was my first locomotive. Cheers from Wisconsin.

[@johnd8892]

Much faster than a Hornby 0-4-0. 400 mph quoted. Need some very wide curves to do it.

[@Vyn_Solina]

Some of the parts of the video gave me a huge laughter! Great video! Good morning from the Philippines!

[@klbird]

IN 1957 Athearn in the US introduced a F7 and GP7 locomotive with rubber band power, also a RDC car with same. I still have the Rail Diesel Car and the F7 and new bands are available on line. I out DCC decosers in them and they run fast but don't "crawl" well.

[@SamsTrains]

Good stuff Ken, thanks for sharing this! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@drijfkip1]

Nothing wrong with that picture of the kid playing with his train. I'm 58 years old and that's exactly how i look when i have layed out some track on the carpet. :-)

[@SamsTrains]

haha glad to hear someone on earth actually looks that way then! ;D Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@georgewolf7063]

I love the concept of using rubber bands in place of gears, and the brass pick-up/bearings. Perhaps if they used a better motor? It'd be a fun concept to experiment with! Maybe for a cheap DIY model train kit idea? On the same level as those balsa and tissue paper airplane kits?

[@warhamsterful]

"unless one of the rubber bands gets hooked around a ventricle" had me straight rolling off my couch :D lmao

[@SamsTrains]

haha!! xD

[@lukedanielemery]

I have this loco! Never thought I'd see it on the internet. It sits in my yard while the 04 does the real work

[@Steamteamrailworks88]

20:39 *Red “Hustler” bumps the trucks* Trucks: Oh, oh, oh! We want a proper engine, not a red monster!

[@LegoBob4123]

Troublesome trucks, Am I right?

[@SamsTrains]

haha!! xD

[@lesbird2074]

Some (in fact many) years ago, Hornby Dublo used a picture of a father and son operating a model railway. On one hand, the son had five fingers and a thumb!

[@TX200AA]

Well, they had to try and sell models in Norfolk!

[@lewishughes8541]

Hi Sam hope your ok I like the look of these perfect for weathering and customs with out wasting to much money

[@SamsTrains]

Hope you are too Lewis - very much so, I agree! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@HarryC_640]

15:12 and 18:03 You can add those ones to the bloopers reel. Love the impromptu snippets of comedy throughout your reviews! You also nailed the face of the kid in your impression of him...and the positioning!!!

[@SamsTrains]

haha very much so! And glad you liked that - yes you could mistake me for him couldn't you? ;D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@HappyJigg]

This style of locomotive has been made for over 50 years by many manufacturers. I believe Athearn was the first with their "Hustler" locomotive. Their entire range had rubber band mechanisms like this back then, but they moved over to gears eventually, including the Hustler.

[@SamsTrains]

I can't believe it's been around for so long - would love to get a 50 year old version for comparison! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@calvinstreeting1173]

rubber band loco's can also be pushed by hand without shreding gears (good for a toy)

[@DudeTheNinja]

I won't lie, the belt-driven mechanism is a genius way to cut costs and additionally pass those savings to the customer. Had it, say, a little more detail in its paintwork and a couple of separately-fitted parts, it could easily be passed off as a Hornby Railroad-esque locomotive. Definitely a nice little beginner thing, especially considering its toylike nature - perfect for newcomers, and also possibly a good canvas to further customise for more serious modellers.

[@morgans.2183]

As an American Viewer, I immediately recognized this as an 'Athearn Hustler' from about 1957-58. Interesting bit is, I actually have one of these, and the original is also rubber band drive, notorious for being a speed demon, although the level of detail and livery is noticeably higher on the original, such as the fitting of horns on the engine cowling, just ahead of the cab, as well as the text 'Hustler' written vertically down the center of the grille at the front. overall, quite a fun engine, and i sincerely enjoy running mine, keep up the good work Sam!

[@drewdam8871]

The very first electric model railway of Lone×Star, Treble-O-Lectric (precusor to N scale), had rubber band drive of exactly the same design. Look on KZbin for videos where you will find working examples! Made in England, vintage 1963, of die cast metal at the Lone×Star factory in Palmers Green, London, and at their 'new' factory in Hatfield, Hertfordshire. Serious stuff in those bygone days when England ruled the rails!

