6-9224 operating horse car accessory

The lockon powers the stock car that the horses go in and out of. The pin is used when you are using o gauge track. Without the pin, the rails on the OTC are set for 027 track height. O gauge track is taller, therefore the need for the pin.

The OCT is basically similar to a lockon as it contains track clips to attach it to O or O-27 gauge tublar track.  You wire a controller button or switch to the two posts on the OTC and it uses track power to energize the sliding shoes underneath the trucks of the car via the small rails on the OCT.  The small separate clips attach inside the hollow part of the control rails on the OTC to adapt it to O gauge since the rail profile is higher.  It's not needed for O-27 track.  It was designed at a time when Lionel started to make longer cars during the postwar period that may not completely fit over their UCS control track sections.

It basically gives you a way to control cars like the operating milk car, dump car, barrel car, magnetic couplers, etc. without the need of using a UCS controller track.  The only thing  it doesn't do compared to a UCS track is activate couplers and operating cars that use the disc or plunger-type mechanism.

Thanks.  Thanks.  What else does one do on a Cold cold Saturday night.  6 degrees out in Chicagoland.

so you tell me the pin goes into the hollow part of the little control rail that is on the lock on.  This will allow the shoe to contact it.  Got it. So I will have to squeeze that in that hollow by opening it with a screwdriver.  Hang tight I’ll see how this goes.

well I got the platform to work, so far.  Those horses are moving a mile a minute.

@Pat K posted:

Thanks.  Thanks.  What else does one do on a Cold cold Saturday night.  6 degrees out in Chicagoland.

so you tell me the pin goes into the hollow part of the little control rail that is on the lock on.  This will allow the shoe to contact it.  Got it. So I will have to squeeze that in that hollow by opening it with a screwdriver.  Hang tight I’ll see how this goes.

well I got the platform to work, so far.  Those horses are moving a mile a minute.

Remember the clips aren't needed if your track profile is O-27.  Out of the box, the control rails on the OTC line up with the top of the rails of O-27 track sections.  The separate clips are used to compensate for the taller rail profile of O profile track.

You may not need a screwdriver, you can just slide it in by pushing in on the looped side of the clip with your finger like using a paper clip (make sure to slide the clip in short side down so that the longer part of the clip is over the OTC activator rails as the instructions show).

Ok. Crisis is averted.  I installed the pins.  When I roll the car over the OTC, the vibration starts very minimally, and with the switch on, the corral kicks in with strong vibration, but the doors don’t open on the car.   I didn’t mention but this accessory looks to be seldom used by its previous owner.  So I don’t think it was over played.

I also turned on track power. I assumed that track power would be needed.  But I have the switch hooked up to the B-U posts on my 80 watt transformer.  The accessory side, I mean.

@Pat K posted:

I also turned on track power. I assumed that track power would be needed.  But I have the switch hooked up to the B-U posts on my 80 watt transformer.  The accessory side, I mean.

If the doors on the horse car aren't going down, it's probably not getting enough voltage.  Increase the track power until you see them go down (of course your locomotive needs to be in neutral so the car will stay parked in front of the corral if your car is coupled to it).

Much of Lionel's postwar-style operating cars and accessories that pre-date today's contemporary command-controlled cars and accessories don't behave the same across the board when it comes to operating voltage.  Usually fixed voltage (aka the accessory side of the transformer)  is better for switches, lighted buildings, etc. while operating cars and accessories work better using variable voltage, so you can tweak the operation by adjusting the voltage in order to find the "sweet spot" where it will operate optimally.  Your horse car and corral both will work better using variable voltage.

Posted on your other post, you might need different voltage for the two.  I have the modern version and mine need different voltage.  The car needs more than the corral.  I turn both on by the same toggle switch but use diodes to lower the voltage to the corral.  Yes it is cold out here in the western suburbs of Chicago.

Ok. Tony H. I connected to the track posts and I see how the lower voltage makes the corral more controllable.  But I can’t get the solenoid to actuate to get the car doors open, even at full voltage.

im going to take the car body off and investigate.  Maybe there is a wire touching something it shouldn’t.

