I was trying my Lionel #3454 Auto. Merch.Car, which is old and bought second hand, my question is has anyone experienced the following situation with FasTrack?
At times when I press the ‘Unload’ button I get no responce, but if I press the ‘Uncouple’ button the car’s mech. functions.
I did not try with ‘O’, or ‘027’ remote tracks and I know that the knuckle couplers will function when either button is pressed and because the juice passes through the coil couplers when operating the car mech. the coil couplers get hot.
Is this normal, a problem with the mech. plunger coil, or the FasTrack controller itself?
I would appreciate any help with this matter, as I’m not too electrically inclined.
These guys can be a little finickey… probably needs contacts cleaned, make sure the mechanisim moves freely (you know the door is supposed to open on the first button push and then five cubes get tossed onthe next five pushes and then the last push shuts the door). If the door is hard to open, it won’t always work. Other comment is that these also usually take a good bit of voltage to work consistantly (well sort of consistantly!) say 14-18 volts from a good size transformer.
Your information is helpful and you’re right about having the voltage turned-up high, that’s the problem with older items they were made for a higher voltage and also with time, the item needs more juice.
But, for my car to just not work with the voltage on and up and the ‘Uncouple’ button to function the mechanism at some time, then not, and the ‘Unload’ button to operate it as designed, makes me think there’s something wrong with either the mech. plunger coil,or the FasTrack controller.
I don’t know how the fastrack section is wired, but It was common (you probably already know this) for the couples to open when the unload button is pushed. If you had an old controller and were getting unload when uncouple were pressed, I would look at the wiring in the controller, but I don’t know about the fastrac section controller.
You get the interconnection on the mech with the couples since they are wired together(well, one side of their respective circuits). guess I didn’t read your post well, I see the mech works with the unload button as designed (does this mean all the time or sporadically?) If its all the time, I think your mech is ok, possibly some wiring anomoly. The two wires from the mech should each be sent to one couplerslide shoe (really the copper spring wiper). May somebody before worked on it and instead connected one mech wire to ground and the other spliced to the two wires to the couplers?? I am kind of grasping with that, but the fact that your mech works at all tells me it is ok. Probably if there is a problem it is wiring. If you have another postwar car like a 3461,3469 dumps,or 3472 milk car put them on the track and see if they react in the same way. I belive they should be wired in the same fashion. Its been so long since I had one of those cars hooked up I can’t really remember if I ever got unload when pushing uncouple (if I held the button). Some others will post here shortly.
At first the unit worked fine by depressing the ‘Unload’ button, then after awhile it seemed, as though, there was no juice at all.
I then depressed the ‘Uncouple’ button and the mech. functioned, this did not happen before and I did not try with other remote tracks, or other cars to see if this happened to them, which more than likley would indicate either the FasTrack controller, or the track itself.
If this happens with other remote tracks, then it’s the car’s mechanism, if this happens to other cars on the FasTrack, then it’s the FasTrack.
This is the only way to test without test equipment, as you mentioned.
Thanks again, I will search further and inform you and the others.
I have checked my Merch. car on both Op. FasTrack and ‘O’ gauge remote track.
With both tracks, when the ‘Uncouple’ button is pressed the couplers open and the mechanism hums with the door jiggling partially open, then closing, seemingly with weak power.
With both tracks, when the ‘Unload’ button is pressed the couplers open and the mechanism functions properly and has full power, but at times when the FasTrack ‘Unload’ button is pressed for a long duration when operating the Merch. car, the controller button gets stuck down in the operating position and as mentioned, by other forum members, causes the power to cease flowing to the car’s mechanism, whether at high, or low voltages.
This malfunction is due to weak return springs under the buttons of both functions, inside of the controller of the Operating FasTrack unit, unlike the stronger return springs of the ‘O’ gauge remote track.
It’s a shame, because the FasTrack is really a beautiful product and so is the Automatic Merchandise Car #3454.
Keep an eye on the stud, attached to the inside of the functioning door, which the mechanism’s rod is attached to.
From all of the constant pressure of the mechanism’s rod while opening and closing the dooe, the stud works loose from the inside of the functioning door.