The other day I got out the old 6650 Missle Launch Car and the 6470 Exploding Box Car and another exploding box car and I did target practice. I also run my cattle car, milk car, and coal loader. I have recently shot off my satellite car. Do any of y'all do that yet? CanHelp in Sulphur Springs still has some great Pittsburg rolling stock for sale. Check my post of April 2.
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Im working on my layout now, but yes, I intend to run as many as possible!
yes my layout in the pic is not totally complete with proper placements etc..
Great! I think the accessories add a lot to the trains.
Up until the tree fell on my house and the layout got flooded by the rain water, I had the Culvert Twins, the 264 forklift loader, milk car, horse car, gantry crane and several others operating.
Regards, Steve
Absolutely my “The 48 Club” Super O layout is Postwar accessory focused. My grandkids and I just really enjoy all the action they provide. These accessories all work, albeit some require more love and tuning than others, especially after the grandkids have pushed the 90C controller button a hundred times a minute. LOL Currently I have the Automatic Gateman (145), Ice Depot (352), Water Tower (38), Milk Car (3362), Portal Gantry Crane (282), Barrel Car (3562) and Loader (362), Circus Car (3363), Horse Car (3356), Culvert Loader (342) and Unloader (345), Oil Derrick (455) along with several Beacons (394), Floodlights and Crossing Gate. Unfortunately I couldn’t accommodate the New Stand (128), Passenger Station (133), Freight Station (356), Coal Ramp (456), Coal Loader (397) and Coal Elevator (97) that are in storage.
Absolutely! My Postwar display-style layout was designed to be loaded with operating accessories in a modest sized space.
My whole attraction to Lionel as a child was the operating cars and accessories. My first accessory was the 352 Ice House and car followed by the Milk Car
@Mike Santa posted:The other day I got out the old 6650 Missle Launch Car and the 6470 Exploding Box Car and another exploding box car and I did target practice. I also run my cattle car, milk car, and coal loader. I have recently shot off my satellite car. Do any of y'all do that yet? CanHelp in Sulphur Springs still has some great Pittsburg rolling stock for sale. Check my post of April 2.
My entire layout is filled with all manner of post war, new, and re-issued postwar operating accessories.
Coal loader, coal ramp, a couple gatemen, rotary beacon, control tower, radar tower, rocket launcher, you name, I probably have it. My layout will always be the type as if my dad is still setting up at Christmas in the 60's I am hardcore toy train style operator, even with some scale equipment (Legacy, Premier, etc.)
@Rich Wiemann posted:Absolutely my “The 48 Club” Super O layout is Postwar accessory focused. My grandkids and I just really enjoy all the action they provide. These accessories all work, albeit some require more love and tuning than others, especially after the grandkids have pushed the 90C controller button a hundred times a minute. LOL Currently I have the Automatic Gateman (145), Ice Depot (352), Water Tower (38), Milk Car (3362), Portal Gantry Crane (282), Barrel Car (3562) and Loader (362), Circus Car (3363), Horse Car (3356), Culvert Loader (342) and Unloader (345), Oil Derrick (455) along with several Beacons (394), Floodlights and Crossing Gate. Unfortunately I couldn’t accommodate the New Stand (128), Passenger Station (133), Freight Station (356), Coal Ramp (456), Coal Loader (397) and Coal Elevator (97) that are in storage.
Love that Super O, Rich!
Sure do! Not a scale guy, so I love all the whimsical stuff from Lionel & MTH. I used to use it to help keep my kids attracted to my hobby, but now that they are on their own, I'm still loving accessories... especially Halloween & Christmas aquarium & operating cars cars, etc.
The one single item that I have not seen anyone mention in this thread or the other one asking if accessories were a dead feature is the MTH beer car. I owned the Iron City one and it was by far my favorite car to operate. For those unfamiliar, you load beer cases in the car and when you operate it the doors swing open and a worker pushes out one beer case, all along with 'cold vapor' (smoke from smoke fluid) coming out of the door too. Really a nice invention by MTH
walt
The accessories are so easy and fun to run now with DCS, Legacy, etc. Accessories make the layout, and they are what people always ask about when they see ours.
The whole purpose of my layout is to show-off and operate all those cars and accessories. I have nearly everything EXCEPT the military/space stuff - just never interested me as a kid.
Even though my layouts lean towards the 3RS in many respects I still regularly used the operating milk and poultry cars. They are close enough to scale so they don't look out of place. My steam locos would still stop at the operating water tower for a drink. The operating ice car and platform saw action on earlier layouts but not the last one. For the next layout I am planning, even though I will mostly be running scale length cars, I intend to set up a coal trestle so that I can use the nonscale length operating hoppers I have.
I wouldn't be into trains if there weren't operating accessories and cars. Or I would be into HO with a switching layout. I find no enjoyment and watching a train go around even the most elaborate layouts over and over again. The fun is in the accessories and switching out the cars.
My layout can only be considered a “toy train layout”…and that’s what I meant it to be as I built it. So I have a number of operating cars that I’ve had since the 50’s…and a bunch of operating accessories too! Guests find the history and action to be quite interesting and I still enjoy running them…even as noisy and antiquated as some of them are!!! 🚂😉🙀
Here are some of the operating accessories on my layout.
