Lionel Stockyard

[Dr.Fu-Manchu]

The Doctor Is In !!! I read the posts, I have refurbished a few stockyards and am getting some ready to sell. They are slightly problematic, but adjustments and voltage levels do help. Also, the article in CTT is a good primer for the stockyard. As I said, I will be selling some stockyards soon,with or with out the cars, In working condition. PM me about price and misc info. Also, CTT came out with a book called:Toy Train Repair Made Easy. It has the complete article on fixing the car and stockyard, and 20 other projects for the post-war operator. I have a copy, one of the better books in my collection.

Till Next Missive, I Remain The Humble Yet Strangly Evil Doctor !!!

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the info and the video was great! So they really can work. I will tinker some more and try to find some new pads.

Let us know how that goes, will you? I have wanted one of these for some time but am holding out for one in MIB condition. It would be frustrating to get one and for it ultimately not to work due to age issues.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the info and the video was great! So they really can work. I will tinker some more and try to find some new pads.

[rlplionel]

I second the recommendation for replacing the pads. There are pads under the cattle corral platform and inside the car underneath the ramp. I discovered this when I was deciding which of the cattle, horse or circus cars to shoot for a video. Here's a clip of the circus car in action.

Circus Car video

[ADCX Rob]

...I haven't oiled the path, someone has suggested that helps, but i doubt it...

ralph

The tip I recall was to use a silicone  lubrcant on the edges only of the cattle/horses where they contact/slide along the sides of the stall/car trays/channels.

Otherwise, there is a balancing act to get these accessories to work, & the foam pads have all hardened or turned to dust now even in MIB examples.  Replace them,(part dealers) and you will notice an improvement. 

[cheech]

i have both the cattle and the horse versions.

Both my originals from Medevil era when i got them as a child.. Both continue to work well.

 They work on vibration, like the barrel loader.  I have found that the corrals need be placed on something solid and securely attached to the track so they don't move about. Also check for grime/dirt on the accessory and the animals. I haven't oiled the path, someone has suggested that helps, but i doubt it. Check the power, you may be giving it too many volts. start low, get the cattle to move then ease a bit more until they go. I found that one works best when the voltage is set to 10 another wants 12 or more. I power with  AVC controllers on a separate PW ZW...not track power.  It doesn't like TMCC 18 volts!

ralph

[guilfordrr]

Ah. Yes. The stockyard. Erm... let me be blunt... it doesn't work paticularly well at all. You're lucky the mechanism works. My stockyard has completely fried out - twice. One thing you could try is checking the foam pads under the platform. They tend to wear down over time, which can quite easilly throw off the delicate balance. Replacing them, or just simply tinkering for a bit, could make all the difference. Again, the stockyard is extremely frusterating, but stick with it and try to keep your cool!

[Anonymous]

Me again.

I just got an old Lionel 3656 stock yard. It hums and buzzes and the cows go every which way but on the train. Mostly they just fall over. I had one when I was a kid but that was way back in the dark ages. Did these things actually work? I don't have the instructions but I do have the Greenburg repair book. Am I waisting my time trying to make it function correctly?, or is there really a way to get them to do their thing?