# Wiring Operating Track



## mnp13 (Aug 22, 2013)

I have three different operating tracks (pictures are not mine) 

1:









2:









3:









None have the wires attached. Which one do I use with my log dumping car?









Also, can I direct wire the track to the transformer? I don't know how it makes sense to run it from track power, since I want the train to stop so it can unload the logs into my log loader platform. 









Yes, I did a search, couldn't find a good match on the forum. Thanks!


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Mnp13, any of those will work with the older style log dump car as it works when the slide shoe contacts one of the extra rails. Some log dump cars use the magnet in the center to activate them. The one with the magnet is more versatile as you can set up something on the other side and use the magnetic activator too. Unfortunately the car you have pictures of doesn't look like a log dump car but just a car for hauling logs. The operating track with the rails and the magnet is most versatile as you can use all cars on it. The one with all rails only works with slide shoe cars. And I'm guessing the one with just the magnet only operates magnetic cars . And yes you can direct wire them.


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Actually, I'm not sure about directly wiring it. I know the o Guage can be directly wired, not sure about o27. The o27 is soldered on, if i remember correctly. It probably can be done but I don't know?!


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## mnp13 (Aug 22, 2013)

Here they are

6029
6019
1019-2


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## mnp13 (Aug 22, 2013)

Oops... Wrong car. I have the 3451 log dump car.


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

The 3 Rd operating Track is o scale not 027. Yes now you can dump logs! That one has the slide shoes. They work great!


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## Patrick1544 (Apr 27, 2013)

The bottom one is O scale. The first and second are O27.


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## mnp13 (Aug 22, 2013)

The bottom one says "O27 gauge lionel remote control track section" on the top of it.


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## mnp13 (Aug 22, 2013)

sjm9911 said:


> Actually, I'm not sure about directly wiring it. I know the o Guage can be directly wired, not sure about o27. The o27 is soldered on, if i remember correctly. It probably can be done but I don't know?!


Yes, the wires are soldered on, but they've all been cut, so I'm re-soldering all of them. If O can be direct wired then O27 can too. They are the same, the O is just a little beefier.


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Never sceen one. The 027 are all hard wired( I thought) . Only the o Guage ones had the terminal screws?!??


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Your right it's in the book. Rcs 1019-20 used with o27 track. That one can be directly wired easily.


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## mnp13 (Aug 22, 2013)

sjm9911 said:


> Never sceen one. The 027 are all hard wired( I thought) . Only the o Guage ones had the terminal screws?!??


I have three - they are all O27, I checked.


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## TrainLarry (Jan 15, 2012)

The first picture is of an 027 uncoupling track. It will also activate operating cars with the center plunger. It does not have the rails necessary to operate cars with sliding shoes. If you are handy (or know someone who is), the coil can be disconnected from the rails and connected to an external power source. 

The second picture is of an 027 uncoupling/unloading track. This track will activate operating cars with sliding shoes. Again, it can be rewired for external power.

The third picture is of an 0 gauge unloading track. It too can be rewired for external power.

Here is a diagram of the controller and wiring to track.

Larry


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Just out of curiosity, because it doesn't make sense they would make a section with just a magnet, and abandon the rails all together, does the first section with just the magnet have slots for the slide shoe rails?.


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## mnp13 (Aug 22, 2013)

TrainLarry said:


> The third picture is of an 0 gauge unloading track. It too can be rewired for external power.


The third is O27, honest. 

1019-2 

It has no wires, when I turn it over all of the connections are soldered. The wires go to the screws. I haven't been able to find any instructions on direct wiring it to the transformer instead of using track power.


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## mnp13 (Aug 22, 2013)

Underside of the five rail


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## mnp13 (Aug 22, 2013)

sjm9911 said:


> Just out of curiosity, because it doesn't make sense they would make a section with just a magnet, and abandon the rails all together, does the first section with just the magnet have slots for the slide shoe rails?.


The first section with just the magnet does have spaces for the slide shoe rails. However, from the look of it, it never had them. It even has a different number on the bottom, 6029. The 6029 is not in my Greenberg manual.

The cutouts on the 6029 are different than the 6019 as well, so it was a variation at some point.