[@the4tierbridge]

Sam, may I make a suggestion for an engine to review? Ho scale docksider "Little Joe". The most sold HO locomotive in history, it's pretty much the American version of a Hornby 0-4-0, specifically Smokey Joe. And, since every brand that made HO from 1950-1970 manufactured one, you have hundreds of different version to choose from (Unlined, lettered, lined and lettered, plain, unlettered, brass, unpainted metal, plastic, etc)! Based on the B&O C16 saddle tank shunter, it's considered to be a part of the first generation of HO, and as someone who isn't from that era and is interested in getting one, having a review would be nice. Edit: And there are new versions, but if you want a challenge, I think restoring an old one would be a nice one.

[@a2020vision_official]

Rubber band drives used to be somewhat popular with some American manufacturers, though I've never had one myself. From an engineering standpoint it certainly simplifies the design, no need to design tiny gears with tight tolerances (which was probably more important decades ago), but it is not good for efficiency - even if the rubber band isn't slipping on either side, there are efficiency losses from the stretching of the rubber. And I think I saw a Peckett, I believe the B2? near the end, that would be the odd engine out.

[@damiengolledge9033]

Wish Hornby would copy the athern plate style pickups

[@danielluebke]

It's nice to see your review! I didn't know that this loco has such a engine mechanism. Piko MyTrain is a line of cheap and very simple toys for children. Robust but not so nice but part of an effort to bring kids back to the hobby. The loco looks a bit like a German V20 shunter which is too old to have this livery though. More modern German shunters have the cabin more to the center of the locomotive. Piko has other lines (Hobby, Expert etc.) which have real prototypes and have - in general - a good price. You have seen those in the paperwork. As a German it is interesting to see someone from England to review such a model! Thanks for doing that!

[@johnmurdock6195]

Sam, This video brought back some early childhood memories (60 years ago). I had a Santa Fe shunter by Atlas trains and it was band driven. We used to double band the drives for better pulling power. A fun little switcher to play with.

[@johnd8892]

I wonder if it was the Athearn Hustler sold on to Atlas. I have several assembled Athearn freight cars sold in Atlas boxes.

[@KS-oc4hu]

If you look on James Risner's youtube channel, he has some old Athearn rubber band drive locos pulling huge loads, they look extremely smooth, fast and powerful, but I understand they needed constant maintenance.

[@johnd8892]

Risner had very impressive stuff. I will have to make more enquiries, but I think all the Risner Athearn bogie locomotives are the geared drive versions that soon superceded the rubber band drives by the seventies. Very trouble free units that use a drive system now copied with refinements by all quality diesel and electric locomotives.

[@KS-oc4hu]

@@johnd8892 He has some videos with rubber band drive locos, just search for this and you'll see them!

[@ta22stcoupe]

It seems like Piko creatively borrowed the rubber band drive from Athearn. Athearn used to have locomotives with 4 powered axels using 4 rubber bands wound in a similar fashion to the Piko. Even the thick axels bear a striking resemblance to the Athearn ones. The Piko looks like a real odd ball, and I love it for that. Thanx for this one Sam, really liked it.

[@donquichote2024]

You can laugh all you want, but this is exactly the same idea I have employed with my very first train model. It worked charmingly and won a prize at young inventors competition. It was 1957 and I was 10 years old ...

[@jacobmcdorman6859]

3:10 He's having so much fun with his trains that he has to grab onto the ground to stop himself from floating away.

[@SamsTrains]

haha maybe you're right... I won't judge the guy!! ;D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@HarryDiecast]

Wow! This was a great review Sam. It was so cool watching you review a rubber band driven loco. I don't have any experience with rubber band driven models like this one, although I do have a model from Piko in N scale. The Model is a 118 059-5 series. It is one of my favorite locomotives in my collection. Have a nice day.

[@keithspillett]

Years ago there was an American 'high end' company called 'Athearn', and ALL their diesel locos were band driven!

[@guiguinofake4626]

Wait , years ago? you mean athearn doesn't exist anymore?

