Accessories - dead cattle for sale

When Pete Bianco first bought Mulraney’s (sp) and  called it trainland, I was out there. I was talking to his wife. She was standing at the counter. The door to the back was open behind her and on the top shelf piled five high and probably six wide were the stockcars and corrals Next to them with were the milk car platforms with a pile of milk cars. I often wondered how we got rid of them.

😱

Just about fell over laughing at this. Thanks for making my morning.  

I always wanted these accessories as I never had any of them when I was a kid. Finally got the milk can car in my twenties when I started work after college. I stopped after that one. I was thinking of putting it out at Christmas around the tree. Scratch that idea. Waste of power. 😉

Greg; your post gave me a good laugh! The 3656 is one of the accessories I place with my Christmas tree layout. To say this is the one I spend the most time fiddling with is gross understatement. I’ll frequently find myself ignoring the trains circling the tree as I try to tweak its operation.

I can’t recall where I read this tip but, put about two drops of light oil on the end of a Q-tip and then apply a bit of the oil around the front of the base on each of the cows. This does seem to improve operation but, it is still far from flawless (assuming such a term may be used within the same time zone as a 3656).

With regard to your “cattle prod”; mine is a short screwdriver. 👍

Curt

PS: I’ve found the 3656 to work better when I’m the only one watching it. Add a grandchild or guest and the gremlins strike. 🤷

@TADAARR posted:

Just about fell over laughing at this. Thanks for making my morning.  

I always wanted these accessories as I never had any of them when I was a kid. Finally got the milk can car in my twenties when I started work after college. I stopped after that one. I was thinking of putting it out at Christmas around the tree. Scratch that idea. Waste of power. 😉

I find I have disagree with you on that milk loader call. On this year's board, I have two milk platforms (one of each side of the same UCS track)  and 4 cars, they all work flawlessly. (Other than like a real man, he drops one early or gets ****ed and tosses one harder - good help is hard to find.)

I also have the Lionel log loader (the green based one with the two chains to lift) and it also works flawlessly! That "growling" motor noise is inspiring! Wish they all worked that well, I had it when I was a kid in the early '50's. I would suggest this accessory to anyone!! Great for kid entertainment.Dump the logs, dump them again into another log car. Fabulous!

I also have an American Flyer coal tower on there, kids love it. Coal car dumps a load into a bin by the track, push a button and an electromagnetic bucket descends, grabs some coal (much leaks out in the trip up, I think Lionel made their coal too large for this) and when the bucket gets to the top, it drops the load. Goes down a chute into either another coal car on the back track, or, like my old man did, into a waiting dump truck! Great accessory - again, kids!!

I am going to hook up another coal loader, the Lionel 397 today. Never ran one before, should be interesting.

Next, I have 2 or three gate man houses to hook up, then to start "erecting" houses/stores etc. and wiring their lights.  I might make it by Christmas....if I don't waste time trying to herd cows! What a waste.

Greg

One thing I haven't heard mentioned is varying the voltage.  It's been awhile since I ran my cattle car, and it's very finicky, but a lot of the vibrating accessories have a "sweet spot" where they operate best.  I didn't say that they operate well, just better at some voltages.

Maybe it would help to take some electric football players and repaint them to look like cowpokes and put them to work pushing the cows.   

This link from OGR magazine, now on Youtube, might help: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...tNCHQPY9A&t=751s

@cngw posted:

Adjusting the power, pads, bending loading ramps, using silicone, 600 grit paper to sand the platform, and talking to them "nicely" had no effect.

For visitor's safety, I am going to put a toothpick by the unit, as a cattle prod, to be used in an emergency!

Call me, the wife and I are having a barbeque this weekend!  Greg

As for "adjusting the voltage" suggestion:  from the first line, 3rd paragraph! see above.

Bottom line.....cows don't listen, or care!! It still entertains the kids!

Thanks,  Greg

@BenLMaggi posted:

This link from OGR magazine, now on Youtube, might help: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...tNCHQPY9A&t=751s

Thank you for the informative link. That horse thing is much different than the cow. Doors on one vs the other, BUT the one difference is in the car (where the cattle seem to fall over and croak!) is that nice metal guide, and the path is high on both sides. When I get time, I am going to take the cow car apart and try to use metal to make a higher path, so they do not fall down in the car.

I knew about the prongs, he mentioned them, but he never told how to fix that bent one. We always used to just bend them all to the rear, did not pay attention to sides.....so I may need to look at those also. Most older cows do not have flexible prongs....kind of like people!

Nice tips. Maybe I can figure a way to get the corral sides higher. Thanks. Greg

(I noticed at the end, he did not run the horses into the center of the corral, where they bunched up the first time. I see no fix to that. AND...I did not see it shown that the horses left the car correctly...just left and dropped in the demo. Wonder if he ever did a video on the cattle car?)