Do You Have an Operating Accessory Based Layout ?

Lots of operating accessories, green carpet on the layout top and tons of fun!!  Thats the only reason im into O gauge. 

Otherwise id be into HO.

I gave up on my accessories for my current layout. I still own all of them, and miss them once in a while. But with all the switching possibilities, I don't get bored. I would say, if you're entertaining grandkids, you have to keep them. I'm not in that situation (yet).

On the other hand, the kids who have visited my layout over the years don't seem to miss the accessories. That's probably due to the overwhelming size of the layout, especially for small eyes. They love chasing the train, and the camera system that I use to monitor the hidden areas of the layout. It's a little different take on things..

I had American Flyer S-Gauge as a kid.  Then, went to HO.  And when we had our first (small) apartment, I ran some N-Gauge.

36 years ago: I wanted to get back into trains and was trying to decide if I would go AF S-Gauge or Lionel O-Gauge.  I absolutely loved the Flyer choo choo sound and that was heavy on my mind.  I loved the operating accessories and decided that I liked Lionel's more, plus they had more of them.  That was the primary deciding factor for me.  

Year after year after year I went to York (for 10 years) hoping to find the one or two operating accessories I wanted next at a reasonable price.  I left York every October very happy.  I have more favorites on my shelves and under the layout because I just don't have any layout space to put them.  I do have a few MPC era Lionel/Flyer acessories.  

Yes. Those older accessories can be very finicky (even frustrating).  However, I spent a great deal of time on (almost) every one of them and was able to get every single accessory operating they way it should.   

The operating accessories, running the train through switches, and running it "at nighttime" are my favorite things about my layout.  

Dan,

Have you considered modeling one of the Lionel Dealer Display Layouts? They were designed specifically to exhibit the operating accessories, lights, signals, and structures by maximizing the available space. Usually 4x8, 5x9, some a little bigger. Two or three trains running at once.

The nice thing is you can start with one of the basic designs and tweak it to your own liking.

Can be great for kids.

I am singing Dan's tune but I am not quite up to the quality level of Rick's layout / video.  Limited space for switching but I try to do tasks like load logs/ coal at one spot and deliver them to another, unload / load trailers and containers, etc.  I guess this might be operations instead of switching?  Anyway, I am tempted to try to build some structures- looks like fun to weather, etc.  My problem is I need to borrow some square footage from Big Boy. 

The items I have are pretty reliable but as Rosanne Roseannadanna said   

Great looking layouts, Rick and Hokie!

My layout is 4 X 12, and covered with Postwar accessories and operating cars. Green indoor/outdoor carpet with some grey paint for track ballast, and beige for roads - just like a Postwar display. 

Am I happy with it? You betcha! 

And it only took 66 years to build 

johnstrains posted:

Dan,

Have you considered modeling one of the Lionel Dealer Display Layouts? They were designed specifically to exhibit the operating accessories, lights, signals, and structures by maximizing the available space. Usually 4x8, 5x9, some a little bigger. Two or three trains running at once.

The nice thing is you can start with one of the basic designs and tweak it to your own liking.

Can be great for kids.

Hi John, your layout looks great.  Did you use an off white/cream/almond color for the roadbed?  I think I finally decided that I am going to pull up my track so I can paint the road bed to get more of the dealer display look.  Seemed like some had gray and some had white or off white.  Just curious if remember the specific color that you went with.

My layout is definitely accessory based and very loosely based on dealer display type layouts.  It's a work in progress...after moving I haven't had as much time as I had hoped to get all the accessories up and running.  

JD2035RR posted:

johnstrains posted:

Dan,

Have you considered modeling one of the Lionel Dealer Display Layouts? They were designed specifically to exhibit the operating accessories, lights, signals, and structures by maximizing the available space. Usually 4x8, 5x9, some a little bigger. Two or three trains running at once.

The nice thing is you can start with one of the basic designs and tweak it to your own liking.

Can be great for kids.

Hi John, your layout looks great.  Did you use an off white/cream/almond color for the roadbed?  I think I finally decided that I am going to pull up my track so I can paint the road bed to get more of the dealer display look.  Seemed like some had gray and some had white or off white.  Just curious if remember the specific color that you went with.

 

My layout is definitely accessory based and very loosely based on dealer display type layouts.  It's a work in progress...after moving I haven't had as much time as I had hoped to get all the accessories up and running.  