[@Chaos42666]

@@guiguinofake4626 They certainly still do, but they're mostly considered mid-range these days I suppose and have long-since phased out band-drives not that I don't seem them returning if Piko have success with these, they'd be a fair bit cheaper to produce and they could then make a bit of after-purchase profit selling branded replacement bands

[@SamsTrains]

Wow! All of them!?? D:

[@Chaos42666]

@@SamsTrains Many of them in the 60's/70's hyper detailed shells with roughly the same mechanism, but an extra pair of drive axels, usually lacking a headlight, they were never gonna crawl, but the pulling power on theirs when they're in good shape is somewhat surprising

[@srenchin]

"...ALL their diesel locos were band driven!" That's incorrect, Athearn introduced their "Hi-F" rubber band drive as a cheep alternative to their gear driven mechanisms. The Hi-F drive was dropped when Athearn exited the "Train Set" market in the mid 1960's.

[@ChrisWadsworth]

Sam, I like the idea of your videos, it covers all experiences in model railways, the serious and the fun side. KEEP IT UP Chris

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks so much Chris, you're very kind! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@alessiofs88]

PIKO with their Expert line makes really good quality models, I have their N scale BR82 and it's impressive in terms of details and performance. Also Mr. René Wilfer (the CEO) is a really cool guy, I really enjoy his factory video tours showing how their models are produced and assembled

[@srenchin]

4:33 Did you notice the info about the "Correct Disposal of this Product". Clearly the manufacturer expects this loco to wind up in the bin sooner than later.

[@Olivers-trains]

Is Return to the wonder house meant to be in your Locomotive reviews playlist Sam. Very good video. Keep up the good videos.

[@SamsTrains]

No it isn't - I did it by mistake, my bad! ;D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@Olivers-trains]

@@SamsTrains No problem. I will always watch your videos.

[@Flymochairman1]

This loco is why I watch your channel Sam; the odd and unique is a great angle, as well as the higher end models. You covered the re-use of such a cheap set-up for use in other projects as well as being fair to the little loco itself. It is a design I haven't seen on model railway stock before. The lack of separate detail and other parts to fall off is a big play point. Certainly, it does like the higher speeds and it may improve the slow handling with use. This little loco is something I tried to make or bodge when I was 11-12years old and I used a spare motor and a Brake Van and a rubber band. With no thought of being closer to the TV aerial that the analogue TV of the time...home-made pick-ups and no RF suppresion...it was the only time I was scolded for 'making stuff' for my models. Mine lacked the finess of the Piko DB shunter there though. Great review of an unusual little loco. Thanks for choosing this one. Cheers Sam! Keep Well, chap! [Edit: Small omission]

[@srajfnly2]

@Sam’s Trains this locomotive is a German diesel shunter. Here’s a link to take a look at. DIESELLOK DB

[@ronb4113]

Omg ! Piko is going back to its GDR days ! But for this price and the intended market it is functional. It is however a far cry from the more expensive PIKO stuff like the expert loco's and coaches which are very well made these days.👍

[@SamsTrains]

So I hear - had no clue it dated back quite that far when I bought it! Will try some of their better stuff some time! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@iancooper4797]

I forgot to tell you that this was back in the early 60's. I still can't figure out how I managed to acquire 100 assorted vans and wagons. The 3 R1 0-6-0T engines were the cheapest Hornby did and were their first plastic bodied locomotives. They could pull about 25 wagons. The G6 was a white metal kit utilising a chassis from another R1 0-6-0T and was the only one left and was based at Meldon quarry where most of the Southern Railway/Region got their ballast. When the Western Region took over the Withered Arm they closed it down and the locomotive was scrapped. In fact as far as I know the only 0-6-0T tank engines from the Southern Region that got preserved are the Terriers and the P's.

[@gegetrains6786]

the french company GéGé made a whole series of large H0 locomotives that were powered in this way. They were produced between 1960 and 1975.

[@longmonttrains548]

I was going to say that the Hornby Smokey joe was going to be the non beginner loco BUT I see that peckett b2.

[@harperlarry49]

My first locomotive was a rubberband Athearn. I got it when I was 10 (1959). This looks like a fun little locomotive to let the kids run around the layout. Take the challenge and add some details and paint to make it look better.

