The good news is these tracks, well the old ones anyway, can take the abuse. I have a few formerly shorted UCS tracks where the red plastic around the magnet melted but the tracks still work fine.
You're welcome.
Michael - You are absolutely right! I noticed a little sparking where the screw heads were making contact with the platform and covered them with a double layer of electrical tape, which I think solves the problem. Thanks!
My guess is the platform shorted out the connections on the UCS track. I always put tape over the screw heads to keep them from touching the underside of the platform.
Unfortunately, as you have discovered,the new UCS track sections are not as good as they were before the move to communist China production. Two issues are very common -
-The controller, although it looks like the originals dating beck to 1938, has been cheapened considerably, is often faulty, and hangs up in the "on" position with at least one of the buttons.
-This quickly results in the melting of the center electromagnet and the surrounding area, which takes much longer with the old original UCS as they are more robust.
Rob
I have just installed a brand new UCS track on my layout and placed the milk car platform under it. The four wires from the controller are connected under a "lip" underneath the platform near the track, I suppose with the idea that they should not touch the platform and it hides the wires from view. Power is strictly from the track. I just noticed that the magnet in the middle with the red plastic bullseye cover had bubbled and upon further inspection found that the magnet was red hot (would not cool to the touch for over a half-hour). What would cause this? If the "uncouple" and "unload" wires are crossed at the UCS would this be the cause? Is the UCS defective?
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