I would like to be able to do in O scale Lionel tinplate what I do at an HO model railroad club - simulate railroad operations with industrial switching, a classification yard and connections to through freights. The big obstacle is mechanical.
With Lionel prewar or postwar, it is difficult to get the accurate speed control needed for switching. Uncoupling is another problem. Think about using a 622 or a 1656 to place a car on a siding with a precision of 1-2 inches. Then reach out and uncouple the car without having to get your fingers in a very awkward position to get at the couplers. With scale HO, O or G, I can use a pointed stick on the Kadee couplers. We tinplaters can't have a UCS at every siding.
Just backing a train into a siding, uncoupling on a UCS or RCS and gently coupling to another train is challenging enough.
I suppose this is one of the reasons I get more pleasure from cleaning, repairing and restoring old Lionel trains than I do from running them as I get little pleasure from watching trains run around loops.
Malcolm Laughlin
