I want to free up my remote track and thought 2 otc clips should do the trick. But something is not wired correct. I have the clips lined up with the milk car slides. Each clip works with a cattle car (one at a time.) But not the milk car., It is on a separate track section that has power -- using a lighted bumper to make sure. I am using a small transformer for clip power. Each OTC has two clips -- one to the middle power track (that I am not using, as I couldn't see where to attach the wires --- and one clip to the OTC contacts. From the OTC contact I run to a button with the other side to the transformer (Then I could vary the power for max efficiency.) As I said the button activates the cattle car from either clip. and the milk car works with the regular remote track.
To operate the milk car, you need ground (outside rail) on one sliding shoe and hot (center rail) on the other sliding shoe. Is this the way you have it wired?
I'm not sure. with the remote tack, pushing the button , simply connects the two operating rails to the "Hot" from the track voltage. There is no ground involved. 4 wires, one track voltage (center rail), one for center magnet to uncouple and 2 -- one for each contact shoe. But using the separate transformer for power, the "hot" for the center rail, does not connect to the center rail, but to the power from the transformer, and allows for an adjustable voltage.... I have two remote tracks connected that way. On my cattle ramp (only one shoe), it is difference between moving and jumping. On the Milk car it is the difference between setting and throwing the cans out. the same with the double shoe log dump. I did not want to 'waste" a remote track on the milk, as it only uses the shoes. So I connected the two controller rails of each OTC to the switch/button and the other side of the control button to the transformer hot. I had to cut the OTC plastic to fit my milk platform, but did not think I needed them anyway. So there is no center rail clip on it.
The cattle car uses both shoes.
You need to have one milk car shoe hot, one grounded. Both "hot" will just fire both couplers(on the 3462) or nothing(on the 3472).
Rob
What model of milk car are you using with what type of track? Postwar Milk cars have two shoes that requires power on one shoe and return on the other. An OTC will only apply power to one shoe leaving the second with no connection.
Newer operating cars with plastic platforms are grounded through the outside rail and therefore have only one shoe.
The Lionel UCS track control has two buttons, unload and uncouple. Pressing uncouple puts power on all control blades and the center magnet. Pressing unload puts return on one side of control blades and power on the other side. The unload button is required to operate older 2--shoe style cars. If you are using a UCS the 3rd wire from the left is power. If you want to control your operating car from a separate adjustable transformer post you simply need to connect the #3 wire directly to the transformer.
Thank you for the excellent and quick answers. I appreciate the expertise of forum members. My car has two shoes, so it must be the Postwar. To complicate matters, I have set up 2 isolated track sections, one for the milk car and one for a cattle car, so my grandson can operate them while I am running trains. I have also isolated a section of the line so he can unload logs. These sections are connected to a small "starter set" transformer. When using the double button remote switch with its track, the milk car works fine. I have rerouted the "track voltage" line of the controller to the transformer, so we can adjust the power for each isolated unit. That way I can prevent things from being "thrown" out or off. Each of the three takes a different spot on my small transformer, which I have marked, and grandson can locate the correct spot for each. He is only 4 1/2, but this is teaching him about the transformer in preparing him to actually run a train. He even has learned that it has to be off before he can put cars on or off the track to avoid sparks.
I wanted the control track for another place on the layout, which needs both uncouple and unload. The Milk car only needs unload. In looking at the schematic for the controller, it appears the unload button merely connects the two "shoe contacts" to the track voltage, so that is what I attempted. But from the above post, it seems that one of the OTC needs to be grounded, rather than go back to the button with the other OTC. So I will try that
Yes thank you for the alert to the ground. When I mentioned I looked at the schematics, I had looked at the wiring diagram of the track to controller, but if I had looked closer at it and the schematic, I would have noticed the ground and that the right control bar and uncoupler were the same wire.....
Again thank you for an excellent forum and to you the real experts.
Happy new year and happy rails.
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