JD,

Yes, exactly. It's an off-white. I'm pretty sure it's a Behr color from Home Depot so easy to find. Let me check my color chart at home later and I'll post it here.

Funny you should ask because I really played around with this. I started with one that was too white and then kept trying different shades until I got the one I liked. I have seen the Lionel displays with gray, too. But I like something lighter.

Your layout looks great. Has the "Lionel look."

From another thread.  I built this 16 x 16 layout with the Grandkids in mind.  Can operate four trains at once from 031 to 072.  Two main reverse loops.  All switches are command controlled.  All Lionel operating accessories are located on the outside and are push button controlled (as opposed to CC).  Conventional, TMCC, Legacy, Lion Chief all operate fine on it.  They've had a ball running trains, loading, unloading, etc.

I love all of those!  Nice guys!

Johnsgg1 posted:

From another thread.  I built this 16 x 16 layout with the Grandkids in mind.  Can operate four trains at once from 031 to 072.  Two main reverse loops.  All switches are command controlled.  All Lionel operating accessories are located on the outside and are push button controlled (as opposed to CC).  Conventional, TMCC, Legacy, Lion Chief all operate fine on it.  They've had a ball running trains, loading, unloading, etc.

This is my style layout. Really nice

Johnsgg1 posted:

From another thread. 

Beautiful layout! The long section of track to the left looks almost like T rail.

I have the following operating accessories on my layout;

Scratch built Operating Turntable

Coal Mine loading station, Scratch built & kit bashed Bach. 1975 coal tower, w/solenoid triggered gate,

Milk Platform Lionel 3562

Cattle pen Lionel 3656, Cattle car will unload cattle back to cattle pen

Gantry Crane Lionel 12834 installed with tracks for gantry

Log Lumber loader, 6-12774,a Cheap Lionel - Homemade solenoid automated loader will load coal dumping car and dump logs on to Saw Mill

Saw Mill Lionel 464, rebuilt needing several new parts, coal dumping car will unload logs onto Saw mill

Barrel Loader, Lionel 362, homemade base, Barrel car will unload barrels to Barrel Loader

Oil Drum Loader, Am Flyer 379

Ice car Loader Lionel 352

Control tower Lionel 192 made from some parts

Oprn. Switch Tower  Lionel 445

Gate man Lionel 145

Micro wave tower Lionel 199

Rotary beacon tower Lionel 494

I never have considered the layout operating based but I guess it is.  I always refer to the layout as a switching operating layout with 27 switches and a turntable and round house.  I love switching and accessories both.

Charlie

Great layouts, super thread and I hope many pictures get posted.

Operating accessory-based layout? Of course! What other kind is there in O-Gauge?

I run scale trains but I maintained many of my post war and modern era accessories like the new self propelled Gantry crane,gantry crane with bucket,464 log loader,97 cool loader,362 Barrel loader,342&345 culvert loader Set,282 gantry crane,diesel fueling station,334 operating bill board,post war log loader,38 operating water tower,American Flyer operating water Tower,Flyer Oil Drum Loader,Mels Drivein,Union 76 Gas Station,MTH operating fueling station,MTH operating oil tank,operating icing station and many more.

Mikey

97 Coal elevator ( kit-bashed ) 153 Block Signal, 154 Highway Signal, 252 Crossing Gate, 394 Rotary Beacon, 455 Oil Derrick

364 Conveyor Log Loader,  3472 Milk Car with Platform

Steve

Balidas: That track with the close ties is a K-Line 36" straight. They also made 042 with close ties as well. If you're looking for 031 with close ties, Williams makes them. These are all what I built my layout from (4X12). I like that Prewar 072 look as well.

While I own every P/W operating accessory that Lionel ever made, my layout only has three on it at the present time, (milk car , the two switching towers), and the MTH coaling tower.  and the toy li Accessories are usually very large and the toy like look are limiting factors. What the layout does have are many operating scale size grade crossings and block signals.

Dan, I run traditional post war size trains and have a few operating accessories but don't use them as such. I have a Lionel sawmill, MTH water tower, operating gateman, operating freight platform, operating merchandise car, a K-Line operating milk car and platform. None of them are wired for operation. They are just scenery. I have an MTH block signal with an ITAD and crossing gates with an ITAD that are my only operating accessories. I found that the operating accessories don't work as advertised. I loved them at first as a kid but quickly tired of them even then. I grew to dislike the noise and unreliable operation. I enjoy running 3 trains, watching them run through the different scenes on my layout, and I especially love all the lights when running trains in the dark. I hope this helps you decide what to do with your layout. In the end, you have to be happy with your layout and yours is the only opinion which really counts.

