# Use of Post War Accessories on Your Layout



## Guest (Mar 25, 2017)

Probably a lot of Hi-Rail purists (rivet counters) would scoff at using any Post War accessories on their layout. I like realism, but I also like a lot of the accessories that were produced in the Post War era. Call it sentimental or whatever, but I think even today, they still look good and are fun. 

Something as simple as the four lighting post light tower or the rotating aircraft beacon can add a positive visual to a layout. I use them and am proud to do so.

How do you feel about them?


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## SantaFeJim (Sep 8, 2015)

I agree. The red/green rotating beacon always puts a smile on people's faces and there are several spots on most layouts where they fit.


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## Fabforrest (Aug 31, 2015)

Coal elevator, log loader, barrels, culverts, rocket launchers and on and on. Undeniable fun action. Kids love. I love.


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

I'm a toy train operator,if you call it that. I got everything listed ( rather had) on my layout plus many more. Nothing better then milk cars, cattle or horse cars, barrel and log loaders. Oil drum loader. Coal elavators , saw mils, etc. Let's not forget the s scale stuff too! Cow on track, operating billbords....and so on. Without this stuff I don't consider it fun!


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## Guest (Mar 25, 2017)

Still have me cattle car accessory for the early 50's.


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## WildcatRR (Jul 28, 2013)

*Post War accessories*

Accessories make the fun for me. Plenty of action and delivering all the items my town needs to be happy. As my nephew told me one day " Is that all it does....just go round and round Uncle?" I added all the fun items I had and when he came over the next time he stated " Uncle this is more like it. Lots of fun stuff to do ". Out of the mouth of babes I guess.


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## Fabforrest (Aug 31, 2015)

Passenger Train Collector said:


> Still have me cattle car accessory for the early 50's.


I just removed mine. Hasn't worked in two decades. 

Fan fav milk car still going.


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## Norton (Nov 5, 2015)

I have collected quite a few over the years, some original, some modern. The only one I am using now is the gantry crane. 
I had a cattle car with my first train set as a kid and remembered it worked well. When I replaced it a few years ago I had to spend a lot of time getting it to work right. Lots of fine tuning but now the car and corral work OK.

Pete


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I have a bunch of the accessories. I think some of my favorites are the Mi-Jack container loader and the culvert loader. The #162 log loader is good, and it's dead reliable. The trackside gantry crane is cool, but now that they have the one with the powered movement, I lust for one of those. 

Of course, one of my all time favorites is the TMCC crane car with boom car. That's one of the coolest operating cars ever made!


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## Red October (Sep 13, 2015)

I tried using them on my layout, just couldn't make anything blend in the way I wanted. I built an entire alternate platform for a milk car out of wood, but was trying to shoehorn it into too tight a space. Only one I used was a Corber water tower.

Also tried incorporating a magnetic crane, but that was more a function of space than blending it in.


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## MattR (Oct 30, 2015)

Just love them, and all postwar stuff. Even if they don't work the best I plan on having them out just cause they're cool to look at. I have several of most of them, and will get more. They have that rugged look I like, just like the trains themselves.


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Not my video, but I have to find room for this on my next layout!


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## pennwest (Sep 21, 2015)

I'm a Hi-Railer and on the rivet-counter end of the spectrum, but I still have a Lionel 362 barrel loader, an American Flyer 779 oil drum loader and an American Flyer 787 log loader (we use it as a pipe loader though).

Here is the oil drum loader on my layout. Some additional drums were added (preserving a path for the fork lift to negotiate) along with some weathering and the whole thing was "planted" into the scenery.


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## Traindiesel (Sep 8, 2015)

Brian, I feel the same about post war accessories. I only have a few but they will be on the layout. My Father in law found a few items he had as a kid. One was the crane with the magnet, but it's broken. I plan to put it in a corner of my freight yard as an old decrepit crane no longer used, where the railroad is so busy they haven't gotten around to dismantle it yet. 

But my favorite accessory are the #260 die cast lighted bumpers along with the #60 trolley. As a kid I was facinated by how they would brighten and dim as I moved the ZW throttle. My rivet counter friends tell me that I don't want that on my layout. But I guess I'm easily amused.


