Help with cattle car

It is getting power.  Check for a broken wire to the vibrating floor. Someone will probably provide a link to the trouble shooting information from Lionel shortly.

Walt:

What Bill said. Also, double check the cushioning pads underneath the metal track inside the car. They must be properly positioned and replaced if they are stiff. Replacements are available from good train part dealers like Jeff Kane.

Curt

thanks guys. i will forward this on to him.

- walt

Hey Walt, if you can get your brother to watch OGR's latest posting, the late great Jim Barrett has a 14 minute video about how to tune up the cattle car.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fatNCHQPY9A&t=86s

With my cattle car of the era, the cushining pads were hard and needed to be replaced.  Along with the wire insulation.  My insulation literally fell the wires going to the coil.    I had to unsolder the wire ends for the coil,  then used shrinkwrap to slide over the wires down to the coil.   This prevents it from shorting out.   

If the corrall is working fine, DON'T mess with it.  They can be touchy when you start adjusting them.   I assume it is the metal one, that have the cattle level to the doors.

Thanks guys!  I alerted him just now to check in on the thread.  I think he has been but I wanted to make sure that he sees these 2 new suggestions.

- walt

He has copy of theories based on info in this thread on his own research.  I am going over Tuesday morning to see if I can contribute to the solution.

His "hot" theory right now is that the power source that makes the car vibrate isn't up to the task.  I'll take over my ZW and see it that matters.

as always = thanks

walt

I certainly question the power source theory.  I have easily run such a car on a type R transformer.

I have had trouble running the postwar accessories on the CW80 style transformers.  Any traditional transformer should work.   

If he is using  a CW transformer with a  chopped wave form then that could be the issue.  The car vibrates from the ac wave form.  It does not need high current.

I've heard it said that the cattle behave as if they know where they're going...

He is using an MTH Z1000 that I lent to him - he was using the fixed output port.  Since the car didn't vibrate he tried to only other trannie that he had - one of those small cubicle ones that came in Lionel starter sets.  That didn't work either.

We'll play around Tuesday together and see what we see.  I will be back with results.

as always- thanks

walt

Check the Runway Stop attached to the back door of the car. Opening and closing the back door stops the cattle or lets them move thru the car.

@trains52 - thanks!  I am going over to help out in 1 hour so I'll let him know.

- walt