My son has fastrack and received an operating barrel car for Christmas. I am trying to decide what I need to operate this barrel car. I see lots of thing that make it seem like you can run with uncoupler or operating section of track. Can you tell me the difference and advise which one I should go with.
Replies sorted oldest to newest
You will need the 12054 Operating Track Section for the Operating Barrel Ramp Car.
Typo fixed on catalog number above.
Hi Tanya,
The uncoupling track has an electromagnet in the middle of the track that can be used for uncoupling cars & locomotives (Except for those with electrocouplers.) and can also operate some 'action' accessory cars such as the log-dump, helicopter launch, and some other cars. These can normally be identified by having a large 'button' on the underside that is pulled down by the electromagnet to operate the car.
The operating track also has the uncoupling electromagnet, but in addition has 2 extra rails that certain accessory cars need to activate. The control box for this track has 2 buttons too. Cars such as the barrel unloading car, the merchandise delivery car and suchlike need this track to operate. These can normally be identified by having one or more extra contact shoes on the underside, which contact the additional rails on the operating track.
It sounds as though the operating track is the one that you require for your son's barrel car. 
I believe the correct number is 6-12054. As Nicole described, this is a "two-fer", it can be used as an activation track and as an uncoupler track.
Ed
Thank you for the responses, this is very helpful.
Which would I need for an operating milk car?
Keep in mind that some operating cars have to be "centered" on the operating track so each underside pick-up shoe is over an activator rail (milk car is like this) while some cars require only half of the car to be parked over the operating track as power is needed to only one of the underside shoes (barrel car and cattle car).
Montclaire - You'd need the full operating track for the milk car, not the uncoupling track.
Mike
You need the operating track.
Another difference between the FasTrack versions of the uncouple and operating tracks is that the uncouple section is a half regular (5 inch) straight. It comes with a regular 5 inch straight to make up the difference. The operating track is a regular 10 inch straight. The shorter uncouple section is nice because it gives you more flexibility on the length of your sidings.
Access to this requires an OGR Forum Supporting Membership
