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Accessories Question

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  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: US
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Posted by artyoung on Sunday, April 16, 2006 7:46 PM
On our layout, we have a "daylight" side that has mostly postwar accessories, and a "night" side for the new, modern-era buildings from MTH. Nearly all of our freight rolling stock are operating cars, along with couple of homemade conversions of passenger cars - an RPO built from a Lionel combine and an AF mail car, and a thoroughbred racehorse transport built from a pullman and an operating horse car. I tried scale HO back in the '60's when I was a kid, but kept trying to add a little "action" with Tyco operating cars and accessories, a lot of which I learned later were designed by Lionel's Frank Pettit. Figured out where the real fun was and never got rid of my Lionels (unlike too many others). For me, I don't care if it's 027, 0, or whatever, as long as it's fun to play with.
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Posted by traindaddy1 on Sunday, April 16, 2006 6:28 PM
Follow up. Personally, I like scale as I was a fanatic with HO for many years. Now that I have moved up to 027 and am finally "playing" with my trains, I prefer the traditional (since I can see them better). Many thanks to all for your input.
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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, April 16, 2006 12:03 PM
I try to use as many scale accessories as practical on my layout. I do have to compromise a little as we also have Dept. 56 buildings and accessories on our layout.
That being said, the prototypical part of the layout is pretty much O scale.

Steve TapperNorthern Central High Railers
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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, April 16, 2006 6:46 AM
Had a bunch of the traditional size, but now only buy the scale-size stuff, for the most part. I leave the big stuff for my Standard Gauge pike.

Even when I was a kid, I preferred Marx accessories, many of which were far closer to scale size, to the oversized Lionel items such as the crossing gates and signals (aside from the Banjo Signal). And I don't think I ever had the most common accessory of all: The Gateman. Just couldn't relate that giant figure to anything else on my layout, even way back then. I guess he might be a more appropriate fit for my Standard Gauge stuff, but he's made of plastic, and I have a "no-plastic" regulation in effect for my Standard Gauge and Marx tinplate layouts.

I like the scale-size stuff these days because they go well with my small shelf-type On30 layout as well as with any three-rail trains I might have on another layout at some point in the future.
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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, April 16, 2006 5:29 AM
I try to have them close to scale. An exception is the block signals...I like the old style with the large light bulbs that you can actually SEE. Joe
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  • From: Southwest Georgia
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Posted by dwiemer on Saturday, April 15, 2006 8:38 PM
Mixed. Even have 027. so 1/43, 1/48, 1/50th. I have to move things around, but I will be trying for forced perspective, smaller scale farther away. I actually have some scale 10 foot tall Marine color guard to go with the scale 10 foot automatic gateman.
Dennis

TCA#09-63805

 

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  • Member since
    January 2006
  • From: Florida
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Accessories Question
Posted by traindaddy1 on Saturday, April 15, 2006 4:32 PM
Hello again. Just wondering! Would you say you had more (O guage) traditional size accessories or more scale size accessories on your layout or do you have a mix? Thanks.

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