That is a real nice train. Is it running on YouTube anywhere?
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The barrel loader has a single plastic spacer/keeper piece, missing from both of those. It is supposed to hold the barrel loader in place, at the proper distance from the track. It makes it easier to load the barrels. I will look for mine and take a pic, if I can find it.
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You’re right, PrewarAmericanFlhyer, but they never worked for me. I have one of the two for the log loader. The others might b e kicking around somewhere.
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Here’s two “accessories” with Postwar roots:
I have never rigged them because I only used them as flatcar loads. Someday, I might even acquire the right flatcars (I bought these as separate-sale kits).
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This train is a tribute set I put together in honor of my maternal grandfather, who got me started in trains, including giving me my first Lionel set. The theme is Shell because he worked for Dutch Shell all his life. Most noteworthy, perhaps, he worked as part of the mechanical team that Shell loaned to Jimmy Doolittle between the wars. Doolittle was barnstorming across the country, but Shell was using him to test fuel and lubrication formulations. My grandfather helped keep Doolittle’s aircraft in the air and proving the utility of 100 octane avgas, which would come in handy during WWWII.
The trains is pulled by ATSF Alcos because the first Lionel set he gave me was headed by an 8020.
Two tank cars, 9151 & 9152 follow, nearly twins.
A big, 4-bay hopper and a little 027 2-dome tanker provide an amusing contrast:
The rear-end crew rides in a stylish 9061 caboose (with bonus view of the 6310):
Other pioneering work Grandpa did for Shell involved improving the engineering of automobile transport via semi-trailers. In retirement, he improved flotation methods for pleasure boat docks on local Corps of Engineer impoundments in MO. Thanks, Gandpa!
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LOL yes, the plastic buildings always left something to be desired! I am sure they worked great under perfect conditions in the Lionel offices. But in actual use with kids? The fragile plastic trim breaks easily such as the fence railings around the top. The problem I have with the barrel loader is when placed with the plastic keeper/spacer piece, if you forget and leave the barrel loader chute extended, the train will hit it. It swings back but even then, it’s a close call. I like both the barrel loader and the log loader. I have the Redwood Valley set and the barrel loader is supposed to be the brown one but when I got the set, most of the plastic was badly warped. I use a green barrel loader, from the Midnight Flyer set.
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A very incomplete James Gang Set.
I had pieces of the building but it was far from complete. No box, no figures and no horses either. But for 20 bucks it was worth giving it some effort and TLC. 
Half of the fencing for the horse car was missing so I decided to add a few recast Marx ACW figures and a cannon.
I added a soldier and 2 mortars to another inexpensive flatcar but this configuration is about the limit for what the DC General can handle.
Of course this particular General became a bit more individually famous when it got the call up to the Santa Fe and Disneyland RR service.
After the 2013 article it was sidelined in favor of the AC Lone Ranger General with smoke and sound.
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I like the Civil War theme, Becky, especially as an artilleryman.
I keep threatening to pick up an MPC General. . . . You are inspiring me.
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When i got back into the hobby, it was either post-war or MPC and I bought some MPC pieces, have always liked the “Baby Madison” heavyweights that MPC brought out and the re-issues of the 2400 series streamlined passenger cars in new liveries and with new baggage, combine, and diner cars.
I’ve attached a photo from the layout of an MPC 8762 GN electric repainted in PRR colors leading an MPC PRR streamlined baggage car with two “Baby Madison” coaches.
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Welcome back on board, steinmike.
David
Hey @steinmike I am really digging your nice layout, and dressed up tubular track. That track choice is right up my alley. As a person with a layout of smaller radiuses, I definitely appreciate the baby Madison cars. And the 2400 size is about the max length that is good for me. I have some original postwar greenies and also some newer brown and orange Illinois Central ones. My favorite passenger cars are the late prewar early postwar tinplate ones which are about 9" or so
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Excellent work, steinmike! Welcome back!
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Welcome back steinmike! And that’s a beautiful train you’ve got!
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Since we’re talking about using MPC Era Lionels as repaint candidates here’s one of my own.
I was in Henning’s Trains in 2022 and they were selling five of these for $15 each.
(That’s not one of the set of five, I just downloaded the picture for information’s sake.)
Then I repainted and decaled them all like this:
I didn’t need Milwaukee Road cars but I sure needed Suzy-Q’s. Try and find Susquehanna cars anywhere, good luck!
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That turned out nice @Flintlock76
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Very nice job, Flintlock!
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Thanks! Know what the hardest part of the re-do was? Getting them apart! Wow! Disassembling a 50 year old Baby Madison that’s never been disassembled was, if not quite a nightmare, definitely like a bad dream!
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Looks good, Flintlock!
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Nice photos everyone I remember a lot of them from the old catalogs
Chuck
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Thanks!
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