[@Daniel-bj4kd]

19:27 Sam uses the force!!! #secretjedi

[@tiojimmy3425]

Poor Sam... In Great Britain, it seems that the Athearn is not known. Athearn probably sold tens of thousands of EMD F-units, Budd RDC motor cars, and of course, Hustlers. Their production lines must have lasted longer than Sam is age. My VERY first train was an Athearn F-unit freight set in B&O livery made in 1960 which still runs, and runs well. How many American hobbyists started this hobby with Athearn rubber drives, and still run them? Sam, look up Athearn rubber band drive in Google and KZbin. Have fun looking everyone, and old American hobby and smile. Have a great week. Tio Jimmy

[@tiojimmy3425]

This is a message in error. Look at Sam's Trains KZbin, sorry... tio Jimmy

[@louisbuscarino7330]

55 years ago my dad bought me a tyco train set and the engine had the same mechanism as the one you just reviewed it ran great but it kept breaking the belts when you put to many wagons. Thanks for the memories.

[@SamsTrains]

Oh wow - it's pretty tried and tested then! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@vornamenachname727]

3:29 the blue locomotive, unlike the red one shown in the vid, is based on a real locomotive, namely E69 005, although it was painted red, brown, then green irl. I´ve got a "proper" model of that one. :D

[@brianartillery]

I'd be tempted to buy one. It would then be painted, weathered up, given glazing and a crew, so it didn't look like a toy. I might even put side skirts on it to hide the wheels somewhat. The buffer beams would be modified, and I'd see if the couplings could be altered to a more standard type. I reckon that it could be made to look like a nice industrial engine, with a little work. As is, it's a fun toy. That works: it pulls wagons well enough to please any kid who wants a model train. That's all that really matters, and for twentyish quid, you can't go wrong. Good review, as always. Nice one.

[@mervynsands3501]

Quite amazing to see such a rubber band powered locomotive can really perform so well! Top value as a starter for younger train modeller's.

[@cmdrbudman1ao580]

You could use something like this to make the faked up tender drive for the LaFayette

[@iancooper4797]

When the Airfix Park Royal Railbus kit was introduced into was reviewed by one of the model railway magazines it suggested that the Rocket motor be used. A simple drive could utilise a rubber band. Since I was short of funds I got a twig and drilled a hole down the middle and cut the twig in half and glued it round the axle of a Nucro wheel set. This replaced one set of Airfix wheels and another Nucro wheel set replaced the other Airfix set. I can't remember what I did for pickups from the wheels but it was very efficient. I purchased a Rocket motor and a box of very small rubber bands. I screwed the motor to the floor of the rail bus and glued a couple of small washers onto the end of the motor shift. One rubber band was fitted around the twig and onto the motor shaft. I wired up the motor to the pickups and completed the assembly of the rail bus. It worked well on my layout at home but the real test of its capabilities was running it on the Crawley Model Railway layout that used to be exhibited at the Model Railway Society Exhibition at The Westminster Central Hall. Its normal residence was in a large hut that had a couple of other layouts as well. The layout was a scale mile not quite oval where amongst things I did was to run 100 van and wagon goods trains with 3 R1 tank engines pulling and one Wills G6 pushing. The railbus could do a circuit of the layout in 15 seconds! Power to the rubber band!

[@TheButters5000]

18:00 minute mark with the imitation german kid was absolutely hilarious!

[@LNER_A1_Productions_1555]

I know this vid is from 3 years ago but at 9:04 the coupling is giving us the middle finger. Is nobody gonna talk about that?

[@SamsTrains]

It's a middle finger directed at the customers ripped off by this thing, hahaha!

[@LNER_A1_Productions_1555]

@SamsTrains ya lol. Bro really said. Why didn't u put me in the trash to rest?💀

[@rinnmhor]

The design/tooling of those from piko goes back to the 1960's, I have one the originals, even then they made up part of a junior range. The one I have has the same mechanism with the rubber bands, it's very quiet and can haul a big load. The original lone star (treble O, n scale) made in the UK around the same time had the same type of mechanism would you believe.

