Walthers HO scale Hulett unloader

This strange looking machine is a model of a Hulett unloader that transferred iron ore from ore boats to railroad cars. Invented in 1899, these machines were a common sight in ports throughout the southern Great Lakes. Huletts were normally built in pairs that worked together to unload a single boat.

Each machine was custom-built, but they share a common design that Walthers has captured in this interesting model. The Huletts came in a variety of sizes, and this is one of the more compact units.

Four tracks fit underneath, but the clearances are close. In its standby position, with the bucket sitting on the ore hopper, the model is an impressive scale 125 feet long, 34 feet wide, and 85 feet tall.

A different breed. Opening the box revealed a pile of 17 sprues of strange-shaped parts. A well-illustrated 12-page instruction booklet is included, and everything is number coded.

Assembly goes well, but keep the instructions handy and leave the parts on the sprues until they’re needed. I used a hobby knife, sprue cutters, a small flat file, and liquid plastic cement to build the kit.

The kit is divided into two large subassemblies starting with the base, which is like building a girder bridge that moves. It’s supported by four huge eight-wheel trucks that allow the Hulett to move sideways along the dock on four rails (not included). This base spans four tracks where hoppers are loaded beneath the machine. A moveable ore receiving hopper and scale sits on the top level of the bridge, while a larry car on the lower level transfers the inbound ore into the hopper cars underneath.

The second subassembly is the main carriage that rides on top of the base, and it can be moved to position the bucket. A massive walking beam tips back and forth to raise and lower the bucket leg. One operator controls the machine from a small cab built into the leg just above the bucket, and a stabil-izing arm keeps the leg vertical. If you’re careful with the cement, the completed bucket can be opened and closed and the leg will rotate.

The kit is cleanly molded in dark gray styrene. However, I plan to paint it grayish-black and add a patina of rust and iron ore dust.

Overall, I spent about 21 hours building the Hulett. It was a challenging project, but great fun.

For modelers, the next challenge will be figuring out how to animate one of these mechanical monsters.

Get instant access to more than 725 product reviews and videos. Subscribe to Model Railroader today!

HO scale Hulett unloader
Price: $169.98

Manufacturer:
Wm. K. Walthers Inc.
P.O. Box 3039
Milwaukee, WI 53201
www.walthers.com

Era: 1900 to 1990s

See a video of real Hulett unloaders in action below.