I also had the Lionel tug but could never fit it in due to its size.
I found a plastic kit roughly HO size which served well on the old layout.
The uncertainty about the success of the rides goes back to my very early days in Astoria playing in the shadow of the Hellgate Bridge. I witnessed a tug lose power under the bridge during the worst tidal conditions and swirl around a bit in the infamous currents and whirlpools there.
Jim
