Lionel 84798 Hunting Rabbit Car-Problem, How does it work?

Looks like the pawl popped out.  This should help....

Here are some photos of mine that is working OK. Hard to see in photos.

These pictures show the piece that popped out on yours.

Thanks Train Nut and Chris.  I still don't see how this mechanism turns the center wheel, but, I will try to assemble it as your pics show.

Okay, worked on it.  The problem with mine, is that piece that is pegged inside of the piece holding Bugs.  Elmer has his own peg on the opposite side.  That flange in Chris's first and fourth pics in his first post looks like the part with the extension running down is alternately pushed by the plastic bob on the axle.  Is that what you are seeing?  Is that what drives the center wheel?

There is a plastic cam on one of the truck wheels that you can see in your and his photo. That pushes the lever up and down which in turn moves the cog on the wheel much like a clock mechanism...

Okay.  By following all your pics, I have figured out how the mechanism works.  The bob on the axle, bumps #1 in Train Nut's list.  That causes #9 in the list to catch the center wheel and move it one notch.  Mine is not doing that.  Must be that the bob is spinning.  I will try some superglue on it.  If that doesn't work....

I'll be back (I know, I've been quoted by so many).

Jerry

Success.  The cam was okay.  Some slight bending of the #1 part allowed the pawl (?) to catch the center wheel. 

Thank you gentlemen.  No way I would have figured it out this quickly, without your help.  This forum is simply the best. 

Jerry

Great news! Glad you got it working! 👍

Great!!  Now go catch some wabbit!!

Haha.  You guys are almost as cool as the Bugs and Elmer car!  This thing is EXTREMELY cool.

Seriously, It ain't much of a car, but, the animation is great!  If you don't love Bugs Bunny, there's something wrong with you!!!  Next year, it should be Wily Coyote and the Roadrunner.  Hope Lionel is listening.

Thanks again, guys.

Jerry

That's the old sheriff and outlaw mechanism from post war. One of the greatest designs ever. Now that you've got it working, it should be flawless.

#1 rocker rides the underside/side of the cam ("center wheel") like on Cris's. If you bend things in can "sort of" work, but won't be right, might stop, etc... (my brother did it to one)

I mention it because your first pic shows #1 riding the top of the cam. 

A pawl IS the one that grabs the teeth. (same on an old e unit drum, different pawl design attacted to a solonoid's ram)

Thanks Elliot and Adriatic.

Yep, I took the whole mechanism apart twice to figure out how it works.  That #1 part was a major pain to put back inside of the arm for Bugs.  It also has a flange to keep it from dropping too low.  Also, the arm for the cam would stay on top instead of underneath.  Even when I finally got it right, it still needed a tiny bend to ensure the pawl would advance enough to catch the next tooth.

Jerry