# 3656 cattle car and corral help PLEASE!



## dad roadie (Dec 1, 2012)

I have an unusual request of anyone in the forum that has a Lionel 3656 cattle corral (late model) that works or has had some luck on bringing these back to life..
I’ve wanted one of these for a long time. Recently the family bought one for me on eBay and we got burned but that’s a different story. My first question deals with the bridge assembly were it connects into the outside fence.
When I measure from the bottom of the fence where it meets the platform to the center of the hole where the bridge rod goes though there is a difference of an 1/8” between the two sides! One side measures at 1” and the other a little over 7/8”. The platform fence doesn’t look like it’s been worked on so I would believe that it came out of the factory that way. (Maybe a bad stamping?) The side that’s lower actually has a metal washer of some kind that would be under the adhesive washer that was attached. (it also looks to be original)
I would imagine that it is going to be nearly impossible to get this to work correctly and line up with the cattle car. I’m just trying to find out if anyone else has one of these that have had this same issue that the car and corral works. I don’t want to throw more money in parts if it doesn’t stand a chance of working correctly. I have already put money into this that can’t be recovered
Also if anyone has found a way to clean the platform (the area that the cows move around on inside the fence) I could really use some help. Mines covered with a brown rust type material, (I thought that aluminum didn’t rust!) The unpainted parts of the coral have a lot of rust like something that’s been stored in a very damp environment. At least I have been able to free up the coils in both the car and corral. The plungers were both frozen up in the coils when I got it. 
The kids and wife are really upset about the whole thing and hoping that I can get this working. I‘ve got my fingers crossed that the forum may give me some help. Thanks in advance to anyone that is kind enough to check their platform and share the information. Right now I’m not expecting miracles, just would like the kids to see some cows move on the corral. What was supposed to be a great birthday present from the family has turned into a nightmare!
Dad Roadie


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## servoguy (Jul 10, 2010)

I wrote a post a few years ago about how to fix the cattle car. I fixed two of the four that I have. The fixed ones seem like they work forever. The cattle go around without ever falling over or stopping. Look up my post. It is on this forum.


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## rkenney (Aug 10, 2013)

Some pictures would help?

To get you started here are the instruction manual:
View attachment 3656StockCarManual.pdf


Here is the service manual:
View attachment 3656 Stock Car.pdf


I used a green Scotch brite pad to clean the platform (available at your grocer) and a scotch brite in a dremel rotary tool to get in all the corners.


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## servoguy (Jul 10, 2010)

Here is how to fix the cattle car and pen:

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=15882

Forget Lionel's approach using rubber mounts.


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=21489&highlight=3656 
My two, one fixed, one not , measure almost the same. If its rusted up you can disassemble , strip and re paint. The floor of the stockyard will clean up nice with a dremal as was said. . Besides servoguy, I dont think anyone ever gets them to work perfectly. ( I know I have to try the springs. ) .

Heres another thread, it shows a repaint and shiny floor.


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## rkenney (Aug 10, 2013)

Early production stockyards had orange gates and rubber mounting bushings visible - two on each side for the stockyard floor. (1949)

Last picture in this post - http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showt...highlight=3656

The first picture in the thread above shows a later production stockyard (1950-1955) with yellow gates and the mounting bushings are beneath the floor (not visible when assembled.

We could be more helpful with pictures of your unit.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

servoguy said:


> Here is how to fix the cattle car and pen:
> 
> http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=15882
> 
> Forget Lionel's approach using rubber mounts.


Without a source for the springs, it's pretty hard to use your fix either.


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## servoguy (Jul 10, 2010)

I bought the springs at Skycraft in Winter Park Florida. No part number. That is why I gave the spring height, number of coils, and wire diameter. The springs I used are conical, but they don't have to be. McMaster Carr has a large number of springs available. Conical springs are expensive, $5 each. I paid 50 cents for mine. Straight springs are cheaper.


