The Brooklyn, NY U.S. Navy Yard had a Vulcan 30 ton gas powered #51 switcher, which likely was the prototype for the blue Lionel #15.
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Obviously many are fantasy creations, but there may be actual origins for some of these other interesting units.
Maybe the inventors and workers, some of whom were Italian immigrants. that Joshua Lionel Cowan hired to work at the Lionel factory. Arnold
In my youth, the introduction of the operating Gang Car with its crew's neck-breaking reverse was an instant favorite, yet its relation to any real section gang car was very questionable.
Lionel certainly had some very creative engineering and product development folks in those postwar years that produced those popular mechanized units.
The Army's little gas turbine engine that served as the basis for Lionel's Army motorized unit is on display at the National Transportation Museum outside of St Louis.
Terry
I wonder if there was a real tie jector car out there somewhere. Actually these motorized are my most favorite things to run.
The Lionel Burro crane had an obvious prototype, and the Cullen Friestedt Model 15 Burro Crane was probably the one.
The ballast tamper may have had a prototype back in the day?
@Tinplate Art posted:I will start with the Brooklyn U.S. Navy Yard switcher:
Where did you get the prototype photo?
@Tinplate Art posted:The Lionel Burro crane had an obvious prototype. Here is a photo of a Cullen Friestedt Model 15 Burro Crane:
Where did you get the prototype photo?
Prototype photos removed to be on the safe side, even though there did not appear to be any obvious copyright on either photo.
@Lenny the Lion posted:I wonder if there was a real tie jector car out there somewhere.
Nope. Ties are heavy and are usually placed alongside parallel with existing ties by a small crane. You wouldn't want them to be flung about from a moving machine.
Rusty
video of replacing ties send to me by Jeff.
Got it! THANKS!