[@ArcadiaJunctionHobbies]

Athearn used rubber band drive for decades and they performed excellent. You could repaint and detail and you got a tasty industrial loco.

[@94Angelwing]

As you summed up, this is great for kids or anyone wanting a painting project. I think it has plenty of detail that would come up great with a new paint job. For that price its a fun little thing that isn't pretending to be anything other than what it is (unlike some other locos we could mention).

[@shaggygabe728]

Planning on getting a Piko set! :D My father recomended them to me earlier because i said i wanted to get into model trains.

[@21phaedra]

I am 73 and must be going through a second child hood I really liked it and as you say it really would make a good project.

[@ghostengineer]

I just recently bought the Piko my train set and I rather like this locomotive. It’s simple but it runs well for my layout and even over my points too. I am modifying mine to look a bit more British and make it into a Tram style locomotive complete with wasp stripes. I know you don’t seem to be a fan of this but I really do like it. It can be easily customizable

[@corlanesitdepartment2755]

Had one of these in the late '50s on my HO layout. Almost identical body and it was by Athearn, the Hustler. They also had EMD GP9's and F7's, eight wheels and fast. Model Railroader did a test on them and the Hustler ran close to 300 "scale" mph if I remember correctly. Athearn version needed frame taken apart for the wheel sets to come out. I put a lot of miles on that ol' girl. It could pull 6 or 8 stiff axle cars of the time with ease but not a industrial shunter speed.

[@kevinludlow7561]

I have one and also the blue one which is shown on the flip side of the box. I think they are great fun, a nice intro to HO (well sort of), and a nice talking point...... "come and look at this belt-driven loco" The crawl can be good usually when theirs an "n" in the days of the week! I purchased mine from Jadlam toys and models and I think they still have some, The dead man's hand plant the young lad is demonstrating reminds me of what I can do when I run a tender drive ringfield loco. A great review and nice to see the Triang dock shunter

[@michaelwalters7554]

Nice little model, I like it and it is perfect for a retrofit.

[@mattsmocs3281]

Sam, Piko somehow got the tooling for the original Athearn hustler. A 1956 released rubber band drive model which was well known and popular for being a convenient switcher at a low price. They took that and gave it European couplers and a plastic frame in place of its original zinc and later aluminum frame. Athearn was a rubber band drive maker till the 70s and they were junk. Also the Hustler was a in-house design to create a small switcher for industrial use. Based on some sources but freelance.

[@SamsTrains]

Fascinating!! Is that what this is then, or is that a different model by them? Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@mattsmocs3281]

@@SamsTrains well it is a freelance loco originally. Athearn, Lionel, and Tyco were the first 3 makers of this loco (the other 2 were on License) but some speculation is thst it is loosely based on a GE 25 ton diesel electric locomotive. From the looks all Piko did was cut back on the end steps and remove the horns which were seperate applied. Other than that the shell will most likely fit on the other 3 makers chassis no issue.

[@tracynation2820]

An excellent video. I still use an Athearn F-7A with rubber band drive, a later model with U-joints, real bearings on the shafts, and flywheels. It and the matching dummy B unit pull a seven car passenger express train and I have had no issues, other than the locomotives, even the B unit, are very high maintenance. I replaced the bands with stretchy drive belts, and the performance was much better. Hello from the Tracy Mountain Railway in Colorado. 💙 T.E.N.

[@tracynation2820]

Athearn Hustler. 💙 T.E.N.

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks for sharing Tracy - yeah overall the belt-driven aspect of this does seem to work quite well, I was reasonably impressed! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@tracynation2820]

P.S. The band drive works so well that at times I choose that locomotive for outside snowplow duty. Bonus, no gears to relubricate. 💙 T.E.N. Edit: But your railroad yard inside does need to be waterproof.

[@ashraaqwahab2817]

I have an old Athearn Hustler which is identical to this - I think the tooling is probably similar. Mechanism is the same. Only difference is, it's got a full metal chassis and the motor is not glued. It also needs some repairs, so I might consider getting one of these for the purpose of cannibalising to repair that one! Interesting that the shafts from the motor on this one are metal, while the Athearn one used plastic shafts (that subsequently snapped). Now there's an upgrade!