Right now I have military trains on my layout. My grand kids love blowing up the boxcar and ammo depot. We practice every night. They also love the satellite car and the turbo missile cars. Ooddles of fun nightly!
Rolland
I'm still building my layout. Last week, I needed a test car and pulled out an MTH caboose that has sliding shoes and a swing out conductor. This is new to me. Do I add inside rails connected to the common rail to activate? I'm not at the point of needing this to work, but I'd like to know.
Not at all, you need an operating track section. Lionel, K-line, MTH, Atlas, and Gargraves all make one.
I have 5 modules in a modular layout that will be in a train show this weekend. Will have the milk car, icing station, barrel ramp, sawmill all set up to run from buttons on the outside. I will spend my weekend reloading those! I usually launch a couple helicopters and missiles when it’s not crowded. On my home layout I have a milk car, horse car and corral, log loader ramp, 145 rocket launcher, intermodal crane, and 397 coal loader. So yes, I use operating accessories!
Of course it doesn't always go smoothly, OSHA is still investigating this one:
My condolences, Ross!
After surgery to reattach his arms, he worked through the weekend! Only casualty was a milk car door.
Yes, I run the accessories. The push buttons on my layout allow visitors, both kids and kids at heart, to operate the Lionel 1950s classics. Here is a video of my modern layout's nod to the vintage accessories. I added some sound enhancements as if Joe Bonanno were still alive today.
TJ
@TonkaNut posted:Yes, I run the accessories. The push buttons on my layout allow visitors, both kids and kids at heart, to operate the Lionel 1950s classics. Here is a video of my modern layout's nod to the vintage accessories. I added some sound enhancements as if Joe Bonanno were still alive today.
TJ
Outstanding, tonkanut. Simply outstanding! Thanks for sharing.
@TonkaNut posted:Yes, I run the accessories. The push buttons on my layout allow visitors, both kids and kids at heart, to operate the Lionel 1950s classics. Here is a video of my modern layout's nod to the vintage accessories. I added some sound enhancements as if Joe Bonanno were still alive today.
TJ
Love it. Lots of fun for all ages.
Despite my trying to make the layout highrail in looks i have a siding near my passenger station where the mild car is unloaded and an aquarium car delights waiting commuters. These out of scale animations are part of the charm, you just cannot leave them in a box.
@TonkaNut posted:Yes, I run the accessories. The push buttons on my layout allow visitors, both kids and kids at heart, to operate the Lionel 1950s classics. Here is a video of my modern layout's nod to the vintage accessories. I added some sound enhancements as if Joe Bonanno were still alive today.
TJ
Outstanding video, TJ, your video is an inspiration to those of us who have operating accessories on our layouts.
I have been working for hours on the operating horse and cattle cars and their corals. Mine are finally working, but I still need to use my finger to get the horse and cattle from the coral into the car. I see that you have succeeded in getting yours to operate smoothly without using "the finger of God." LOL
Also, very nice sound effects in your video, TJ. Arnold
@walt rapp posted:The one single item that I have not seen anyone mention in this thread or the other one asking if accessories were a dead feature is the MTH beer car. I owned the Iron City one and it was by far my favorite car to operate. For those unfamiliar, you load beer cases in the car and when you operate it the doors swing open and a worker pushes out one beer case, all along with 'cold vapor' (smoke from smoke fluid) coming out of the door too. Really a nice invention by MTH
walt
John 
I do, but usually only when I get visitors, especially kids. When I'm alone I basically just let em run!
"Outstanding video, TJ, your video is an inspiration to those of us who have operating accessories on our layouts.
I have been working for hours on the operating horse and cattle cars and their corals. Mine are finally working, but I still need to use my finger to get the horse and cattle from the coral into the car. I see that you have succeeded in getting yours to operate smoothly without using "the finger of God." LOL
Also, very nice sound effects in your video, TJ. Arnold"
Thanks Arnold. It seems that divine intervention is usually needed only when there are a bunch of visitors watching! Thank you to everyone else for their nice comments. 
@Arnold D. Cribari posted:Outstanding video, TJ, your video is an inspiration to those of us who have operating accessories on our layouts.
I have been working for hours on the operating horse and cattle cars and their corals. Mine are finally working, but I still need to use my finger to get the horse and cattle from the coral into the car. I see that you have succeeded in getting yours to operate smoothly without using "the finger of God." LOL
Also, very nice sound effects in your video, TJ. Arnold
Can't beat that AC sound.
John
Here's one of my favorite self made operating accessories.
I’ve been having a blast with my newly acquired MTH LIRR dump car. I need to re arrange my gantry crane so it can more easily pick up the pipe loads and buy some more light weight piping. However, until then, I’m having a blast driving up and dumping loads -
This thing is a real hoot and operates much better/slower than the my postwar log dump car.
I do !
Great stuff, everyone!
Peter
@BOB WALKER posted:Here's one of my favorite self made operating accessories.
Very well done Bob. Entertaining for modelers of all ages.
Ron
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