Fast track unloading section..? (Curve)

Daniel

I'm no authority but do use a lot of fastrack and I have never seen what you are looking for. I think you are going to have to use a straight on each side of you're oval to make it work. Making it oblong in shape. One being the unload/uncouple section.

Larry

You could do what I did, equip a bunch of the operating cars with TMCC so I can' operate them anywhere.

Trying to design and make a curved unloading track would be a tremendous undertaking, one that no one seems to have accomplished. Your best solution is to either redesign your layout to put the operating section along the straight section, or elongate the oval, as Larry Sr suggested.

Larry

Find an old 3469 side dump car. You can add a solid state Lionel whistle relay

and a second relay and it will all mount under the bin in the well.  ( We wire one

for whistle and one for bell operation. )

We use these during the holidays and dump about 150 candy canes a night for

14 nights. Works great anywhere on the layout.

We even painted them green and white.

Oh and yes we use fast track ( not that this matters. )

The operating dump car wouldn't have its plunger positioned over the electro-magnet when on a curve.  Most likely it'd be over top of the inner most outside rail.  If the mechanism did work ( not likely ) then there's a possibility of a major short circuit.  Good reasons for any manufacturer not to offer them.

Bruce

Daniel,

I would recommend getting either the K-Line or new Williams operating dump cars as they can be dumped anywhere on the layout using an inexpensive remote control. My kids love them and you can get coal cars, log cars, box cars and milk cars. I always use my dump cars for candy canes on the Christmas layout. 

That way you will have cars you can use all year instead of a purpose built track section that will only fit your holiday layout.

Jay in Ottawa

Ok ......  so far this is what I did ..........  I got the super  O  uncoupler  track accessory from the 60's    drilled holes to flush mount it.... and  installed it on the Fast Track..!  so far my 3459 dump car mostly works  ... mostly .. but at time does not... so I am thinking I will wrap   wire under the pick ups ..  or will try shimming the shoes with double sided tape .. But guys  and gals  SO FAR  I have a working unloading station!  " ON a Curve...   I'll show photos and a video after it works flawlessly...DANiel

Here are some shoots of the finished addition of unloading section  on a curve of Fast track.

Works every every time now!  I soldiered extra wire on the bottoms of the shoe pickups.. I wired it up separate from the transformer to have fixed voltage...

I tested it with candy with my 4.8 version granddaughter while it was running it will dump...!  AND with my 6.3 version Maltese little doggy with dog treats!  

It does a great job standing still and unloading also..  DANiel

That's a very interesting mod Dan, nice work!  Love customization like that to solve a problem.

Just as Lee pointed out in another post "When No Is Just Not An Acceptable Answer", someone develops a working solution. Great work Dan!

That is good work. Well done and I bet 4.8 version granddaughter is happy happy.

Larry

Yes she IS!  I'm looking forward to the new upgrade 4.9 version soon!...

Nice work Dan! Looks great, well done!

Jay in Ottawa

Great Job.

Excellent work!!!

Glad to hear version 4.8  loves it. Does she realize gramps is a genius?

That's the neatest thing I've seen in quite some time!  

You should post up a tutorial of the steps you took to make it!

I'd like to know what rail sections you used, they look like they were designed to go there.  It's a very neat job!

Good work!!!

Sorry guys got tied up this morning...  As mentioned I used the super O Track accessory form Lionel in the 60's  ..... All you need to do is slowly bend the rails (I use a big vise to sort of squash them length wise  .. then I use a body hammer and use a big socket and make the radius match the outside rails  Then I lined them up using a Lionel straight uncoupler track for reference...   Under neath one wires go to 14 or 18 volt switch the other wire will clip in the outside rail on the fast track.. then I drilled three holes after screwing in the wire to the rails  then I hot glued it together and the top part I used plastic weld  to finish it off... I am really a hands on guy and its something for me at least to show than write about ...

Sad part is if you remember I made the  "Custom Modified operating switch  / Station before....( go to Daniels Lionel Super O  .. you tube video) I called Lionel and just wanted to share they told me if this was the 50's they would and did jump on these ideas but today .... forget it..

It really does work nice   .. I thinking I might redesign a milk car platform to have a arch to match the contol of the track  .. if time permits...DANiel 

Glad to hear version 4.8  loves it. Does she realize gramps is a genius?

 Sorry just noticed this part...

Actually..   I her PaPa Dad     my grandfather was Pup  ..my dad is her Pup Pa..(hes 89) and I'm her PaPa Dad ..

That's a very professional looking modification, looks virtually stock.  Good job!