All those cool Lionel accessories from the early 2000's....

Ditto 

Maybe construction costs were too prohibitive? You can still obtain the old accessories on the secondary market.

I agree there were some really unique items. off the top of my head:

Light House

Tugboat

Dinoasour Gas Station

Hinderburger Cafe

UFO Cafe

BTW, equally interesting from that era was the MTH Gas Station, Firehouse, Drive-In and Car Wash. When working, I think these are really fun accessories that add to a layout.

What else is considered from that era?

Charlie

And should they decide to re-issue them how about upgrading the plastic gears to metal for some longevity this time...., heck even throw in some oillite bearings for the gear-shafts to run in.

The can motor replacements were a good idea to quiet things down, but then the plastic gears dried out/shriveled and failed thus bringing an early death to some neat accessories.

Charlie posted:

I agree there were some really unique items. off the top of my head:

Light House

Tugboat

Dinoasour Gas Station

Hinderburger Cafe

UFO Cafe

BTW, equally interesting from that era was the MTH Gas Station, Firehouse, Drive-In and Car Wash. When working, I think these are really fun accessories that add to a layout.

What else is considered from that era?

 

Charlie

Ford Car Dealership

Aquarium

Haunted House

Firehouse

Train Orders Building

Swing Bridge

Mi Jak (From the late 90s)

Choo Choo Barn replicas 

The model train market is basically a fixed audience.  I would imagine that most people who wanted an operating accessory has already purchased one. Even if you wanted to buy an accessory today there is no shortage on the used or secondary market.

IMO, they should have a constant supply of new accessories available for those new to or rejoining the hobby. It does seem like there has been a better selection the last few years. Lionel has offered some nice command control accessories and MTH has usually had a few items as well. Maybe they could just reduce the long gaps between production runs? Not to mention the wait time after ordering something that has been offered.

The Mi-Jack is the most sought after accessory that Lionel fans want redesigned and redone. I believe the Lionel team tried to get their Chinese manufacturers to build it but the manufacturers staited it's too complicated and the price would have been in the Stratosphere!

Going only from memory, I thought that the Rotary Coal Tipple was the accessory that was going to be too expensive to remake... could be wrong, but I am pretty sure Mike Reagan mentioned that on one of the Notch 6 Pod casts.

Regardless, not all of the accessories turn up often on the bay and when they do, they are usually very much over the initial retail price. 

I guess the question we should be answering for Lionel (to make this thread of any use) is to site a few pieces and price points so that Lionel (and MTH) can get an idea of what might be doable in the future.

Me, I'm looking for Route 66ish accessories (think Hindenburger and UFO cafe) things that add color and lights with a little movement. 200.00 would be my upper limit.

As for scale items, I'd like to think that a redesigned Mi-Jack would be sought after with all the recent container manufacturing. I'm guessing that to do it correctly the MSRP would be in the 600.00 range. Not cheap, but seeing static bridges are approaching several hundred dollars, I think an accessory with the complex of a Mi-Jack type of loader would realistically hit the 600.00 list price.

Charlie

Actually Charlie, the price for the heljian ho container crane was in the $800.00 range. It sold out within months... And that's H.O.! Imagine O scale!

I miss all the hobo accessories. Especially the water tower that played music. 

I would love to see a better engineered and reliable Mi Jack & Rotary Coal tipple.  Both had so much promise, but ultimately let me down in there performance.  I've owned 2 separate of both items hoping the 2nd one would be better in my earlier hobby years to no avail.

Jim

D&H 65 posted:

And should they decide to re-issue them how about upgrading the plastic gears to metal for some longevity this time...., heck even throw in some oillite bearings for the gear-shafts to run in.

The can motor replacements were a good idea to quiet things down, but then the plastic gears dried out/shriveled and failed thus bringing an early death to some neat accessories.

Yes I had many come in for repair.... to find out lionel didn't make the parts anymore.  I remember jb welding gears together lol lol

Sign me up for the U.F.O. cafe 

Route 66 Dino Cafe!

Scale Wig Wag signals!

And bring back those Industrial smoking smoke stacks with blinking lights!!!

Train Nut posted:

Route 66 Dino Cafe!

I have both the Hindenburger and UFO Cafe.  Never desired the Dino thing.

Agree with others. Really wish Lionel would issue/re-issue some cool operating accessories.

Speaking of which, I have the modern remake (circa 2000's) of the 175 Rocket Launcher on the way. I'm really excited about this as it's always been one of those classic Lionel items that I never owned.

johnstrains posted:

Agree with others. Really wish Lionel would issue/re-issue some cool operating accessories.

Speaking of which, I have the modern remake (circa 2000's) of the 175 Rocket Launcher on the way. I'm really excited about this as it's always been one of those classic Lionel items that I never owned.

Let us know how it works. I've got one I bought last winter still brand new in the box. Currently living in an apartment till we find a house and I can finally set all my stuff up again.

Will do.

I have a PW-style layout and was really conflicted about picking up an original versus going with a remake. In the end, they're pretty much the same and function alike. And I got a good deal on one of the newer versions.