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## Fabforrest (Aug 31, 2015)

"Here is the oil drum loader on my layout."

That looks great!


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## Spence (Oct 15, 2015)

I have about a half a dozen & have always enjoyed them.


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

The oil drum loader looks great! I got the remake. They are cool.


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## DennyM (Jan 3, 2016)

I like anything from the postwar era. I don't have any operating accessories, but I do have a 395 floodlight tower and I think my passenger station is PW. It can be wired to make a engine stop when it enters the block. It's a 132 auto stop.


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## Guest (Mar 26, 2017)

I don't have any but I like them and will use them if I manage to get any and can fit them on my layout. The saw mill was one of my favorites.


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

I have a few on the layout. A Lionel 394 rotary beacon tower, A Lionel 445 switch tower and a Marx 416A light tower. The kids get a kick out of operating the switch tower.


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## highvoltage (Apr 6, 2014)

I have the Lionel 264 forklift platform from when I was a kid, and it still works fairly well:


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## Lee Willis (Jan 1, 2014)

The oil derrick and pump are cool and fit the western theme of my layout. I sometimes put it out on the layout, sometimes not.


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## Guest (Mar 26, 2017)

*"Here is the oil drum loader on my layout."

That looks great!*

Best looking installation of an Oil Drum accessory I have ever seen.


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## bluecomet400 (Sep 13, 2015)

There are several postwar accessories that were prewar carryovers: 97 coal loader, 165 crane, 156 log loader, 115 station, 313 bascule bridge, 156 station platform and 45 gate man. No doubt there are others, but these come to mind right off. 

We have all of them and I've designated space on the layout for them. I'm not sure how much use the log & coal loaders will get, so we may end up removing them as they take up a lot of valuable real estate.


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## Guest (Mar 26, 2017)

John is building a *WORLD CLASS* Pre & Post War layout. Not surprised at his accessories.


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## bluecomet400 (Sep 13, 2015)

"World Class" is stretching it, Brian, but thank you. I'm having fun building it, but after seeing your layouts and others, mine is going to be rather primitive. 

The footprints of the log and coal loaders are huge, and when I see how many sidings I could put in their place, I wonder if I'm doing the right thing by using them. I'll start with them because my hope is that when kids come to visit, the operating accessories will catch their attention and help foster an interest in toy trains so our hobby continues.


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## balidas (Jun 3, 2011)

Love'em! It's not a layout without them. I've got 2 sawmills, 2 sets of the coal loader with the ramp, barrel loader, gateman, culvert loader & unloader. There's a few more I want to get. I like my layout to be pretty interactive, especially to help keep the young'ns attention.


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## Pebo (Sep 27, 2015)

highvoltage said:


> I have the Lionel 264 forklift platform from when I was a kid, and it still works fairly well:
> 
> View attachment 295585


That is one of the most RELIABLE accessories. Mine works flawlessly, every time.
Peter


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## Pebo (Sep 27, 2015)

I am out of control when it comes to PostWar (and PostWar type) accessories.......I have loads on my 6x16 layout:

350 Transfer Table
Steam, clean and wheel grind shop ( a Kughn-era PostWar type accessory)
192 Control Tower
414 Diesel Fueling Station
K Line Conrail Paint Shop (another modern PostWar type accessory)
494 Rotary Beacon

182 Gantry Crane
352 Icing Station
AF Coal Loader
Lionel Operating water tower
334 Dispatch Board
128 Newstand

342/345 Culvert Twins
364 Lumber Loader
362 Barrel Loader

AF Oil Drum Loader
AF Saw Mill
3356 Horse Corral
464 Saw Mill
264 Lumber Loader
2305 Getty Oil Derrick
3662 Milk Car

Two 157s and one 156 Station Platforms
The modern "Diesel Cut-up" accessory

Marx, Lionel and MTH Light Towers and Grade-crossing signals.

Peter


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## highvoltage (Apr 6, 2014)

Pebo said:


> That is one of the most RELIABLE accessories. Mine works flawlessly, every time.
> Peter


The forklift slows down a bit. Instructions say to use graphite powder on the platform. I remember doing that as a kid, but got carried away (as a kid would do). Spent quite a long time cleaning it up last year.