[@Alcofoamer]

Rubber band models like this and the American Athearn Hustler were pretty common back in the 50's. And to think if you lived in the GDR this is what you would have had. Yet today Piko has stepped up their game. I have the BR50 in G Scale, quite detailed for all plastic and features a 7 pole motor.

[@MrLosttheplot]

ive got one of these, its amazing value, and it runs well. ive detailed mine.

[@insertnamehere15]

You know that this is going to be an interesting loco when the couplings look similar to a certain rude hand sign.

[@robertmyers5269]

I see several other comments touching on this, but Here's my two cents. Athearn used to sell band drive locos. They date back to the late '50s and were called 'Hi-F', likely relating to the fact that 'Hi-Fi' was the pinnacle of tech in the day. There was the Hustler two axle switcher which cost $5 back when it came out. They did fit the drive to more standard locomotives. I had a Hi-F GP9 as the loco in a train set when I was a kid. The loco had a 'gearing' of around 4:1; the ratio of the drum to the drive shaft. As a result they had a top speed more like a slot car, and noting below about 20 mph scale. The shell of the Piko closely resembles, but is not a duplicate of the Hustler. I suspect a rework, or a clone of the original shell.

[@donaldduckith6792]

20:39 "Luckily, no one was hurt."

[@SamsTrains]

haha! ;D

[@Uptownloki47]

Athearn used to make band drive locomotives back in the 1950s. If you get good bands they're surprisingly good runners as they have 5-pole motors.

[@SamsTrains]

Oh wow - 5 polers from the 50s?! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@muir8009]

@@SamsTrains Sam, remember gaiety had 7 pole motors and 40:1 gearing in the fifties and Boucher had 21 pole motors in the twenties. It's not so much an age thing but an availability thing

[@PhilBender612]

This thing reminds me of one of my first locomotives. The Athearn Hustler, a small industrial American switcher. Same looking chassis(although Atherns was metal), drive, and shell.

[@secondchancejunkyard7946]

The rubber band drive sounded familiar to me, of course I couldn't think of where I've seen it right off the bat. I've decided to look it up, and I've found the answer to my own question. There are four other brands that have made HO scale switchers similar to what you have here, but only Athearn's version has the rubber band drive. The four brands are: Athearn (as I've already said, it is the only version of the four that has the rubber band drive, and they named their version, "Hustler") Lionel (their version is named "Husky", and they had an O gauge version of it as well) Marx Model Power On the surface, Lionel's version is based on Athearn's, while Model Power's version is based on Marx. The point I'm trying to get to is, all of these, and your locomotive here, are based on industrial switch engines built by H.K. Porter Locomotive Works, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., and that the rubber band drive is an old concept that we've seen here in the U.S. I don't know how old, or new of a concept it is in Europe though.

[@muir8009]

Roco, lone star, Jouef, Bachmann. Probably more :)

[@jocking3]

I had the same exact loco in a kit back in the late '80s. Back then it was called "Piko Junior".

[@accintus_est_potentia]

One day we might see some more piko stuff... i would love it since i love piko...might even some more expensiv models, i really love them

[@ianturvey3894]

When I saw the mechanism and how the bands were driven by the motor spindle, it reminded me of the old Lone Star 000 electric trains. Those were about in the late1960’s. 000 gauge and scale, was basically N gauge. A very interesting piece Sam. Most entertaining. As you quite rightly say, you can’t fault it for young kids and making a start in the hobby. Check out Treble-0-Lectric by the manufacturer; Lone Star.

[@stashyjon]

Interesting find there Sam. done some digging and can't find any German loco that looks exactly like that, although the Kof series of shunters are sort of similar in layout. The belt drive is interesting, I know some very early 000 locos (now N gauge) used belt drives cos of space restrictions in the small body shells but not seen anything like that in a larger scale. Over all I thing thats quite a sweet little engine. Yup makes for a good toy or starter engine for a kiddie, but also looks like a great cheap base for some serious model bashing, you could have a field day on a couple of those. Glaze the cab, add detail, give it a nice paint job, and if you feeling very brave there looks to be room in the body shell for fitting a more traditional motor and drive line Nee to put new wheels and axles in it of course. Good content, and keep em coming PS it sort of reminds me of the old Triang dock shunters,

