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Description
A major area on my train layout is my industrial district. I have acquired a number of operating accessories over the years, most of which had previously seen little use since I never have time or space to set them up on temporary layouts. I selected an open area on the layout to set them out in so I can actually enjoy them.

From front to back, here are the accessories I have:
1. My Lionel 397 Coal Loader. I got this for my 19th birthday from the parents. After several merry hours of operation I accidentally seized the motor and fried the controller board, it was a pain-in-the-butt to rebuild. It works okay, for now.
2. My beloved Panama Pile-Driver, a perpetual-motion toy from the 1910s and 20s. I saw a video of one of these running on Youtube a while back and fell in love with its elegant simplicity. Took almost two years to find a decent one for reasonable money. This is probably the most reliable accessory that I own since all it needs is periodic lubrication and, well, gravity.
3. My Lionel magnetic gantry crane. This was another gift from my parents. One of the best train accessories ever made in my opinion, there is a reason why Lionel has been making these things almost nonstop since the 1930s.
4. To the very right, you can just make out a Marx crane. This is an old project of mine, it's a hand-cranked unit that is almost as reliable in operation as the Panama Pile-Driver.
5. My American Flyer Log Loader works pretty well, but has developed a strange habit of randomly activating whenever anything shakes it (i.e. when a locomotive rolls past). I am baffled as to why this happens as it's only been doing this for a few months. Maybe a wire jacket has worn through somewhere and it's shorting to the frame? Another project to work on I suppose.

I am considering getting a bigger coal loader to supplement my rather anemic 397 unit, but other than that I think I'm all set on accessories in this area. I'm having enough trouble storing the boxes for these guys!

Description
A major area on my train layout is my industrial district. I have acquired a number of operating accessories over the years, most of which had previously seen little use since I never have time or space to set them up on temporary layouts. I selected an open area on the layout to set them out in so I can actually enjoy them.

From front to back, here are the accessories I have:
1. My Lionel 397 Coal Loader. I got this for my 19th birthday from the parents. After several merry hours of operation I accidentally seized the motor and fried the controller board, it was a pain-in-the-butt to rebuild. It works okay, for now.
2. My beloved Panama Pile-Driver, a perpetual-motion toy from the 1910s and 20s. I saw a video of one of these running on Youtube a while back and fell in love with its elegant simplicity. Took almost two years to find a decent one for reasonable money. This is probably the most reliable accessory that I own since all it needs is periodic lubrication and, well, gravity.
3. My Lionel magnetic gantry crane. This was another gift from my parents. One of the best train accessories ever made in my opinion, there is a reason why Lionel has been making these things almost nonstop since the 1930s.
4. To the very right, you can just make out a Marx crane. This is an old project of mine, it's a hand-cranked unit that is almost as reliable in operation as the Panama Pile-Driver.
5. My American Flyer Log Loader works pretty well, but has developed a strange habit of randomly activating whenever anything shakes it (i.e. when a locomotive rolls past). I am baffled as to why this happens as it's only been doing this for a few months. Maybe a wire jacket has worn through somewhere and it's shorting to the frame? Another project to work on I suppose.

I am considering getting a bigger coal loader to supplement my rather anemic 397 unit, but other than that I think I'm all set on accessories in this area. I'm having enough trouble storing the boxes for these guys!