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## highvoltage (Apr 6, 2014)

Pebo said:


> I am out of control when it comes to PostWar (and PostWar type) accessories.......I have loads on my 6x16 layout:
> 
> 350 Transfer Table
> Steam, clean and wheel grind shop ( a Kughn-era PostWar type accessory)
> ...


Wow, do you have any room for your trains?


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## Patrick1544 (Apr 27, 2013)

The Oil Drum Loader looks excellent. Great job painting and weathering!


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## Wood (Jun 9, 2015)

The Coal Loader, Log Loader, Milk Car and Cattle car. They all work and are the most popular items for my young Grandchildren.


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## Guest (Mar 30, 2017)

Really nice photos, Wood.


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## DennyM (Jan 3, 2016)

That's a real nice layout Wood.


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## Togatown (Nov 29, 2013)

Related question: How many PW accessories can you realistically run off of a PW transformer such as a KW? 
I assume you cant run too many at once.


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

You can run a lot of stuff off the kw good thing is most stuff isn't operating at the same time. The main problem with post war stuff is that they all work best on different voltages. I usually put all the light stuff on a separate transformer, I still use the Edison style bulbs that way they draw less power and last longer (an added plus is your switch caps will not melt). 

My accessories after cleaning and oiling mostly ran at 12 to 15 volts. Some like the corals, liked a bit less power, others like the coal loader liked a bit more.


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## Pebo (Sep 27, 2015)

I said that I went overboard, and here's proof (and I forgot the 497 remake).

































Peter


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## Pebo (Sep 27, 2015)

Here are a few more.......

































Peter


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## Pebo (Sep 27, 2015)

Last group......

















































Peter


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Lol, not overboard at all! That's normal around here. I just wish I had that type of room. Nice layout.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Peter, it's safe to say you are "all in" with the PW Accessories!


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## Wood (Jun 9, 2015)

Nice job Peter. You could have simply taken a picture of the mirror.  You have some of the best pieces. 

The accessories are a lot of fun. They may not be all that "realistic", but these great pieces have kept my grandchildren engaged, long enough, to help them build a real relationship with the layout. Oh and I still run a few myself!


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## hokie71 (Jun 9, 2013)

Not sure I am up to Peter's level but working on it. You can see what rings my chimes.


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## Wood (Jun 9, 2015)

Hokie, That layout looks like a lot of fun. I like your command center on the inside. Good job. Thanks for sharing.


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## Bill Webb (Sep 14, 2015)

You guys are amazing. Thanks.


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Hokie, nicely done! I did the same thing with my controllers, not as nice though..... Its good for the kids to play I actually like that layout a lot, when I rebuild mine I might have to do a triangle!


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## callmeIshmael2 (May 28, 2012)

Love all these pics. So great to see how others come up with creative solutions to their blessing (or lack) of available space. What some of our wives (or hubbies, for that matter) may see as cluttered space - we see as the busy wheels of industry!


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## DennyM (Jan 3, 2016)

Hokie, it all looks very nice.

Peter I'm liking yours too.


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## highvoltage (Apr 6, 2014)

Pebo said:


> I said that I went overboard, and here's proof (and I forgot the 497 remake).
> 
> View attachment 297961
> 
> ...


Those are outstanding, thanks for posting.


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## balidas (Jun 3, 2011)

Wood said:


> The Coal Loader, Log Loader, Milk Car and Cattle car. They all work and are the most popular items for my young Grandchildren.
> 
> 
> View attachment 296794
> ...





Pebo said:


> Here are a few more.......
> 
> View attachment 297993
> 
> ...





hokie71 said:


> Not sure I am up to Peter's level but working on it. You can see what rings my chimes.


Did you guys leave any accessories for the rest of us?


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## Wood (Jun 9, 2015)

balidas said:


> Did you guys leave any accessories for the rest of us?


Balidas, Don't worry.   These items are readily available and so are the parts. Great fun, particularly when you renew them. There is something to be said for taking a 60-70 year old toy and bringing it back to life.


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