Favorite Fun-filled Motorized Units

The first time I watched the video, the throwing things off the side caught me by surprise. I had to replay the video to see what was going on. Very nice, Arnold. What vintage?

MELGAR

MELGAR posted:

The first time I watched the video, the throwing things off the side caught me by surprise. I had to replay the video to see what was going on. Very nice, Arnold. What vintage?

MELGAR

Not certain, Melgar, regarding the vintage of the Lionel tie ejector car. The body is plastic, not metal, so it may be late Postwar. My guess it's late 1950s or 1960s.

I bought it at a train show about 10 years ago.

Arnold

Mine would be the No 50 Motorized Gang car. I have had mine since 1958, from my 1st Christmas, and it stills runs great. The blue worker has never developed any sore cheeks with all that twisting. This is a great unit to fill in a small dead space with some bumper action. 

When my kids were little, we used to call this Postwar classic, "the little guy."

Here are some suggestions. I would love to see the motorized ballast tamper and rotary snow plow, neither of which I have. Arnold

And yes I am multi-tasking watching the Yankees and looking at the forum.

Rich, we are totally on the same wave length, simultaneously posting about the gang car while watching the Yankee game.

I also got mine in the 1950s (probably 1955 or 1956) for Christmas. Arnold 

Tie ejector and ballast tamper.  

On a large loop of track I like several gang cars, trolleys and fire cars.  It's best to previously test them and match them up for speed.

You can remove and add units to mystify any kids (and some adults) who are watching.  You can also teach them too occasionally use their hand as a bumper on the track.

This is the place to share your thoughts, photos and videos of: the burro crane car, fire car, track cleaning car, hand cars, inspection cars, hobo car, and maintenance of way cars.

The baby switchers like the US Army diesel switcher and the classic Postwar yellow trolley also fall into this category. Arnold

I bet almost all of us have this one:

Do you have it too? Arnold

Although this video shows 3 trains running, it also shows one of my two trolleys doing its thing on the elevated line.  This a " as I sit in my car train watching down by the station video".   Motorized units are fun and bring an entertaining dimension to any layout IMHO. 

here's mine...just one of about half dozen Christmas theme little runners i have...as a matter of fact, i seem to remember buying this one off a forum member...

Howard...

www.litttleglitterhouses.com

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

I bet almost all of us have this one:

 

I do!  I do!

I'll second the votes for the #50 Gang Car.  First time I saw one was in 1957, at one of our two local authorized Lionel dealers.  It was running on Super-O track, which was new that year.  But I didn't actually have one of my own until about 1973, when it was my first Lionel purchase after getting back into the 3-rail world.  Now I've got two of them, one from 1954 and another late-production model from the early Sixties.

My second favorite would be the #60 Trolley.  I saw one of those at the same time I was being introduced to the Gang Car, and liked it at once.  But again, I didn't actually own one till the mid-seventies.

Santa brought me a #41 US Army turbine switcher in 1957, and he probably got it at the same local dealer where I saw the Gang Car and the Trolley.  It still runs and looks as good as it did that Christmas morning.

In the mid-seventies, I also bought a #53 Rio Grande Snowplow, NIB, from Madison Hardware.  And yes, it has the "a" in the correct position.  I've long admired the #58 GN Rotary Snowplow, but they've always been too pricey for my budget.

I also like the #54 Tie-Jector car, bur for some reason I've never bought one.  I may have to change that at the next train show (not till November, alas).

Like Balshis, my first 3 motorized units were the Lionel Postwar gang car, trolley and US Army switcher, all acquired as Christmas gifts as a child.

Here is that classic switcher in action:

By the way, when I posted this topic, I wish I could have used a better sounding name than "motorized units." If anyone knows a better sounding name, then please let us all know. Arnold

The number 60 trolley is my favorite and I had to get two of the first motorized unit I had received in the late 1950’s. The trolley to the right is a two piece bumper and on the left is the solid one piece bumper version.

41 US Army Gas Turbine Switcher

54 Ballast Tamper

Steve

OK, another favorite.  This is a K-Line converted to command, after this picture was taken, I added color changing lights to the crate for a little eye candy.  This runs TMCC and has a bicycle horn and also plays calliope music as it runs.

Here's one that's a lot of fun to watch:

That's a smooth running MTH hand car.  Arnold

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

By the way, when I posted this topic, I wish I could have used a better sounding name than "motorized units." If anyone knows a better sounding name, then please let us all know. Arnold

 

I thought the title was correct as is.  That's what I've always heard them called.

aussteve posted:

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

By the way, when I posted this topic, I wish I could have used a better sounding name than "motorized units." If anyone knows a better sounding name, then please let us all know. Arnold

 

I thought the title was correct as is.  That's what I've always heard them called.

Greenberg's Repair & Operating Manual has "Motorized Units" in table of contents.

Steve

I knew the term was accurate, but the poet in me does not like the sound of "motorized units."

I was looking for a more lyrical synonym. For instance locomotive is a good synonym for engine.

I thought of calling them novety cars that run, but that terminology is too wordy and not as accurate as motorized units. Arnold

Ballast tamper and trolley.

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

I knew the term was accurate, but the poet in me does not like the sound of "motorized units."

I was looking for a more lyrical synonym. For instance locomotive is a good synonym for engine.

I thought of calling them novety cars that run, but that terminology is too wordy and not as accurate as motorized units. Arnold

Hey Arnold - how bout the term " dingy"  or " motor dingy" or " free wheelers ".  Just thinking out loud

Arnold, here is info about your Tie Jector:

http://postwarlionel.com/motiv...units/55-tie-jector/

Like others, my favorite is the No. 50 Gang Car. My original from 1955 is on the left in the photo; the one on the right was acquired 6 months ago. When I was a kid, I would run it in the dark, when the only light would be from the blue spark at the collector underneath, and there would be that wonderful scent of ozone. For some reason, it made me feel happy and secure. Now that I have two of them, I can let them run opposite to each other, crash, reverse direction, and do the same thing on the other side of the layout, something I have wanted to do for over 60 years!

I vote for the handcar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8UsNsNfKrQ

Merry Christmas:

This is made by Pride Lines, which I never heard of, and it only goes forward. Unfortunately, Santa and the Christmas tree are too tall to make it through my signal bridges and tunnel, so I can't run it on my layout. LOL, Arnold

sawdust43 posted:

here's mine...just one of about half dozen Christmas theme little runners i have...as a matter of fact, i seem to remember buying this one off a forum member...

Howard...

www.litttleglitterhouses.com

 

I have the same K line car! It’s such a great thing to run on Christmas layouts!

Undoubtedly, the Lionel #50 Gang Car is far and away the most iconic and rugged of the so called "motorized units" in the minds of us baby boomers! I well remember my next door neighbor, Ted, getting one the first year it came out. Myself, I had the Gilbert Flyer handcar on my S Gauge layout!

I wouldn't call it "fun filled" but it's motorized. I used it to move the electrics in and out of the roundhouse because there's no overhead there. K-line Plymouth diesel. Don