# Lionel post war Cattle Car and coral help



## Blk69

I just got a used cattle car corral at a local train show. No instructions. Did a quick seach on internet and couldn't locate anything. Anyone know a link where I can get them.

I have had the car for some time and it works great on the operator track. powered the corral and a relay fired to work the ramps. Should get some vibaions on the platform and not getting. Perhaps the car vibrator is linked to the platform, don't know. 

The user manual would clear everything up I am sure. I Know Lionel has issued some supplements on their old items. Don' t know what suppliment numbe it would fall under. Any help would be greatly appreachated.


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## tjcruiser

Go to the Olsen's online library. Search under sub-menus for the appropriate car ...

http://pictures.olsenstoy.com/library.htm

(That said, the Library wasn't working for me earlier today ... might be down-time on their server end.)

TJ


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## Big Ed

Blk69 said:


> I just got a used cattle car corral at a local train show. No instructions. Did a quick seach on internet and couldn't locate anything. Anyone know a link where I can get them.
> 
> I have had the car for some time and it works great on the operator track. powered the corral and a relay fired to work the ramps. Should get some vibaions on the platform and not getting. Perhaps the car vibrator is linked to the platform, don't know.
> 
> The user manual would clear everything up I am sure. I Know Lionel has issued some supplements on their old items. Don' t know what suppliment numbe it would fall under. Any help would be greatly appreachated.


This is from a repair manual,

Aligning the platform,
Bridge ramps must align with the car floor. To adjust remove the front fence and, holding the center of the connecting bar with a pair of pliers, adjust one of the bridges to proper height. Then bend the finger of the other bridge until it makes contact with the floor of the platform when the bridge is lowered .

The finger serves to transmit vibration from the floor of the platform of the bridge.



Platform vibration.
Check to see that the platform "floats" in the frame at all four points of suspension. Adjust the grommeted tips by bending them slightly to free platform at points where vibration seems to be poor. In the earlier production models initial adjustment of platform vibration can be made through an adjustment nut in the bottom of the platform. Resting the platform on blocks to reach the nut with a socket wrench, adjust for best performance while supplying 12-15 volts. After adjustment the nut should be sealed with sauereisen (?) cement. 
In later production models no adjustment is necessary and the nut is merely brought up tight.


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## Blk69

Cows are moving, not well, but moving

I checked the platform and the rubber pads under the floor are hard as a rock. I lift the platform slightly and started to vibrate. Cut some electical tape into small squares and placed on pads (about 8 squares each, lifting platform). Got vibration, not consistant. Need new pads.

Tried to attach a track and would not fit. Looking at my cattle car, 5" from electrical pick up's center to center on trucks. On platform, 6" center to center. The pads are 2 1/4" long power tab, and 1 3/4" long for the ground on the platform. My track hits the ground tab at about 1" (have 3/4" hitting the cross tie of the track). 

My stockyard says Lionel 3656. What is going on? I am using standard O-27 track, did they make some track longer then others. I can cut out one of my cross ties from the track, but doubt that is what came the factoy.

My milk platform was so much simpler!


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## Big Ed

Blk69 said:


> Cows are moving, not well, but moving
> 
> I checked the platform and the rubber pads under the floor are hard as a rock. I lift the platform slightly and started to vibrate. Cut some electical tape into small squares and placed on pads (about 8 squares each, lifting platform). Got vibration, not consistant. Need new pads.
> 
> Tried to attach a track and would not fit. Looking at my cattle car, 5" from electrical pick up's center to center on trucks. On platform, 6" center to center. The pads are 2 1/4" long power tab, and 1 3/4" long for the ground on the platform. My track hits the ground tab at about 1" (have 3/4" hitting the cross tie of the track).
> 
> My stockyard says Lionel 3656. What is going on? I am using standard O-27 track, did they make some track longer then others. I can cut out one of my cross ties from the track, but doubt that is what came the factoy.
> 
> My milk platform was so much simpler!



