I’m using Atlat track & switches. When I pull an old Lionel log car, ( metal with the metal stake beds, flips logs off to one side, it’s black in color ) over an Atlas switch, it uncouples and dumps it’s load. Is there a remedy, and is there a car the dumps logs better than this car does. It sorta pukes them out as if shot out of a cannon. Thanks to all responders, Jake
The old log car operates and uncouples through the contact shoes under the trucks. Your log car is making contact with a hot rail somewhere in the switch. Check the shoes and make sure the center rivet is below the protective side flanges, and that those flanges haven’t worn down.
As for the dumping operation your car is working properly, There’s a solenoid that lifts a pin and the floor of the car letting the logs spill off to one side. It sounds like you’re running at high track voltage… Are you using TMCC? One of the quirks of that system is full voltage applied to the track with engine speed electronicly controlled. Old Postwar likes variable voltage to adjust accessory operation.
Fred,
My candy cane and present dump cars both do the same thing (launch their loads, not dump them). I’m just glad I have the present car and not a coal car - that would be a MESS!!!
Fred and Brent,
Lowering the track voltage will reduce the trajectory of the dumped loads. I figured that out after seeing Lionel logs get flung half way down Main Street on the Jumijo!
Jim
Even the PW lionel had that uncouple/unload problem at switches, but after all these years they are still made the same way.
I’m using DCS so lowering the track voltage is not an option. I have adapted a motor however with a " contact " shoe of it’s own and a small piece of insulated side rail if you will, that pulls up to the proper spot and makes contact with this, which in turn operates the self unloader I"ve built on to a standard Lionel log carrying car. It’s been a tough deal to convert, but it’s been worth it. Now the logs are unloaded instead of hurled through the air! They go straight onto the log loader which in turns loads them back on to the car once it’s re routed on to the other side of the loader. ( The loader is one of those with the wire hooks with the guy that sits in a chair, American Flyer copy I think, it’s new ). Jake
If you are using TMCC or DCS with it’s constant high track voltage there is an answer for the over voltage problem. If you are using, or can use, Lionel RCS or UCS track sections, their unloading functions can be powered separately from the outside and center rails. One of the wires from the track secction to the controller carries third rail power to the controller. Remove this wire from the terminal strip at the track and connect it to a variable power source. You can then run your accessories the way you want them and trains will run normally over the UCS/RCS track. I had a conventional control layout but I still wired my UCS and RCS tracks this way so I could just pull the train up, stop it and unload at will with track power off. I don’t know offhand which terminal is for track power. You’ll have to check one of the Lionel repair manuals or possibly an online source.
Thanks much for the ideas, much appreciated, Jake
K-Line made a log dump and a coal dump car that lifted and lowered much slower.They could be operated from an un-coupling track or a hand held controller.These are in the latest K-Lionel catalog,page 32.
Thanks, I’ll check out the K-Line stuff. Jake
I am assuming the car has coil couplers. The car uncouples because the one control rail of the UCS section gets the “hot” connection and the other gets the ground when the unload button is pressed. The shoe on that control rail also is wired to the coil on the coupler. Thus the uncoupling and unloading at the same time and always the same coupler.
Mel Hazen; Jax, FL
I had the same issue as well as some older cars and engines uncoupling on Atlas switches. I came up with a fix by making a simple insert that keeps the shoe off the hot rail. See my Atlas page at http://www.welchpoint.com/atlas.
Thanks much for the post & web site, Jake