The A.C. Gilbert Co. cataloged the no. 787 log loader in 1955 and ’56. That accessory followed the no. 751 operating log loader, which held a key place in the American Flyer line from 1946 to 1950 and was succeeded by the no. 751A in 1952 and ’53.
So, after being without a log loader in its line for a year, Gilbert introduced the 787 in 1955. Like its predecessor, the 787 lifted logs from a tray at the base of the loader, moved toward the track installed alongside, and deposited them one by one into a waiting gondola. The action went on as long as an operator pushed the button on the controller and kept refilling the tray with logs.
The Lionel reissue (no. 49810) resembles its ancestor in appearance. It has the same tan plastic simulated wood base, gray-painted sheet-metal legs and platform, and black metal walkway and ladder as the Flyer original.
There is again a yellow plastic shed with brown windows and a red roof, presumably the home of the figure swinging from the middle of the loading structure. He sits in the middle of that black-painted mechanism, watching its hooks swing down to pick up the next log and drop it in an empty freight car.
The animation proceeds in a smooth and consistent manner, thanks to a modern can-style motor in place of the old Flyer growler.
Installation of the accessory is as easy as falling off a log. Strip the plastic insulation off the two-headed ends of the red and black wires attached to the one-button controller. Secure one end of each to the loader and the other ends to your power source.
Now you’re ready to place the 61/2- by 11-inch loader parallel to a siding or main line and pop the logs into place. Maneuver an empty gondola or flatcar with stakes into place, and depress the button on the controller. That’s it!
Or should have been – our loader kept missing the logs. I checked the action and consulted the instructions. Everything was in order. However, the box illustration showed me that the hooks had been installed backwards. A quick fix left everything swinging along.
The animation of the reissued 787 is excellent, regardless of whether you have an S gauge layout or an O gauge one that’s in need of further excitement. Combining this loader with one of Lionel’s classics from the postwar era will create unique scenes that are sure to leave you and your guests swingin’ on a log.
