What happened at your workbench today?

[Rhinochugger]

Another new toy for my Lionel layout. MTH Trains did a remake of the post-war Lionel helicopter launching flatcar, but with a different launching mechanism. It is somewhat of an improvement, but the copter is undersized for "O" scale. But still fun to operate.

I think the boys in blue would call that 'tactical flying' - in fact, anything that is designed to change the colour of your underwear gets described as tactical flying

 

[Paul M]

Another new toy for my Lionel layout. MTH Trains did a remake of the post-war Lionel helicopter launching flatcar, but with a different launching mechanism. It is somewhat of an improvement, but the copter is undersized for "O" scale. But still fun to operate.

Do they still make stuff with the same play value these days?

 

[Madman]

Do they still make stuff with the same play value these days?

Yes, this model is a newer production. Pretty much everything Lionel made in the post-war period, 1945-1969 has been produced again. In the early years, 1970-about 1990, Lionel used the exact same tooling to reproduce the trains and accessories made after the war. From 1990 on some new innovations were added to those trains and accessories.

Most of the operating accessories originally produced in the P-W period used vibrator motors. After 1990 can motors replaced the vibrator type. Can motors allowed much quieter operation. Other things like die cast sprung trucks on rolling stock came along after the early '70s. As electronics became more widely used, the locomotives were equipped with sound systems and electronic reversing units, also known as E-Units.

Today's production is filled with detail, sound and other bells and whistles that were only a dream in the P-W era.

 

[Jasper]

At the point where the 45mm and 64mm gauge part ways, this point was causing derailments. So on the bench it went for some "tender loving care".



Naturally, the coursest file I have is an excellent vehicle for tender loving care.



The culprit is the bit that the green arrow is pointing at. Undergauge 45mm wheelsets will derail when pushed into it.



After reshaping it, I also needed to make sure it's as far from the curved through rail as it can be. The brown plastic podest that holds it has too much play.
So I made a wedge from some plastic offcut of a similar colour, and secured it with epoxy.



Now every kind of wheelset runs past smoothly.

 

[PhilP]

It fits!

A few firmware problems, but:

1000037428.mp4

drive.google.com

PhilP.