Are you using a separate transformer to power the stock yard and car?

[Pocono Jack]

I once made the mistake of hooking up a separate transformer to the stock yard and cattle car track connection. The stock yard worked fine but the cattle would not run through the car. All needs to be hooked to the transformer you are using to power your train.

[ADCX Rob]

Works fine for me.  Current layout was built in 1971, the trains are run by a ZW and the stockyard & car are powered by a 1033.

[rtraincollector]

not sure but that sounds like a electrical issue between the 2 transformers try putting ( if you can) isolation track for the cattle car area so the cattle car is just getting power from the other transformer it might be as simple as the polarity is back wards when the car gets there its actually causing a short and your not realizing it this actually a better response I think from Bob nelson

[BigAl 956]

I assume we are talking about the early postwar 3656 cattle car? So that car operates with 2 shoes. One gets ground through the frame and track the other is to a power blade.

The first thing you must be sure is your track is properly fitted into the frame. O27 track needs to be fitted into the lowest possible position. If you are using O track then you must be using the O power blades  to reach the shoes that will be slightly higher. If you do not install a taller O power blade the shoe will not make contact and the car will not run.

If you want to power the car and platform with a variable voltage transformer It must be a transformer like the ZW with a separate control for this or a phased add-on transformer. The layout must be wired for the outer rail being common and the power output of the transformers must be in phase so they will not sort each other out..

[quizshow904]

Can I jpower the cattle car using GarGraves track and their operating track?

Paul

[ADCX Rob]

Unfortunately, the GarGraves section will not fit into the base of the corral.

As the corral has its own contact slides/rails, I have seen GarGraves track with the ties notched/cut out around the contacts to fit into the base.  It looks pretty good.