I truly want to thank all for your helpful advice.  I’m still a little confused about using the OTC with a switch like a #90 or #96c or any switch.  First. The OTC has 2 terminal clips, but I’m only connected to the switch from the #2 clip.  Shouldn’t there be another wire to complete the circuit, or is the OTC considered grounded to the track.  See the instruction sheet attached.

Did you happen to check if you can easily move the ramps on the car up and down using your fingers?  There's a possibility that there's some mechanical binding going on.

The wiring diagram is correct in this application, because your activation switch is wired back to the transformer so that the switch cuts or applies transformer power from one terminal of the transformer to the corral and the horse car simultaneously.

You only use both wiring posts on the OTC when activating operating cars like the milk car and dump cars just using power from the track.

John. You are a gentleman for answering.  It’s still early in San Diego❤️.  And I see you Latin phraseology.  I was raised by Jesuits.  That’s my excuse for knowing a little bit of Latin.  Were you?

Pat, you may want to refer to Chapter 19 of the new Jim  Barrett book for an excellent article regarding the horse corral.  Frank  A.M.D.G. Ignatius ‘66

@Pat K posted:

Ok. Tony H. I connected to the track posts and I see how the lower voltage makes the corral more controllable.  But I can’t get the solenoid to actuate to get the car doors open, even at full voltage.

im going to take the car body off and investigate.  Maybe there is a wire touching something it shouldn’t.

I truly want to thank all for your helpful advice.  I’m still a little confused about using the OTC with a switch like a #90 or #96c or any switch.  First. The OTC has 2 terminal clips, but I’m only connected to the switch from the #2 clip.  Shouldn’t there be another wire to complete the circuit, or is the OTC considered grounded to the track.  See the instruction sheet attached.

When you try to activate the car, do you hear anything coming from the car, even if the doors don't open?  How much voltage are you getting to the OTC/the car?  Not sure if you a multimeter to test the voltage.

I have 16 volts going from the transformer going to a on/off switch.  From there is splits and one wire at full voltage goes to the #1 clip on the OTC.  A second wire from the split goes to the corral but it is at about 9 volts.  The volts are lowered by using multiple diodes.

I will try to check that out.  Thanks.  I’m also looking at the K LINE book, Operating O &O27 Trains, and on page 214, I see that there is a figure 3 that illustrates a lock on ( I’m assuming an additional one) about a track length away from the corral.  Does that add something for track power.

The action when I place the car on the clip is that the corral activates, the car sounds like a gentle hum, but the doors do not open up.  

To “Youngstown”, I will check that book out.  And who did you learn Latin from, Father Zimicki?  Ignatius ‘71. AMDG.

Pat K. When you plan your layout don’t forget that all of Gaul is divided into three parts so that you can say veni, vidi, vici (according to Fr. Walters!  Enjoy your 50th reunion.

Ok I’m getting clos—-er to solving the riddle. For experimental sake, I took away the corral and just hooked up the switch like my attached photo shows.   I run my train and check to make sure the OTC is working by running the barrel car.  Yes barrel car works - discharges the barrels... but when I touch the switch button, the transformer shorts out.  Hmmm .

so far kinda good.  OTC works.  Add the horse car, spot it on the OTC.  And it hums, the doors open.  So getting clos—er.

But when I go to the switch to see if I can control the car, the transformer shorts out.

i reversed the B-U wired connections just to see and that shorts out the transformer.

so I know the car will operate, I know the corral will operate, what I don’t know is why the wiring and or button is shorting this setup out.   Any help?  One last time before I watch a little football.❤️

Well at least I figured out how to turn on the cattle pen.  But the 3656 doors don’t open.  

@Pat K posted:

... on page 214, I see that there is a figure 3 that illustrates a lock on ( I’m assuming an additional one) about a track length away from the corral.  Does that add something for track power.

That has nothing to do with the accessory, that is the connection for running the trains, and although illustrated near the corral, it is or could be anywhere in that track loop.  What it does do is show the relationship of which accessory posts vs track power posts to use on different transformers.

Rob. ❤️❤️❤️

Rob—-  in a nutshell, I know the car will open it’s doors when parked n the OTC when I wire it as per my sketch; I know the corral works based on the specified wiring, and is best using variable voltage; I just can’t seem to put it all together.