Operating track for Lionel Milkcar

You can add either a lionel track that has the control rails for the milk car to a siding with the appropriate Gargraves pins that match the control track you purchase or you can purchase the Gargraves track that does the same thing.  I would go with the lionel track since it is readily available at train shows or on Ebay and the milk car will be hiding it anyway.  More cost effective.  

Soxfan,

I would use the Lionel UCS section to activate the milk car. If you are using cork road bed under your  Gar Graves track you can cut out the road bed and insert the Lionel O gauge track UCS section. The height of the UCS tack will line up perfectly with the  Gar Graves track when the cork roadbed is removed.  The milk car will work fine. Lionel has reissued the O gauge UCS track for many years, and the post war versions are easily found at train shows. But be ware the rubber insolation is usually dry rotted on the older UCS track controllers, and they are a real bear to re wire. I would use the UCS track made by Lionel over the past few years. Gar Graves also makes a version to the UCS track that will work fine also.

The Lionel milk car has been around since 1948, or maybe earlier. They  can be found just about anywhere. I am at work, so I can not quote catalog numbers, but the larger O Gauge version which appeared in 1955 ( I think) is the best milk car to use. Lionel has been re issuing this car for many years. New ones can be found for less then $100.

I can send you pictures of the UCS track set in Gar Graves track later this evening and more information on milk cars.

Hope this helps,

Richard 

Richard:

Just curious, what makes a UCS controller difficult to rewire?  Are you talking about the track, or the controller itself?

I had always thought that if you resoldered the old wires strand by strand (i.e., remove one, solder a new one on, then do the next, etc.), it would be straightforward.  Am I in for some nightmare I didn't know about?

Thanks.

Steven J. Serenska

Milk cars are a great accessory when they are adjusted properly. However, adjusting them can be difficult, but it is possible.

As for wiring the old Lionel UCS track, I wired mine up with a push button to it's own voltage (easier to adjust for operation). Unfortunately, I don't remember how I did this (but I remember it was only 2 out of four screws, and it uncouples and unloads). If nobody comments oh how to do this, and you're interested, I'll trace the wires tomorrow.

I have the K-Line Milk cars and they only require any manufacturer's track with an uncoupling magnet.  They are the best Milk cars.  All you do is position the center of the car over the magnet and tap it momentarily.  The car then automatically starts and stop the process and unloads one can, smooth and quiet and perfect each time.  It does not throw them out like the Lionel ones.  I'm actually selling all my Lionel ones now.  You can also buy the K-line remote and operate them that way and then you don't even need any special track section at all!  They are more expensive but worth it.  Its a nice smooth slow unloading action.

Steven,

I was referring to re wiring the controller. Connecting the controller to terminals 1 through 4 is easy and even easier if you connect the UCS track for variable voltage.

I tried to re wire a controller years ago. I was never able to  reassemble all the spacers and contacts in the controller. I gave up and purchased replacement controllers.

Richard

CarGuyZM10

I run my UCS tracks on variable voltage by using terminal B or C on my ZW's

Without drawing a picture, here is the method of wiring the UCS track for variable voltage:

First of all line the 4 conductor cable from the control flat so wires 1 through 4 line up with terminals 1 through 4, as if you were going to run the UCS off of track power.

Here is the variable voltage wiring sequence:

Wire for terminal 1- this wire can be connected to your common ground for the layout. You do not have to connect  wire one to terminal one unless you just want to.

Wire 2 needs to be connected to terminal 2

Wire 3 needs to go to your variable voltage post on the transformer, for a ZW I use terminal B or C

Wire 4 need to be connected to terminal 4.

This allows you to adjust the voltage to the milk car so the cans can land upright when the little guy in the milk car kicks them out. When the voltage is too low the doors will not open completely and the little guy will not kick the milk can out. Too much voltage results in the little guy kicking the milk can off the platform and out across your layout.

Richard

Here are the pictures of a Lionel O gauge UCS track mixed in with GarGraves track on my layout.

As mentioned in an earlier post you will need to use Gar graves track pins designed to mate Gar graves and Lionel O gauge track. The last picture  shows how I inserted an OTC Lock on in to GarGraves track in order to operate my horse car.

Hope this helps.

Richard

If  you are running TMCC/Legacy or even DCS, you should really consider converting the milk car to remote operation using the Electric Railroad Co., (ERR).

I make the conversion over a year ago, and am so glad I did. I can now move my milk platform anywhere on the layout, and not have to worry about a special Lionel track to operate it. 

In fact, I have 2 platforms on the layout so that I can dump my cans at different locations. 

They also have a voltage adjustment built in so that it doesn't throw the cans out at 100 mph!

Check it out at: http://www.electricrr.com/index.htm

It's under $55 and easy to install.

RAY

Thanks Ray,

I have been considering doing this for a while. I have a couple of questions.

The car runs off a roller pick ups. Does a conversion coupler with a roller pick come with the kit?

I assume that you would need a regular  coupler to replace the other slider shoe. In my case would need to remove the coupler with the remaining slider shoe since I use all Ross switches.

Is there protection for the circuit board in the  event of a derailment? 18volts AC on the track for TMCC could cause problems.

I appreciate you informing us about this option.

Richard 

I would very much like to run this with the MTH DCS control system. Ray, do you know if I could run it with DCSwith the K-Line accessory mentioned in an earlier post? Thanks, Paul

Paul,

I have the Lionel Milk car, post war. I run both TMCC and DCS. I did set up the milk car as a TMCC engine in my DCS remote and it works just like my Legacy remote.

As for using this with the K-Line milk car I really don't know. It would be a question to ask Ken at ERR. If the ERR can work with the K-Line car, then you should be able to use the MTH DCS remote.

Hope this helps.

RAY