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Lionel Gantry Crane & Milk Car. See them in operation!

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  • Member since
    January 2006
  • 621 posts
Lionel Gantry Crane & Milk Car. See them in operation!
Posted by dsmith on Saturday, January 18, 2014 7:32 PM

One of the great joys of Lionel trains (besides all the trains) is the wonderful variety of operating cars and accessories that they offer.  No other scale or manufacturer offers anything close to Lionel's variety.  My favorite two are the Gantry Crane and Milk Car.  They are both very different accessories, the gantry requires concentration and operator skill, whereas the milk car is a fun accessory to just watch and push the button. 

One of the options for the gantry crane is the addition of the electromagnet.  You could always use the electromagnet to load/unload scrap metal, but I have found that by adding thumbtacks, upholstery tacks, metal bars or weak magnets to the top of may flat car or gondola loads, you can load/unload a variety of loads.  My version of the gantry crane is the modern 6-2316 version that uses two quiet motors to operate un/down and rotate.  I added a fairly simple way to add back and forth motion to the crane and an article on how I did it appears in the November 2009 "CLASSIC TOY TRAINS" magazine.

lfgvOiAio

 

The 3472 operating milk car is fun too and each can unloads every time the button is pushed.  I live in Michigan and remember the Twin Pines Dairy that I remember from my youth, so I repainted one of the cars with the Twin Pines colors and logos.  You might also notice the Twin Pines Divco (Detroit Industrial Vehicle COmpany) milk delivery truck in the background

LKU24eYIlE

 

 

 

  David from Dearborn  

  • Member since
    February 2004
  • From: Rolesville, NC
  • 15,416 posts
Posted by ChiefEagles on Saturday, January 18, 2014 8:13 PM

DS, good looking layout.  The accessories really looking real.  Great job.

 

 God bless TCA 05-58541   Benefactor Member of the NRA,  Member of the American Legion,   Retired Boss Hog of Roseyville Laugh,   KC&D QualifiedCowboy       

              

  • Member since
    February 2007
  • From: Carmel, NY
  • 373 posts
Posted by ezmike on Sunday, January 19, 2014 11:06 AM

Way cool!

Mike

  • Member since
    August 2003
  • 218 posts
Posted by alank on Sunday, January 19, 2014 11:56 AM

Nice layout and demo videos.   Makes we remember my Lionel days.   Thanks Dave,...Alan K

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