[@richardserridge2767]

Coupling to the coaches at a scale speed of about 70mph made me laugh 😂

[@SamsTrains]

haha glad you liked that, lol! ;D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@magform]

You will hear many stories about early HO locomotives. They used three pole motors almost exclusively and were not great slow speed operators, as you would expect. Also, rubber bands helped absorb the low speed shaky pulses of a three-pole motor. Athearn never offered "The Hustler" with geared drive. Geared drive locos were more expensive, so many an Athearn "rubber band" loco were purchased by cost conscious parents. Over fifty years later we know how this could have been a better loco, but this was an "entry level locomotive." I had one about fifty years ago, and found it to be a great base for "kitbashing." I added directional lighting, different horns and a bell, front railing, and an operator to the cab (cut down to fit). At one time a company named Grandt Line made a gearing kit for the Hustler, which gave a total gear reduction of about 80:1. Great memories now available from PIKO. May it inspire as many modelers as my original Hustler did. Still in the hobby after 55 years.

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks a lot for sharing Michael - I have loads of early models actually, but this is the first rubber-band based one I've ever come across... I quite like it though, does work very well! Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@magform]

@@SamsTrains Also, Athearn used their version of the cast split frame, which added some needed weight but necessitated use of insulated couplers, as they would short when coupling with a loco whose frame was oppositely charged. The standard coupler from the factory was the X2F, commonly known as the NMRA coupler, usually made of "Delrin" plastic. You may have experienced similar issues with split frame Bachmann locos.

[@TWIGYBNSF]

Hi Sam. Back in the early day of model railroading they're were company's for American models that diesels were rubber band powered. They were pretty fast and its the same concept on this model your sharing. I have a rubber band powered locomotive myself that was made in the 1950s or the 1960s.

[@thehazbinpilot]

Can you please do a review of a more advanced PIKO loco? I own quite a few of them and most of them are more up to your standarts :)

[@SamsTrains]

I'd really like to actually, people have been calling for it! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@agriben7591]

a rubber band driven moddel sam blimey this year is just getting more and more crazyer lol thx ben :)

[@jordanmartinez2045]

I love my Athearn Yellow box band drive locos. Of course mine are all old and fully molded die cast. But I converted them to dcc and they run great

[@PIKO_Aleksandr]

We call the rubber move. And so there is a number TGM60E.

[@ivovanzon164]

The model is based on the TGK2, a Soviet built industrial shunter. The chassis design is from the 60's and practically unchanged, the only change is the motor, with the glue filling the holes that were created by moving to a more rounded motor.. The reason why it is undergauged... it was designed to run on 380mm radius curves. If you want to test another belt drive machine, Rivarossi has the Henschel Wegmann train... there is a reason why there are so many drivetrain conversions for these

[@Cthulhu1970]

It may well be driven by rubber bands, but it's STILL a better runner than the Airfix "Scot", and Mainline "Jubilee" (split chassis). :D

[@federicocresci698]

PIKO is a major brand!!!

[@samuraifool912]

Thanx Sam you gave me my First Giggle of the Day..!! Like you say. It's a Good one for the Younger members of the Family that can be Allowed to play with without Dad ( or Mum even..!) Having a Stroke after something broke on their Expensive MODELS..!! "It should be Stamped on..!!" But one for the Kiddies..! Cheers kim in Oz. 😎

[@Zebrails]

28:31 Perfect. Timing. Novelty, quite splendid. Putting in dcc would be like air-conditioning a raft on the water... rediculous but it would work. It would be an upgrade... remember your installment of those cheap Chinese motors in your other locomotives? Yeah, just the opposite. You need a speed test with this and your propeller driven loco. John BC, Canada

[@diedertspijkerboer]

15:15 I'm used to seeing the hand if God in model railway vids, but not the face of God!

[@SamsTrains]

haha, you know you've just seen exactly that! ;) Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@teescottageguyproductions]

What a fun little thing!!! Also congratulations on 102K subscribers

[@SamsTrains]

Very much so - and thank you!! Can't believe it's still going up!! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)