Does anyone know anything about this UCS 5-Rail Uncoupler Section of track used to dump the K Line car I bought? The Remote controller is not going to work I guess so I’m faced with trying to find this track section. Also, does anyone know if I can test this car somehow to make sure it’s not a bad dump car? thanks, Jake
Does anyone know at least who makes this track section? Thanks, Jake
I have one of those sections of track. An old Lionel. What dump car are you trying to get to work?
After looking at the K-Line catalog they appear to be plunger activated. So all you need is the electromagnet in the center rail of the track. Do the trucks have the pickups for the 4th and 5 th rail?
It’s a K Line dump car. No sliding shoe on bottom of the car, Jake
I guess you need an old standard uncoupler track.
The Lionel O gage model.
I remember an article where someone installed one in a piece of fastrack
.No sliding shoe.but you need the equivalent in atlas track. Three rail I hope.
I talked to Lionel tech today and they suggested I send the remote and the car to them to see if they can figure out what is going on with the units. It’s a hell of a note that I cannot figure out a way to trick this car into working, or at least understand what the heck is going on and what should make it work. I hate being electrically challenged. Jake
I’m confused – again!
It seems to me that if you want to uncouple or unload a car on an existing layout, you ought to use the brand of “uncoupling” or “operating” track that stylistically matches your track. Several manufacturers make them.
If car has the sliding shoes under the truck, you will need a five rail version, known in Lionel parlance as a UCS for regular track or a 6-12054 Operating Track for FasTrack. You say that your car does not have such shoes, but simply a large thumbtack or plunger, right? Then you don’t need the 5-rail type, but it certainly should work.
If your car has just a downward-protruding “thumbtack” or “plunger” sort of thing, whether for “dumping,” “uncoupling,” or both, all you need is a 3-rail section of track with an electro-magnet in it’s the center. They too are available to match regular Lionel 3 rail or FasTrack.
I have no idea what K-line makes or made, but I feel certain that Lionel will do.
You can test the mechanical operation of such a car simply by pulling down on the plunger with your finger. If it works smoothly, as it needs to, you should be good to go. To test it on the track, you’ll need a magnetic uncoupler section – either the 3- or the 5-rail version. Ignore how the buttons on the controller are marked. Try one, then the other. If the electromagnet in the track is working, at 12 volts or so it should pull a screwdriver out of your hand. Press the control buttion only for ONE second or so, lest you burn out the magnet. That should be plenty for test purposes.
Note, with some of the FasTrack uncoupler tracks the central magnets stick up too high above the center rail. Sometimes this can phisically limit the necessory downward travel of the thumbtack so that the car will not respond properly.
It is easy to mis-wire
My only suggestion is that you put fresh batteries in the remote controller. I read the catalog they are neat cars.
I’ve put two new Duracells in the thing and it still won’t work! Jake
I think “dub” may be the only one here who understands what car we are working with here. Jake, why couldn’t you provide us with the number of the car in question? Is it a K-line 6-22143 or 6-22322, or a similar model*. This is not the “traditional” dump car the most of us are familiar with. At least some of them are supposed the work with a traditional UCS tracks, although that’s not the primary triggering device – some kind of wireless remote control device is.
Dub’s suggestion about the “battery in the controller” tipped me off or I’d never have figured it out.
*K-Line did or does make the more traditional type of dump car with the large “plunger” mechanism. See 6-22144 in the K-Line 2008, Vol. 1 catalog.
This is the car I have.
This Pennsylvania Operating Log Dump Car was in the 2002 1st Edition Catalog. Item # K713-1891. It is brand new in an unopened box. Features include Die Cast Chassis and fully sprung trucks. Real life metal detailing… 12" in length it has a remote controlled operated dump mechanism, lift up tray and opening side panel. Log load included.
Thanks, Jake
That information should certainly help someone solve your problem. “I don’t know from K-Line” as they say. But I do know that K-line made operating cars that worked with the traditional large plunger that was visible from the side.
Whatever you do, don’t force it. Maybe a trip back to Lionel is in order…
Next time, put the product number in the first post, OK?
I have the same model car. Did you set the “Dip” Switches underneath the car per the instructions? I do not have the remote controller, but my car works very well with the Lionel Uncoupling track. You certainly do not need the “5 rail” track. Any one with the electromagnet in the center will do. Of course, the car must be positioned centrally over the track. There is also a red “reset” button. Not sure what it is for, but it wouldn’t hurt to press it. Did your car come with instructions?
Edit note: I forgot to mention that you need to push the “Uncouple” button, not the “Unload” button.
Does your car have a central plunger? or shoe? Mine does not, only a little area that appears as if it could be a magnet. I’ve tried the car of the a piece of track that uncouples the car OK, but it will not dump the car. What am I doing wrong? Or could my car be defective? It’s new in the box so a person would think it would work.
Where do the wires go that connect to the two extra rails on the Atlas track? It has provisions for wires coming off them, and it seems as if they worked at one time but I cannot remember where they go. Thanks, Jake
I do not see a plunger. There is no shoe. I do see a rectangular area that could be a magnet.
I do not know anything about the Atlas wiring. But if you take a screwdriver or any other piece of ferrous metal, you can test if the electromagnet on the uncoupling track is working. The way mine is wired the electromagnet works even if there is no power to the rails.
The car, however needs power to the rails to operate. There are 2 rollers on the car that pickup the power. It is the only car I have that works that way.
There are two versions below: One is way too big. I don’t know how to get rid of it.
WoW. So the car carries the mechanism. The track uncoupler must activate a switch not a plunger. The remote has to be addressed with the individual car. Nice find on the directions. After reading the catalog I knew it was more complicated than a plunger sysytem. Neat!
Yes, it is actually a motor that operates the log dumping mechanism. It works very well.