Lionel Barrel Loader Accessory; Using it with a Lionel Barrel Ramp Operating Car

Possibly the OTC would help in conjunction with cut to size track sections.

https://www.tandem-associates....trains_otc_track.htm

Yep.  OTC works great for what you want to do....

bmoran4 posted:

Possibly the OTC would help in conjunction with cut to size track sections.

I believe you are correct.  When I had my Super O layout, back in the seventies, I did exactly what the OP is describing by using Super O operating-car activation blades placed in the track at the appropriate spots.

I have never seen one of those OTC connectors, but it looks to me like they would accomplish exactly the same thing.

I use the OTC to operate my barrel cars all the time..   

What track system do you use?   I use Fastrack and placing the Operating track in the middle of the loader allows me to operate the car in both Loading and unloading positions.

Good advice above.

You can either use two OTCs or locate one operating track section in the "middle" so that the pick ups can access on either end of the loader.

I have one OTC at the moment but was thinking of adding another. Picture:

Another thing is that I use a classic Lionel push button switch as I find it gives better control while unloading the barrel car.

Reply to all ...

Good suggestions - thanks to all "first responders."

I'm currently using one Lionel UCS track section with its accompanying two-button controller to energize the Lionel Barrel Ramp car while it is parked at the lower end of the Barrel Loader ramp. The UCS track section is placed alongside the Barrel Loader so that the "exit" from the Barrel Ramp Car is aligned with the "input tray" of the Barrel Loader (at the bottom of its ascending ramp). However, in that position, both sliding shoes of the Barrel Ramp Car make contact with both pairs of control blades of the UCS. When I press and hold the UNLOAD button of the UCS controller to activate the Barrel Ramp Car, there's a rather SLOW movement of the barrels along the path at the center of the car.

Apparently, positioning the Barrel Ramp Car at that location on the UCS is a mistake. The Lionel info sheet for the Barrel Ramp Car says only one sliding shoe should make contact with the blades of the UCS. 

When I place the Barrel Ramp car with just one sliding shoe making contact with the UCS and the other sliding shoe off the UCS and resting on an adjacent "regular" Lionel tubular track section, the movement of the barrels along the path of the Barrel Ramp Car is significantly faster. I believe that's the "normal" speed.

Today I'll experiment with different placements of the UCS in relation to adjacent "regular" Lionel tubular track sections; or use two of them with some spacing between them to adjust for proper alignment of the Barrel Ramp Car to the Barrel Loader, so that the "exit" of barrels from the Barrel Loader aligns with the input of the Barrel Ramp Car, and when the car is moved along the rails, the "output" of the Barrel Ramp Car aligns with the "input tray" of the Barrel Loader.

Some responders recommended an older-style OTC activating device, which by design makes contact with only ONE of the sliding shoes of the car as it rests on a "regular" track section.  I use Lionel O-gauge tubular track, so I hope I can find an OTC device (or two) with the O-gauge brass track clips intact. If I find them, I intend to use the Lionel #90 control button to activate the OTCs.

With appreciation,

Mike Mottler  (ritrainguy)
mottlerm@gmail.com

Mike H Mottler posted:

Reply to all ...

Good suggestions - thanks to all "first responders."

Some responders recommended an older-style OTC activating device, which by design makes contact with only ONE of the sliding shoes of the car as it rests on a "regular" track section.  I use Lionel O-gauge tubular track, so I hope I can find an OTC device (or two) with the O-gauge brass track clips intact. If I find them, I intend to use the Lionel #90 control button to activate the OTCs.

With appreciation,

Mike Mottler  (ritrainguy)
mottlerm@gmail.com

Mike,

Piece of cake. The OTCs are easy to find. Check with Hennings Trains, a forum sponsor. I believe I bought mine from them via their eBay site. They come with the clips.

And, yes, as I posted above in the picture I really like the #90 for unloading the barrel car. These give you finer "touch and feel" control when unloading compared to a standard on/off type switch.

My solution to this problem is to install a mini commander in the barrel car , then you can operate the car anyplace you want  by assigning an tmcc number.  works great.

Use two Lionel RCS remote control tracks together in front of the Barrel Loader accessory. The RCS has 5 rails on it with no magnet. Wire the two tracks in parallel and you can operate them together from one RCS controller. You can also wire them to operate from a No. 90 button. The accessory and the barrel car work better if you use an accessory transformer for each and fine tune the voltage to both.

Here's a photo showing my barrel loader accessory with the two RCS tracks.