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## rkenney (Aug 10, 2013)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> All your links come up with an error, and all four links are identical.
> 
> View attachment 38291


Well you should fix that! You can fix threads by deleting posts. You should fix threads by bringing something to them.


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## rkenney (Aug 10, 2013)

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=4968&highlight=3656

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=10982&highlight=3656

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=4957&highlight=3656

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=7489&highlight=3656

All good info except for the last thread where some idiot tries to say you need a 6019 track to operate.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Happy?


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## rkenney (Aug 10, 2013)

Haven't seen any pictures of track assembly to the corral and that certainly confused me initially so here's a picture of O27 installed.









Two tracks are used, and the joint must occur in the middle of the stockyard.

O27 track is assembled to the lowest clips on the stockyard.


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## dad roadie (Dec 1, 2012)

*Photos of problem with the corral*

Thanks to everyone that replied. I have tried to load pictures of the height problem. 
I hope the photos show the big difference in the height. Let me know if they make sense. The other photo shows where it looks a metal washer is installed on the low side of the corral where the adhesive pad would go. It looks like its been there since the beginning. This is the later style corral (yellow gates and would normally sit on 3 pads instead of being held on the side of the corral at 4 spots.)I have a feeling this one should have never got out of the factory. 

Would a couple of you be kind enough to give me the measurement you get if you have a corral that both sides are close? I would believe it’s going to be the 1 inch but I could be wrong. I’m really thinking of filling the hole that’s incorrect and re drilling a new one. I plan on stripping and repainting the corral fence anyway so what do I have to lose? 

Luckily Jeff at the Train Tender has a new bridge assembly. I don’t know how they figured this would work with the extension tab that makes contact with the corral broken off. But of course I’m not the train expert like the eBay seller was. Sorry I’ll get off that soapbox!

I’m I getting a consensus that the adhesive pads that the part people sell don’t work very well? Has anyone had any luck finding other sources for springs? I was getting ready to order some parts from Jeff and found that the smoke piston spring (p/n 2026-44) looked like the spring that was being described and they are only .25 each. If I remember right there are conical springs used on a lot of the trucks. I’m wondering if they might work also like a 671-151 or TCL-45. Both are very reasonable.

Again thanks to everyone that helping with this project. Like I mentioned the kids just want to see some cow’s move.
Dad Roadie.


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Dad roadie, I measured both of mine( see my first post) the measurement was the same as yours.


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## rkenney (Aug 10, 2013)

My measurements are also the same as yours. It's sorta counter-intuitive since the cattle seem to move from the low end to the high end.

My stockyard also had the washer under the right 'rubber' pad.

I used these foam picture mounting squares (cut smaller) to mount my floor.


















I really liked the mousepad and paper punch idea somebody had, but evidently I threw out those mousepads years ago. As for springs, well... I don't have a source and it actually seems like overkill. Too much vibration is as bad as none.

Now I need some cattle...


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

rkenney said:


> My measurements are also the same as yours. It's sorta counter-intuitive since the cattle seem to move from the low end to the high end.


I know, you'd figure it would be the other way around!


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## dad roadie (Dec 1, 2012)

*thanks for the replies!*

Thanks to everyone that replied !. If I understand several of you found the same measurements I did. (1 inch versus 7/8 on the other side) and a washer installed on the low side where the adhesive washer goes. Do your corrals work? I just don't want to beat a dead horse, (or cow in this case). Getting ready to take the corral apart to strip and repaint it but if this is a lost cause I may just look for another one after the Christmas season when the prices drop again. Thanks again for the Scotch Brite ideal, it worked GREAT! 
Thanks to All! 
Dad Roadie


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Mine works, though I never permanently set it up on the layout. You cant go wrong with a repaint. These things were built to last and as lond as the electronics work you should be a ok!
Edited to add, the car is probably harder to tweak!


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Actually, my experience is that the car is relatively trouble-free, it's the platform that's the PITA to get working properly.


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