What Is Your Favorite Lionel Operating Car?

That's a tough one.  I agree with Bob on the Milk Car as being one near the top of the list.  I guess I like almost all of them.

I have to agree on the milk car as being my favorite. Second  would be the 3454 PRR merchandise car. However I really like most of the postwar Lionel operating cars as I have a lot of them.

The operating milk car in all of its variations wins hands down in my book.

As I can best recall: I believe it was Christmas about 1954 that as part of my Lionel train set, the milk unloading car was way more fun than the coal unloading car (which my mother tolerated sweeping "coal" from the floor).

 Though I don't have an operating cars now, the milk unloading car was my favorite

I like the Lionel Transparent Milk Car. Fun to see how the milk cans work their way out the door by very strong milkman.

the milk car of course

Too many to narrow it down….Milk car is a strong contender for first…..but then there's the cattle car (I kind of went cattle car crazy for a time)….Brakeman car……Minuteman Missile car….Helicopter car …….Cop and hobo… Icing station w/car…..Barrel car……OH, OH, OH,  don't forget all the coal and logs/lumber cars ….. it just goes on and on and on….. 

Milk car....always.......

Peter

The TMCC crane cars and matching sound cars. Incomparable!

Bob

I would say the milk car except for one thing.  It's dependability was rather frustrating to a young boy.  It would jam all too often, and I had to open it up to generally clear it.

So, I say it was my Minutemen Missile car.

First, missiles are cooler than milk cans.

Second, it was red, white and blue.

Third, no matter how many times I saw it it still fascinated me that the roof doors opened and the missile rose up and fired.

Four, it could blow things up.

Five, it worked every time.

Never thought about this before, but the forum does put thoughts into your head.

Alan

1. any of the Milk cars.

2.  twin bin and single bin dump cars

3. The early log dump cars.

Richard

Alan,

Glad to see you spell Alan correctly.

Richard Alan Gonzales

it looks like the milk car is highly favored

Bob C.

I'll go with the Giraffe car with TMCC its fun when Andy* the Giraffe says "next stop, York Pennsylvania!" 

 *Yes,the Giraffe's name is Andy, check the manual!

Do RailSounds / TrainSounds tenders and boxcars count?  I really don't like operating cars otherwise, even smoking cabooses.

What, me worry?

MOE & JOE Car along with the Lobsta Car from the PAUL REVERE SET.

I have two favorites;  the milk car and the cop and hobo car. Realistic action for the 50's era that I model.

The Finding Nemo Aquarium car, or any other one with fish or aquatics in it!

Or the TMCC cattle car with quillable Moo sound.  I think these cattle cars are underrated for how fun they are!

I've never seen these  operating cars till a couple weeks ago mine would be the Milk Car then the coal conveyor car 

For me it would be  the milk car, the missile car & the giraffe car.

runners up include the 3361 log dump car, 3444 animated gondola & the 3435 aquarium car

I have to go with the TMCC crane car & boom car.  They provide for endless variety of play, surely one of the best operating cars Lionel has ever produced.

The 3356 horse car and corral. When it's working right, it's fun to see them going up and down the ramp - and it's funnier (at least to my youngest audience members) when a horse topples over and  chaos ensues.

In no particular order the milk car (a classic), the minuteman missile launch car (currently trying to find a replacement for mine) and the cop and hobo car (kids love it).

If we are discussions postwar, my favorite will always be the milk car. I spent many happy hours unloading milk.

if we are discussing modern cars, the TMCC crane is the most amazing operating car I have ever seen.

scrappy

Mine is the usually un-beloved cattle car and corral. Cows have a lot more personality than coal, and unlike milk cans, they load themselves!

A long time ago, my father discovered the secret to making it work was to put the rail nearer the corral into the lower 'O' slot, and the farther rail into the higher 'O27' slot (this is using O27 track). That gets the car closer to the platform and lets the cows bridge over the poorly-vibrating lowering gates. And even with the track tilted that way, the engines still clear the platform.

Gentlemen,

   No doubt if I finally get my MOW Legacy Crane Car, it will quickly become my favorite, as for the older stuff, the Milk Can Throwing Box Car was my favorite older operating Car.

PCRR/Dave

Does the Burro crane count? It can be turned off and placed in a train.

Like others, the Milk Car is a fun one.  While the train is actually running I like the Hobo and Cop gondola car and the Aquarium car.