Reply #2 to Barrel Ramp Car and Barrel Loader accessory ...
Today I bought two OTC devices via eBay with brass O-gauge clips. These "older" units were surprisingly easy to find.  When they arrive, I'll install them at appropriate locations in the Lionel tubular track alongside the Barrel Loader accessory.  I intend to use Lionel #90 control buttons. Then I'll place the parked car at the upper "exit gate" of the Barrel Loader to accept barrels and move them forward until the parked car is filled. Then I'll move the car (by hand) so that the car could deposit its barrels onto the lower "input tray" of the Barrel Loader. And so on and on as a continuing cycle.

Admittedly, this mini-project isn't "rocket science," but it's the first time I've used an operating car with sliding shoes. So I'm a novice at this particular task. With appreciation for practical help - including the tip about the RCS track section,

Mike Mottler   (ritrainguy)
mottlerm@gmail.com

The RCS was my first thought too.

There is still a gap between the acc. rails though because of the way the rails terminate into plastic. 

 One way to bridge the gap may be a Marx part.  Marx used copper sheets with a sticky tape backing for "instant" isolated rails for triggering stuff.  One or two of them could bridge the gap by being stuck over the plastic rail ends. 

Just peel, and bend it over the railhead. All done.

It’s more durable than I expected. I think it could handle the shoes sliding over it. Cheap to try anyhow (Robert Grossman Co in Ohio has them)

(I actually use two sided tape for grade traction on a steep hill (+5%). A strip lasts about 3 years being run at least once a week under an E-33 and ten car coal drag for about an hour min.  Mind you that's tape alone, no copper to protect it.

You could make your own too. Maybe with a cut section of normal rail vs copper if you find that silver is more appealing...?

All's well that ends well ...

Thanks to all who offered suggestions and experience-based testimonials about methods for activating a Lionel Barrel Car with sliding shoes. Acting on the contributed advice of OGR FORUM guys, I ordered two OTC devices from East Coast Train Parts. They arrived today. I bench-tested them with the car, and -- PRESTO! -- the car responded as it should. So I installed regular Lionel tubular track sections alongside the Barrel Ramp operating accessory, placed the two OTC devices at two appropriate places, and pressed the #90 control button. They both worked -- like magic! 

I was previously dealing with UCS track sections and controllers, but I couldn't get a satisfactory result. 

I also have a Lionel Log Dump car on the layout. It rests on another UCS activator track section placed alongside a Lionel Sawmill. Now that I've "taken the oath" to use use OTC devices for operating cars with sliding shoes, I'll buy another OTC and install it at that site too.

Moral of the story ... simple technology is often best!

Mike Mottler
mottlerm@gmail.com

PennsyTurbine posted:

Use two Lionel RCS remote control tracks together in front of the Barrel Loader accessory. The RCS has 5 rails on it with no magnet. Wire the two tracks in parallel and you can operate them together from one RCS controller. You can also wire them to operate from a No. 90 button. The accessory and the barrel car work better if you use an accessory transformer for each and fine tune the voltage to both.

Would there be a reason why I could not use two of the Lionel remote control tracks with the magnet?  I have two of those now, so I would not have to buy anything new.  I guess I could wire them in parallel to just have one controller.

This accessory like the culvert loader/unloaded set, log loaders etc remind me of politicians, unload and load the same product with a lot of action and accomplish nothing.

The UCS updates the RCS and the 6019 updates the 1019. No reason you can't use your existing UCS or 6019.

I like the idea of the mini-comander, I would like to get two, but, where can I buy them from?

Tony H posted:

PennsyTurbine posted:

Use two Lionel RCS remote control tracks together in front of the Barrel Loader accessory. The RCS has 5 rails on it with no magnet. Wire the two tracks in parallel and you can operate them together from one RCS controller. You can also wire them to operate from a No. 90 button. The accessory and the barrel car work better if you use an accessory transformer for each and fine tune the voltage to both.

Would there be a reason why I could not use two of the Lionel remote control tracks with the magnet?  I have two of those now, so I would not have to buy anything new.  I guess I could wire them in parallel to just have one controller.

You don't need 2, as only ONE of the shoes should be on the operating track at a time, not both.  Put the Operating track in middle of the ramp and it covers both loading and unloading of car.

Technically speaking, the 3562- series cars you're using was described by Lionel as an operating barrel car, not a barrel ramp car.  The barrel ramp car (#6343) is a completely different car, in that it is a flat car that came equipped with a superstructure that resembles the ramps used on the operating culvert loader to hold barrels but is not an operating car and doesn't work with the barrel loader.

Operating Barrel Car:  https://www.tandem-associates....62_operating_car.htm

Barrel Ramp Car:  https://www.tandem-associates....ns_6343_flat_car.htm