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

I'm thinking the rails were removed at some point, Lionel wouldn't introduce a product that wouldn't support there other cars. I hope anyway! Yea, 027 according to greenbergs boo, iI never saw one.


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## mnp13 (Aug 22, 2013)

sjm9911 said:


> I'm thinking the rails were removed at some point, Lionel wouldn't introduce a product that wouldn't support there other cars. I hope anyway! Yea, 027 according to greenbergs boo, iI never saw one.


Nope... just a plain old boring uncoupling track section.

http://www.tandem-associates.com/lionel/lionel_trains_6029_track.htm


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Well you shore do have some oddball peices!


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## mnp13 (Aug 22, 2013)

Ok soooooo back to the original question... lol

I have the controller and the four conductor wire and the 1019 track... how do I connect it so that it uses transformer power instead of track power? 

I only have four feet of the wire, so I need to get it right the first time. (Something I rarely succeed at! ha ha! )


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## mnp13 (Aug 22, 2013)

sjm9911 said:


> Well you shore do have some oddball peices!


Keeps things interesting!!


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## TrainLarry (Jan 15, 2012)

With the 4 conductor wire from the controller straight and not twisted, connect the rightmost wire to transformer power and the rest of the wires in proper sequence. See here for a schematic of the normal and external rewiring diagrams.

Larry


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## mnp13 (Aug 22, 2013)

TrainLarry said:


> With the 4 conductor wire from the controller straight and not twisted, connect the rightmost wire to transformer power and the rest of the wires in proper sequence. See here for a schematic of the normal and external rewiring diagrams.
> 
> Larry


Larry - the link you posted is for the 6019, which has a magnet in the middle. My five rail track does not have the magnet in the middle of it. But does the rest of it still stand?


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

On the o Guage the ucs and rcs tracks are hooked up differently. I don't know how yours is configured. The o scale rcs( no magnet) from left to right is ground, control rail closest to you, control rail furthest away, power. You just power the track and run three wires from your switch, or two wires from the switch and take a ground from the transformer? I can't remember how I wired mine! When out on it up to solder look where each one is connected! If you think of it that way it should be simple enough. ( I know easier said then done).


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

It looks as if it's the same in Larrys link , but insteadof left and right ccontrol rails it'sclosest and ffurthest.


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## TrainLarry (Jan 15, 2012)

Here is the link to the 1019. It is wired similarly to the 6019.

Larry


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## BigAl56 (Dec 14, 2011)

They go in order from the bottom up. 

#3 The bottom track is a postwar O27 RCS control track pre 1950s made before the introduction of magnetic couplers. 
#2 The center track is the O27 version of the UCS and can operate magnetic couplers and operating cars.
#1 The top one is the same as #2 except it lacks control rails for operating cars or electro couplers was sold as an uncoupling track only. 

If you are trying to operate an operating car with shoes you will need #3 or 2. Besides uncoupling the only cars #1 is good for are modern era dump cars that operate with a magnet.


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## servoguy (Jul 10, 2010)

Michelle,
Look at the track without the magnet and with the screw terminals. From left to right in your picture, the terminals are connected to the outside rail, fourth rail, fifth rail, and center rail. The power normally comes from the center rail, so disconnect the wire from the controller that goes to the center rail terminal, and connect it to the transformer hot terminal.


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## servoguy (Jul 10, 2010)

If you want to power one of the UCSs with transformer power, you are going to have to determine which wire goes to the center rail and disconnect it from the center rail and connect it to the transformer.


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## mnp13 (Aug 22, 2013)

I wired the controller for track power, I used two sets of 18/2 wire. One pair of wires goes from the controller to the transformer, the other pair goes from the controller to the track.


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## mnp13 (Aug 22, 2013)

And I'm back here trying to figure out how to direct wire my operating track... and I find my own thread... which has NO instructions from myself on how I did it last time! ARGH!!!!


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## BigAl56 (Dec 14, 2011)

Hi Michelle,
If you number the wires in the controller 1-4 from bottom to top, #1 is ground(u) and #4 is power. You only need to run #2 and #3 to the track blades.
I'm sure one of the gang will post the photo from the service manual.


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