Country Joe posted:

Dan, I run traditional post war size trains and have a few operating accessories but don't use them as such. I have a Lionel sawmill, MTH water tower, operating gateman, operating freight platform, operating merchandise car, a K-Line operating milk car and platform. None of them are wired for operation. They are just scenery. I have an MTH block signal with an ITAD and crossing gates with an ITAD that are my only operating accessories. I found that the operating accessories don't work as advertised. I loved them at first as a kid but quickly tired of them even then. I grew to dislike the noise and unreliable operation. I enjoy running 3 trains, watching them run through the different scenes on my layout, and I especially love all the lights when running trains in the dark. I hope this helps you decide what to do with your layout. In the end, you have to be happy with your layout and yours is the only opinion which really counts.

Nice layout, Joe.  As you say, I am the only one whose opinion matters when it comes to my layout.  If I ever get to have enough space to build a decent sized layout, I may decide to place the operating accessories in one area.  The rest of the layout could be trains running the way you describe.  

In the past I have built automated layouts.  They are alot of fun.  Trains controlling trains via insulated sections of track.  No fancy electronics need apply.  

However, there is something about the accessories that keeps calling me back to them.  

I would consider my layout a toy layout.  I want to downsize once my children are out of college, so I never invested the time and money into a large amount of scenery.    I love the operating accessories, but I do like to run modern trains.   Thus, I try to have operating accessories that mix well with modern trains.   I do have a few places on the back of the layout where I hid a couple of the older accessories that we like.   I have wile e coyote on the backside of the layout because my wife and kids love it.  I also have the maiden rescue station, but gave it a little bit of a twist for my superhero-loving children, see below!

The other operating accessories I have are the MTH firehouse, Lionel burning switch tower and operating McDonalds.   I want to replace the pumper in the firehouse with a modern piece of fire-rescue apparatus.

I've always liked the toy amusement park rides, so last year I built a small 4x8 amusement park off to the side of my layout.  They aren't really operating, but I like them.   I recently replaced the steam engine in the video with a Bachmann bluetooth steam engine.

Dan.....I love operating accessories....

Old Layout 1993-2003....

Peter

Took some shots of the layout that got started in 2011....6x16 (rather than 14x26 one noted above which was in an attic)....... this tine, it's HiRail with operating accessories.

Peter

Operating accessory based layout all the way.  When I first began designing my layout 42 years ago I was determined to include as many operating Lionel accessories as I could.  My layout is 8x20 and there are accessories all over the place.  To this day I still love playing with them.  My favorites are the Magnetic Gantry Cranes, 165 and 182, and the culvert unloader and loader.    Of course I love the operating gateman and have three of them strategically located on my layout.  I'm not going to make a list here but I got a bunch of Lionel accessories.  Shown below is the freight yard segment of my layout which is chock full of working Lionel accessories.

My layout is loaded with operating accessories. One of these is an operating passenger station I built that uses a smart proximity sensor like the ones used in self driving cars. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8NJN1vCfCU

BOB WALKER posted:

My layout is loaded with operating accessories. One of these is an operating passenger station I built that uses a smart proximity sensor like the ones used in self driving cars. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8NJN1vCfCU

Nicely done.  I have to ask, where do the passengers go ?   

If like the mth version, they flip up under the roof. Although, we might be dealing with a David Copperfield illusion?

Dan, they got on the train.

Steve

Panther97 posted:

I would consider my layout a toy layout.  I want to downsize once my children are out of college, so I never invested the time and money into a large amount of scenery.    I love the operating accessories, but I do like to run modern trains.   Thus, I try to have operating accessories that mix well with modern trains.   I do have a few places on the back of the layout where I hid a couple of the older accessories that we like.   I have wile e coyote on the backside of the layout because my wife and kids love it.  I also have the maiden rescue station, but gave it a little bit of a twist for my superhero-loving children, see below!

 

The other operating accessories I have are the MTH firehouse, Lionel burning switch tower and operating McDonalds.   I want to replace the pumper in the firehouse with a modern piece of fire-rescue apparatus.

