I have the 3454 Automatic merchandise Car. it is in good shape
It will not operate the unloading chute, although it does uncouple. There must be some kind of a short, but if the uncoupler is working, wouldn’t that preclude that there is no short. The shoes seem to be functioning well-- they make contact on the track and the wire from the electromagnet at the coupler does not seem to be broke or unconnected.
Any advice out there?
Do both couplers work?
When you try to unload, does one of the couplers open?
Rob-- first thanks for responding
After several attempts thinking only one coupler worked, finally the second coupler started to work.
And then miraculously, when I went to unload, the mechanism started to work and kicked out those cubes like crazy. So that is working now
But — the door won’t close right now. It seems restrained by a spring or some kind of a catch up inside the car, and the coupler in fact does uncouple in the unloading operation
What does this mean?
pk
Your 1st problem was probably just dirty slider shoes.
The car must be cycled through all of the unload steps - 5 or 6 or 7 - I forget - before the door will close again.
The Sept '94 issue of CTT’S has an article by Ray L Plummer on servicing the 3454 automatic merchandise car. One of the troubleshooting hints is " Door action slow or incomplete- Check for bent or loose door guides. Clean door slots. Lubricate pivot bearing."
Other advice- Do not oil solenoid. Contacts on shoes should be clean and shiny.
Hope this helps.
Okay-- the door closes on the 7th cycle, I believe.
Botton line-- the car operates well when the door is on the right, but the rear coupler opens.
When i turn the car to discharge to the left, I can see smoke coming from somewhere. so it does not work that direction
That’s probably the other coupler or it’s connection to the sliding shoe.overheating.
If one coupler activates while operating the unloader, it is functioning properly. This is a side-effect left over from the prewar era when the couplers were reset/closed by gravity. The switch to magnetic plate couplers starting in 1948 eliminated this issue for operating cars.