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 Posted - October 07 2008 : 8:26:32 PM
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Just got one of these in a mint unopened package... and the conveyor belt was STILL dry-rotted and shot to heck. Useless.  Absolutely not the seller's fault, and no way to know without unwrapping the box. Interestingly enough, it had even partially "dissolved" away at the factory splice.
So now I am duly confused. I have seen similar complaints here, but I always understood this issue to affect opened/used examples more often. So I thought buying MIB (factory shrink wrapped) would be the way to assure getting a good one, but that didn't work out. 
I have bought two used ones... one pretty much "opened" but otherwise MIB and it was perfect. The other was also near-MIB like the other... but shot.
So... be warned... it seems these are a crapshoot at best. And I really have no idea where to get a replacement belt, even just one that would be functional if not identical. Closest thing I can think of would be toy battletank treads but good luck finding a perfect match.
Too bad because this is a really neat accessory... easily automated with a motor, and especially loved by kids regardless. 
Edited by - GoingInCirclez on October 07 2008 8:27:25 PM
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 Posted - October 07 2008 : 9:38:38 PM
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Sorry to hear that. Mine was mint in box with a flawless belt---but---the drive gears were split. I worked in some gears from an Athearn loco that did just fine. A belt's going to be a mean trick.
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Posted - October 08 2008 : 1:14:42 PM
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After reading your post I opened my grain and my gravel conveyor from new. I too have a belt that is destroyed. At least I have one good to use, but very disapointed because I have 'y' switch that I planed to use with two conveyor setups.
Was this item also produced by IHC, Life-Like, AHM, or others?
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Posted - October 08 2008 : 1:39:15 PM
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Ebay has several listed, new and opened items.
$25 or less
I'm thinking of giving my good one a shot of WD40 or some Armorall.
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 Posted - October 08 2008 : 9:38:01 PM
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This may be a crap shoot to find...
Tonka tracked bull-dozer tread/track... will need trimming.
Nighlight also made "tracked" earth movers.
John
I don't have a one track mind. It depends on the turn-out.
"I love your catenary!"
Is that a power-trip or just another pick-up line?
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Posted - October 08 2008 : 10:46:58 PM
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How about a repro belt from a Lionel 397 coal loader ?
Heres a example of one on a unit....
auction # 350105673455
Repros used to be 10 bucks years ago for the belt.
I do not know now I have not bought one in like 20 years.
You would have cut it shorter though and figure a way to splice it.
BT
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Posted - October 08 2008 : 11:35:30 PM
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| Hmm.... those could work, I will have to keep my eyes open. And to think I always pass by the Lionel parts booths at train shows. The Tonka treads are kind of what I was picturing in my head though. But I'm not likely to come across either for a while.
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 Posted - November 26 2008 : 1:22:15 PM
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The suggestion about the Lionel repro belts got me thinking. I never knew Lionel made such a thing but my friendly neighborhood Haunt proprietor specializes in that stuff; ask and ye shall receive! He gave me a spare repro belt he had lying around for nothing, just to try out...
...and it works! As follows:
The Lionel belt is too wide by about 1/8", so it needs to be trimmed; getting this nice and straight is kinda hard due to its thickness and flexibility. So I eneded up making mine a shave too narrow in spots, but still large enough to handle the stock load bits ("gravel" "gold" or "feed").
Lengthwise, it's a tight fit... you sort of have to stretch it out a tad. But this is a good thing as it keeps operational friction it needs in order to work. The rubber is stretched but not strained so it seems like it should last for a while.
The ribs are set at about the same angle, but not as tall as the Tyco OEM. And the belt itself is orange instead of black. So this could never be used to make a MIB repair. However, it should work OK. I haven't actually tried one loaded yet. But the belt runs like it should.
I have no idea what this replacement Lionel part # is, or who makes it, or what it would cost. But they are out there, so keep a look out.
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Posted - November 26 2008 : 5:01:07 PM
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Im shocked that the length is not to long...much less tight.
The 397 is a messy/noisy accessory but people like them and in Lionel postwar it is a cheap way to get into older accessories .
When I had a postwar layout I used it in conjunction with a postwar
unloading ramp.
BT
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Posted - January 02 2009 : 7:21:08 PM
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Finally, some visual aids to this hack:
The black belt is the original Tyco one; the orange is the replacement for Lionel loaders. In the foreground is the roughly 1/4" strip I had to trim for width. You can compare the profile to the Tyco version and see while not an exact match, they are close enough to be functional. As the second, top-down view shows, it DOES fit.
I hope this helps anyone trying to fix this nifty accessory.
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Posted - January 02 2009 : 8:52:48 PM
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| Nice...how'd you carve it so cleanly?
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Posted - January 02 2009 : 9:11:05 PM
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Actually, it's not very clean at all  but it does the job. I just used a pair of scissors; not really sure what else would be practical as the odd-shaped rubbery belt is awkward to handle while cutting.
To be honest, I wasn't really expecting it to work (thought it would be too short), and since the Lionel belt was a test freebie, I wasn't as careful with the trimming as I might have otherwise been. I just wanted to narrow it down quickly so I could stretch it over although I expected it to break. Which of course it didn't! So I'm glad I got away with it 
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Posted - April 05 2009 : 1:30:36 PM
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Glad you mentioned this dilema! I might be buying a MIB Clementine mine kit here soon.Say, where can I get the Lionel belts?
" Heck with counting 'em rivets, TRAINS ARE FOR FUN! Not called the Mad Scientist for nothing either!"
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