My manual said,

The stock car outfit can be operated with either "O" or "o27" gauge track provided that proper adjustment is made in the height of the corral platform and the correct contact blades are used to compensate for the difference in the heights of the 2 types of track.

It is important that the track is mounted on the platform base correctly, or the car will be tilted and either fail to make proper electrical contact with the base, or interfere with the action of the platform bridge.


I wonder if you have the right blades? I never had one of these or worked on one. That info is from a manual.


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## Blk69

Ed, it is very intersting thing. I had to get an older operator track to work my milk car. It has blades inbetween the rails to actuate the the car. 

What the stockade does is incorporate these power blades into the base of the stockade. This allows the stockage to activate the car so they work togather. 

This is all fine and dandy, by my track will not fit. I have a piece of O-31 and it doesn't fit ether. There are notches in the mounting area so I know I am in the right spot. Can't figure out why the rail tie won't all this intallion?


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## Big Ed

Blk69 said:


> Ed, it is very intersting thing. I had to get an older operator track to work my milk car. It has blades inbetween the rails to actuate the the car.
> 
> What the stockade does is incorporate these power blades into the base of the stockade. This allows the stockage to activate the car so they work togather.
> 
> This is all fine and dandy, by my track will not fit. I have a piece of O-31 and it doesn't fit ether. There are notches in the mounting area so I know I am in the right spot. Can't figure out why the rail tie won't all this intallion?



I saw the t man looking at this thread and thought he might know. But he left unless he's off looking for info.

The servoman (guy?) might know but he has not been on today.

I never had one so I don't know I just copied from one of my manuals.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

Did you cuss at it and threaten it with a hammer?
That works sometimes.:laugh:


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## Blk69

After several hours I finally did something a child probable could have done in 1 second. The stockage is placed over two track not just one (connection point is in the middle). 

The stockage has a screw at the back that allows you to adjust it for O or O-27 track. You want the top positon for O-27 track. 

One thing I haven't figured is where the track is placed, on the outside of the stockade their a two bumps that could hold track. I say could because the track could go on top, inbetween the bumps or under. The other side has two notches, one high (O-27) one low (O-31). Putting an O-27 track into the O-27 slot and inbetween the two bumps makes a slight angle on the track (angles toward the stockade). I don't know if this correct (looks like the track cross members maybe hitting the bottom of the platform). Will be looking into this further.

I am missing the blade to allow the positive connection point of the stockade to connect to the car. I made a crude one out of a copper wire, works but may cause a fire as shorts easy. Car and platform work. Odd thing is cows can travel in both directions (cows have spikes on bottom that are angled, this angle forces forward direction). 

Other odd thing is that there is a good size (1/4") gap between ramp and car. This cause the cows to be relucant to enter car.

One more thing, the vibrating platform makes all kinds of racket and my kids love it!


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## T-Man

I have owned one since last spring. All I can do is offer a couple of pictures but mine is in bad shape. I have O gage track on it. This was discussed before but I can't find it.


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## Blk69

T-man. I thought this would have already been discussed as a thread also. I searched and could not find anything ether.


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## T-Man

Snce you are on now what is the first question. I found mine and cleaned it I took a mess of pictures. I planned on doing a thread someday ,maybe this winter but I can't ignore your kids. SO what's first.








...









This fits in the ground shoe supply tab...............This is the hot supply with O gage tab.









The 1/4 gap is a ramp on the corral.


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## Blk69

T-man,

Could you supply the dimension on the O-27 blade adapter. I just have a piece of wire in mine for testing. 

I was unable to get my O-27 track into the bottom grove of track mounting bracket. Let me try again and see if that takes care of the slight angle I have on the track.


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## T-Man

Remember the track end is centered on the corral. It is the only way it fits. It is the same for O scale too. Two pieces are needed.


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## servoguy

You guys are having too much fun.
Yes, I have had a cattle pen for 55 years. I bought one new when I was a kid. I think it cost $13. For O-27 track, the track should go in the lower position so it is flat on the deck. The pen should be adjusted for the lower position to line up with the car. You don't need a blade for the ground connection, and you need a low one for the power connection. I lost the blades for O gauge track many years ago, and the last time I used the cattle pen I made some new blades from brass sheet. 

