Lionel pw-342+345

342 & 345 CULVERT LOADER AND UNLOADING STATION

 

This unit is a combination of the 342 operating culvert loader and the 345 operating culvert unloader. The combination enables a continuous operation involving unloading culverts from the special 6342 culvert car, and reloading them at the other end. The 342 was introduced in 1956 and could be enjoyed seperately. It was powered by a vibrator motor, which drove the crane through fishing line. This accessory used a mechanically actuated gripper to lift culverts from the sloping ramp and move them to the included 6342 gondola. It had a black painted sheet metal base with a tan base structure, and red building with a gray roof. The unloading station was introduced in 1957 as a companion piece to the 342. The short sections of pipe were picked up magnetically from the included gondola car and stored on a sloping ramp attached to the accessory base. A gray roofed red control tower was also mounted on the base. A "bridge" was supplied with the 342 to connect the ramps of the two accessories, is essential for operation, and is included (many have been lost because purchasers of 342's did not know what they were for). This accessory ceased to be produced by 1959.

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