Recommendations needed: Best operating accessories and cars

The 456 coal ramp paired with the 397 coal loader.

The culvert loader/unloader.

Barrel ramp & car.

Horse corral & car.

Sawmill.

Ice house / car loader.

Hi,

  I like the Hobo tower when you push the button a harmonica song comes on of Beautiful Dreamer, it also has campfire glow along with old water tower.  Also the American flyer oil can loader, push a button and watch the forklift guy fill up a gondola, with oil cans.  Also the American Flyer, Gabe the lamplighter.  Get the repro, original to expensive, where Gabe climbs the tower with the push of about 42 presses of the button until he gets to the top and lights the tower lights.  Another press of a different button brings him down, and then the press of 42 times to get him back up to shut off the lights.  Keeps a kid amused for a while?

Another fun one for kids is the 128 Automated Newstand. Push the button and watch the dog run around the hydrant.

Gabe the Lamplighter is new to me. Is the repro the MTH one? 

My grandson really enjoys the #164 log loader and #352 icing station, they both have push button operation and lots of action.

Paul

My favorite has always been the Oil Drum loader, originally AF but reproduced by Lionel later.

The operating 38 water tower with real water is one of my favorites. Finding an original is hard, but obtaining a more reliable modern reissue is pretty easy.

There's also the 497 coaling station, the 362 barrel loader, and the gantry cranes - I have a modern Erie Lackawanna version with can motors and magnet.

Little kids love the automatic gateman, especially when he is operated by a push button rather than a passing train.  I have the Sir Topham Hat version but any of the various iterations should do the trick.

Pete

There are not many post war accessories I don't like.   I too am on a mission to obtain as many as I can for my future post war layout.  Perhaps the cop and hobo changing places on the trestle is one I'll pass on.  But some that are appealing are the culvert loader/unloader, milk, cattle, log dump, ore dump, all of the log loaders, sawmills, gantry crane, gatemen, various signals.  The list is endless.  

I like the Mi-Jack container crane, but have heard it's a bit difficult to operate.  The rotary coal dumper is nice, but expensive.  Here are two photos of a layout I built in the '80s.  Unfortunately, I sold mostly everything when I moved on to large scale.  So now my mission, as I said is to recreate this layout.  

Le TGV posted:

Hi,

- "push this button...that happens." We have a dump car, PW milk car, a poultry sweeper, boxman, etc

What are some other cool operating accessories that my boy would like? 

My grand children like the Dumbo pylon, so do I :-)  the burning switch tower is another favorite.

For pure play value I have to put my money on any of the Operating Magnetic Cranes from pre-war to modern.  My Grand kid's love them.

Gang 50 car or PW 3360 Burro crane on a powered dead end siding.

Lots of good suggestions here.  I'll personally second the vote for the Barrel Loader.  Santa brought me one in 1953, and I played with it for many hours and many Christmases.  I still treasure it.

Down the road if he really gets into the trains and you decide to get involved with Legacy you might fine the Crane & Boom car a wonderful accessory. That is if he is able to get you away from operating it. Checkout the video.

I like the gantry crane a lot (magnetic, not claw type).  It is more than push and watch, it lets kids move the boom, run the line down / up, pick up and drop the "load".   2 of my 5 year old grandkids figured out how to use it in less than 10 minutes and they love it, usually spending probably 15 - 20 minutes on it.

Another is the sawmill - it can easily be set up in advance, starts off a pushbutton, runs for several minutes, makes some neat sounds, and, amazingly, "turns logs into boards".  5 year olds and 55 year olds really like it.

Another one is the track repair section (that you could put on a separately powered siding) where there are workers moving as they move rails and weld track. 

I also like considering some of the Miller Engineering signs that are flashy and build up to different levels with a product that a 5 year old might recognize or enjoy:  Life Savers and Cracker Jacks are 2 in particular that could be run with and on / off switch, they are colorful, fun to watch.

I am glad that your are enjoying your dad's trains with your son - it's quality time that will create memories forever for both of you.

Go for it.

Two of the most reliable accessories I operate are the American Flyer/Oil Drum Loader and the AF 787 Log Loader (which also works with a log dump car, so you can make "deliveries" before you load). 

Roger

While I am still mostly into large scale, I never forgot my "O" gauge Lionel roots. I've kit based a few LGB items in order to replicate some Lionel accessories.

First is a Playmobil tower crane. Originally it was controlled via Infra-red transmitter. But outdoors the Infra-Red signal is weak. So I rewired it. It still uses batteries but now I have a control box to operate it.

And a reefer being iced

How about a large scale milk car

My version of an aquarium car

And then there's the radio active waste car

How about a gantry crane

my personal favorite is the culvert loader and unloader. 

I think the log loaders and sawmill are the most trouble free. They are all fun.

Does the group have an opinion about legit vintage PW stuff vs the modern repros? I am thinking about usability / reliability not collector value.

I have had to temper my expectations around how stuff from 1952 worked vs today's products. Once I did that I started liking the quirkiness of the old stuff. That said, I grabbed a Lionchief+ Mikado Jr and it is so much more fun / usable, particularly for the boy

Le TGV posted:

Does the group have an opinion about legit vintage PW stuff vs the modern repros? I am thinking about usability / reliability not collector value.

I have had to temper my expectations around how stuff from 1952 worked vs today's products. Once I did that I started liking the quirkiness of the old stuff. That said, I grabbed a Lionchief+ Mikado Jr and it is so much more fun / usable, particularly for the boy

 

Interesting point.  I have a whole slew of Magnetic Cranes including a couple of modern reproductions and while the modern ones are quieter and smoother running I actually prefer the 182 Magnetic Crane from 1946 to 1949.  The sound of that good old grinding motor just seems more realistic to me.  Throw in the added treat of pungent ozone and it can't be beat.

A hit at our house is the 153 rocket launcher.  The grandson love the countdown clock ( good for teaching numbers) and then the flashing lights and the launch.  

I agree with Carl, #1 coal ramp and loader. Just the coal ramp is great. #2 Magnetic Crane.

Don

Dan, love your layout, had one much like it in the 80's. I also sold off most of my Lionel stuff when I went High Rail. Still have the coal ramp with extra car and a few other things. I always like the belt type log loader even though it didn't make sense. Why would you dump logs at one end and load them about a foot away. Don

CoulstonR posted:

my personal favorite is the culvert loader and unloader. 

Jim 1939 posted:

I think the log loaders and sawmill are the most trouble free. They are all fun.

The 342/345 set & 164/364 loaders are really the most reliable on my layout and can be operated remotely completely hands free. Most everything else needs tinkering with during operation and should be located within reach of the controls. This is important because there is not a half-operation that requires manual reloading, like the milk cars, the forklift loader, icing station, etc.

Oh, the 282/182 cranes work perfectly too.

The "sheriff and outlaw" is cool, and Lionel just cataloged a new one. The 97 coal elevator is cool, and the 264 forklift. signals bridges. The 175 rocket launch can be fun, but dangerous too, so your call on that one.

scale rail posted:

Dan, love your layout, had one much like it in the 80's. I also sold off most of my Lionel stuff when I went High Rail. Still have the coal ramp with extra car and a few other things. I always like the belt type log loader even though it didn't make sense. Why would you dump logs at one end and load them about a foot away. Don

Thanks.  I agree, some accessories like the belt type log loader kind of don't make sense, but what the heck, we just want action and noise.....LOL