The grommets that hold the parts that vibrate broke years ago, and frankly, the pen seems to work better with them broken. Spend a little time adjusting the ramps so that they line up with the car, and it should work pretty well. My kids love this toy. I have a total of 3 pens and 4 cars so there is a lot of action possible.
Bruce Baker


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## dbyll

I don't know if I should reply here or go to a new section and post. Well here goes. I am trying to restore a cattle car and stockyard. My question is on the bottom of what the cows sit and move on ther is no side tabs everyone seems to talk about that makes it float. It has yellow gates. Also the sides of the aluminum shows that there was never any tabs. I got it straight as to where the track goes and what notchs and tabs to use. That took a little thinking. and then I find this Post. Next time I will look to the forum first. Also there are no gromets in the sides of the fence. Any ideas? Thanks Gary.


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## servoguy

The part that the cows move on is not aluminum. It is plated steel. 

It is normally glued to some rubber mounts that allow it to move when the solenoid vibrates it. There are similar rubber mounts for the piece inside the cattle car.

I have 3 pens and 4 cars, and my experience is that the cattle move better if the rubber mounts are broken. I bought one of these cars with a pen in 1955. I was disappointed in how well it worked, but I had only a small transformer at that time. Today, if I put one of the pens into the layout, it works pretty well. The cattle fall over inside the car sometimes, but that just gives the kids something to do. The kids really like these cars.

You may have to do some adjusting of the ramps to make the cattle move in and out of the car.


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## dbyll

Let me try to make myself a little clearer. I'm talking about the part that the 4 gates are attached to. Is this what they are talking about floating? I do have all the rubber mounts in place 5 total and in front of them on the base is a adjustment screw. this is all below the area I am talking about. I hope this clears it up a little. Thanks for your reply. I've got my coal ramp and loader going great and this is my new project.


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## T-Man

The deck floats on rubber tabs,so it can vibrate.
Tabs adjusted the height for the track used.

I use pictures to clear things up, give it a try.


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## dbyll

I do thank You guys for replaying. I know I need to learn how to post pictures. I was talking about the platform assm the cows actually move on. I went and looked at greenbergs repair manuel and see that I have a 1950 pen with a 1949 car. The 1949 pens platform does have side tabs abd uses grommets in the side. This is shown on page 296 of the seventh edition of Greenberg's repair and operating manual. I also learned not to post to early in the morning before everyone has enough coffee. LOL. Thanks Gary


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## BigAl56

The Cattle car and Corral is by far the most difficult to adjust and service accessory I know.
Start by cleaning as much rust off as you can. Once everything is presentable the foam pads in both the car and the corral that support the tracks have usually deteriorated beyond usefulness and will need to be replaced.

What track are you using? O gage track requires you use taller ground and power blades. These are often missing. The height of the ramp and the support notch for the track must also be positioned carefully.

Good luck with this project. Let us know how you make out.


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## dbyll

*type of track*

Thanks for your reply. I am using 027 track and i know I won't need the ground clip. I do have the o gauge hot shoe but not the 027. I will either make or buy one. I have the baseplate in the upper slots which I think would be right for 027 due to the track being lower than 0. I have not played with the track yet to see what notch or groove it will be in. I,m not sure on it yet. Any thoughts on this?


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## servoguy

O-27 track goes in the lower slots.


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## gunrunnerjohn

The power shoe is available from a variety of parts dealers for a couple of bucks. I bought one from The Train Tender, I think it was $2. It was easier than making it since I was ordering other parts anyway.


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## BigAl56

O27 has a lower track height. snap a track section into the lowest notches. Move the platform down to the lowest height. You will need the O27 power blade to get the car working.


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## dbyll

Thanks to all! I will get the blade ordered and get this project working so I can get onto another. i want a 455 or 97 next.


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