Post 51 1/17/2018 (revised 12-30-2023)
Common Trains Run on the Layout – Space and Missile Trains and Cars
Well it has been 16 degrees at night and below freezing all day here in south Louisiana so it is time to hit the OGR forum and make a post. We had a 1/2 inch of snow or sleet and with these kind of temps here all the interstates and bridges freeze up with no equipment to salt or sand. The whole south is home bound.
In the early 2000s I got interested in the late 1950s issued missile cars and trains after turning my nose up to them for years. Most are fun but sometimes frustrating cars to operate. But they sure look good and colorful.
My favorite is the Lionel reissued 19824 Target car that really works and will suspend a balloon target above the car and follow the car around the layout. The Target Launcher car would suspend the balloon and the suspended balloon would follow the car, being pulled by a loco slowly around the layout using Bernoulli's Principle. How about that! This works best on a loop of track but should not have tunnels, bridges or signal bridges that would interfere with the balloon hovering above the car.
Thus, the challenge of the pairing the Target Launcher balloon car and the Lionel 6650 IRBM Rocket Launching Car (mentioned here later on) would be to have the moving Target Launcher balloon car, with suspended balloon, drive by on another track to let the missile car and operator try to hit the moving target balloon. Much more fun.
I love that it runs off of track power and not heavy, leaky D batteries like the original Lionel car. My problem is my layout track now has no loop that does not have an overhead bridge structures or goes through a tunnel.
I have several cars that shoot missiles or rockets. The missiles do not fire very well with the spring powered propulsion and the missiles and rockets are poor fliers. Some of my missiles are homemade and that may be the biggest problem.
One is the Lionel 3665 Minuteman Missile Launcher Car. Mine is missing one of the top doors. 
Another is the Lionel 6650 IRBM Rocket Launching Car. 
I have a Lionel 3519 Satellite Launcher Remote Control car. 
I also have a Lionel 6544 Missile Firing Car. 
I picked up a Lionel 3349 Turbo Missile Launching Car. 
The Lionel 6470 Explosive box car and a Lionel 6448 Target Car are the same. They are very sensitive and use a spring mouse trap mechanism. They are hard to assembly and often destroy themselves while going around the layout. They also often will not explode when it by a missile. But when they do explode, they are worth the trouble.
I have the Lionel 44 US Army Mobile Missile launching engine that works well and will pull several missile cars. It gives a train with the Lionel 6544 Missile Firing Car extra fire power to try to hit an exploding boxcar. The picture shows the #44 coming out from hiding from enemy missiles in a tunnel .
Charlie
