I was on You Tube the other day and saw "Classic Lionel Trains in Action". This was 47 minutes of all the Lionel products on one layout. AMAZING!! Everything from Coal Loaders, Saw Mills, Milk Jug Loaders and ever some Rocket Launchers and Train Cars that blew up. It got me thinking. My favorite piece on my HO set is a log mill where you can load log's on the log car and even dump the logs off the car into the pond using two different levers. Does anyone make things like this now a days? Did anyone ever make things like Lionel did only in HO scale? Where would I find these?
There were a few things back in the day, made by companies like Tyco and LifeLike. I can't tell you much, as that was nearly half a century ago, and such things weren't my bag. I slept since then. But what I do remember wasn't exactly reliable, or built to last. I never encountered anything along those lines in HO that was as well engineered, slick and robust as Lionel O. Try "Tyco operating accessory HO" in your search engine. You might have some luck. Sorry I don't have anything more encouraging to offer.
Thanks for the hint. It is a Life Like product. I can't believe no one now days doesn't make anything. Probably not enough demand.
You're welcome. And yes, as model railroading has become less widely popular, producers have focused more on what us hard core types prefer, like more realistic rolling stock and more road names and numbers. But there may be more of a market for these things than people realize. You may have your finger on a promising, wide open opportunity.
Operating accessories have lost their popularity in the last few decades. I think the push for ultra-realistic models and operations means these 'toy-like' items have since been relegated to eBay and train shows. The closest thing I have is the Bachmann log unloader. It isn't as grand as the Life-Like mill, but the logs can be unloaded into a hopper, which can be tipped back into the log car too. I think operating accessories have a nostalgic appeal though. Sometimes it is run just to run trains and not worry about making sure every prototypical detail is exact. If you're on the hunt for models, look for Life-Life, Tyco, or Bachmann mostly. IHC also has some structure kits, the carnival series is a notable one, but those aren't really railroad industries. Tyco had a few, like the coal unloading hopper and various other 'unloading' cars. Bachmann was similar. One thing I always wanted was the Bachmann Bascule Bridge, which worked with the 'over-under' layout concept. I has one of those 'whistle stations' and on the back was a bunch of pictures for other products.
Found this and thought other might find it interesting. Walthers Cornerstone 933-3070 - Bascule Bridge Sngl-Track - HO Scale is sold nowadays for HO and is prototypical and actually works as well.