I've always liked the toy amusement park rides, so last year I built a small 4x8 amusement park off to the side of my layout.  They aren't really operating, but I like them.   I recently replaced the steam engine in the video with a Bachmann bluetooth steam engine.

Very impressive amusement park addition! The Comet roller coaster is the best. My retirement plan is a HO scale amusement park,but now I am thinking it can be done well in O scale. 

Eighteen operating accessories on my train layout. I doubt I would have been a model train fan for this many years if it wasn't for Lionel's many clever animations that they made over the years. 

BOB WALKER posted:

My layout is loaded with operating accessories. One of these is an operating passenger station I built that uses a smart proximity sensor like the ones used in self driving cars. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8NJN1vCfCU

Well done!

Peter

Dan986 posted:

Eighteen operating accessories on my train layout. I doubt I would have been a model train fan for this many years if it wasn't for Lionel's many clever animations that they made over the years. 

Beautiful layout. Love the backdrop. 

I built three operating accessories using the smart detector, an operating freight loading platform and a diesel refueling station in addition to the passenger terminal.

Dan986 posted:

 

Very impressive amusement park addition! The Comet roller coaster is the best. My retirement plan is a HO scale amusement park,but now I am thinking it can be done well in O scale. 

Thanks, Dan.  I really like the Lemax rides, but they are larger than O-scale.  I had another swing ride in the park with the Lemax figures removed, but the motor burnt out.  I haven't removed the figures from the new rides.  With that said, I've had really good look with the rides to date.  I've only had an issue with the one swing ride, and I've had some of these rides for 3 or 4 years.   And you are correct, the coaster is awesome!   

I really like the HO amusement park rides.  I've seen a Faller free fall ride that I've contemplated adding to this park.    I'm not sure how it would look as I've never seen one in person.  It may look fine if I tuck it back in the corner.   

Accessories a must as I never had any as a child.  Years ago I made a PW type layout with several working accessories. Only currently available historic crummy photos as follows. This layout and all the trains were sold in 2006 to a friend of mine who said he had to have it all! OK. What was I thinking?

Missing them so much I started over again.

As some may know, Currently rebuilding this layout plan somewhat modified, with MTH coal loader, postwar Lionel gantry crane, PW Lionel oil derrick, PW Lionel radar tower, several PW Lionel and Marx lighted towers, and Marx bubble tower, and Marx 2940 switchman's towers, PW Lionel milk car, crossing cates and flashing cross signals, going to fill up the new modified layout again with overhead catenary power source which I consider an operating accessory as well. Will post new photos when up. 

I miss my Lionel lumber loader forklift guy...may ask to buy it back as it sits in a box in a dust pile at my friends house. I will have to make trades of some kind for it!  I recently fixed his MTH gabe the lamp lighter and MTH log conveyer loader. 

I may need to try and get those again somewhere else as well!

thanks for all the cool accessory photos everyone?

I had operating accessories once -- back in the Seventies, when I had more room and a large Super-O layout.  These days, I just don't have the space.  The only "operating accessories" I have are a Marx Bubbling Water Tower (to which I added an Evan Designs flashing red LED) and a Lionel #494 Beacon.

Leroof posted:

Accessories a must as I never had any as a child.  Years ago I made a PW type layout with several working accessories. Only currently available historic crummy photos as follows. This layout and all the trains were sold in 2006 to a friend of mine who said he had to have it all! OK. What was I thinking?

Missing them so much I started over again.

As some may know, Currently rebuilding this layout plan somewhat modified, with MTH coal loader, postwar Lionel gantry crane, PW Lionel oil derrick, PW Lionel radar tower, several PW Lionel and Marx lighted towers, and Marx bubble tower, and Marx 2940 switchman's towers, PW Lionel milk car, crossing cates and flashing cross signals, going to fill up the new modified layout again with overhead catenary power source which I consider an operating accessory as well. Will post new photos when up. 

I miss my Lionel lumber loader forklift guy...may ask to buy it back as it sits in a box in a dust pile at my friends house. I will have to make trades of some kind for it!  I recently fixed his MTH gabe the lamp lighter and MTH log conveyer loader. 

I may need to try and get those again somewhere else as well!

thanks for all the cool accessory photos everyone?

 

That's a nice layout !    I like your catenary system.  But I don't recognize the masts.  At first glance I thought LGB.  Whose are they ?   Was this catenary live ?