Hokie,
I recently bought the second motor that you show in your pictures. I am using it on my model hangman's scaffold, to pull the victim up and down when a train goes by. (I use 6 volt dc motion detectors, that are made for installing on windows to trigger an alarm if someone moves them.)
Having had not any experience with these cheap little motors, I just wonder how long they will last. It will be a total pain and failure if they just burn out from occasional use 6 months from now.
I guess we will both find out!
(Go Cavaliers!)
Mannyrock