modern Lionel 3356 horse car

[mpzpw3]

After playing with my postwar Lionel cattle car, and not being able to get it operating, I have decided to give up! Looking through the new Lionel catalog, I noticed they were reproducing the 3356 horse car. does anyone know if the modern version is built any different than the postwar version? I really like the operation of the newer icing stations, and was wondering if the horse car had been improved in any way?
Just to vent a little to people who understand, I've never had a postwar accessory I couldn't get working at least okay, if not excellent, until I got to that cattle car! I have all the operating manuals, repair manuals, and various transformers to test with, and still can't get it do much more than lightly vibrate and make a lot of noise. My poor cattle just look at me patheticlly, with nowhere to go. I have postwar cattle, and new reproduction cattle, neither will move. They just pile up outside the car. It doesn't feel right operating the milk car now, knowing what those poor cattle are going through...

[rlplionel]

I can't speak for Lionel's new horse car, but I have found the postwar cattle car and corral to be more reliable than the postwar horse/circus cars. I think this is because the horses are taller and thinner, and thus more prone to falling over than the cattle.

The key to successful operation (vibration) of the postwar cattle car and corral is the condition of the rubber pads under the cattle car runway and corral platform. Usually, these pads have deteriorated due to age. If you haven't done so, inspect the two pads in the car and the three pads in the corral to see if they need replacement.

[mpzpw3]

I have replaced all the pads. perhaps I am doing this wrong... The cattle car is my nemisis!!

[Dr.Fu-Manchu]

The [}:)] Doctor is in!!! Since I have fixed at least two cattle cars( jerry has one) I found
that they are easy to fix. Let us take this one step at a time: 1. is your voltage high enough? low voltage can make the car act slow. 2. have you checked the pick-up
shoes on the trucks? 3. how is your stockyard doing? If it works fine at the proper
seting of the Transformer, Check the coil in the bottom of the car. It is sturdy, but
age or bad treatment may caused it to fail or get weak. The solenoid may just need a
squrt of t.v.tuner cleaner(radio shack) My thought is your problem is coil related. If you
want to, send the car to me and I can look into it. I may have a parts car that I can pick
apart or I can swap units for a small fee(free shipping). I am not one to give up on a
post-war piece till it is burned to a cinder!!! If you don't want to fix it, send it anyway,
I love fixer-uper problems!!!!
Untill My Next Missive, I Remain The Humble, Yet Strangely [}:)] Doctor!!!

[mpzpw3]

Sorry it took so long long to reply, it's that job again. Dr. My car works fine, my platform hates me!! The corral just won't, you know, corral. I am using a 1033 transformer so I can adjust the voltage. The 1033 is only hooked into the cattle car, so no other voltage drain is present. I have cleaned the solenoid, lubed the plunger (Iknow, but I was desperate), re cleaned the plunger, all to no avail. The soleniod works (read buzzes) , the cows just won't move. I have adjusted ramps, waxed the platform, unwaxed the platform, adjusted about everything that can be adjusted, to the point of not knowing even where begin again. I think that I will probably end up replacing it, or leave it for static display ( I HATE to do that with accessories!!!). This is just the 1st postwar accesory I can't fix, and it is really annoying me.

[Kooljock1]

I have a recent LIONEL cattle car, the C&NW version from 1997. Other than having to shim the back side of the coral up by 1/4", it works flawlessly everytime.

The shim just helped the little beasties move easier from the corral to the car without hanging up. You know how scale cows hate too steep a grade!

Jon [8D]

[Dr.Fu-Manchu]

The [}:)] Doctor is in!!! Since we now know that the stockyard is the problem, E-Mail me
and I can work with you to ship your stockyard to me and let my try my magic on
it. I have a stockyard or two laying around, If I can't fix it, then I will swap you a working
one at no charge. I don't want to see you going without the use of your cattle car.
Till My Next Missive, I Remain The Humble, Yet Strangely [}:)] Doctor!!!