From the amount of posts I've had lately it's not hard to tell I'm not cutting timber. I've shut my company down except the sawmill temporarily, until prices come back some. So...time for trains!
Is there a log car made that doesn't " hurl " logs off the car but unloads them in some type of orderly fashion? Thanks, Jake
Sorry Jake, but as far as I know there are only the tilt and dump type. One spring loaded and activated by a uncoupling track, these need to be manually reset. The other is a selonoid operated unit that is activated with the operating type track, on this one the bed returns to the original position. The only way I could see is using a crane with tongs if there is such an animal.
Roger, I've developed an old type Lionel car that would throw the logs. I've unhooked the current mechanism and installed a small motor that activates from two additional rails inserted into the Atlas track. This will wind up a small string (cable ) and gently dump the logs. Problem I'm having is the motor doesn't reverse. Any ideas on a small motor with reverse? Other than a motor from a Lionel loco with an E Unit, which might not be bad, but is too large. Jake
What kind of motor is it?
Bob Nelson
Fred Bear...Is there a log car made that doesn't " hurl " logs off the car but unloads them in some type of orderly fashion? Thanks, Jake
Sure... the Lionel 3361:
It raises the bed in 6-7 cam steps with the "unload" button.
Rob
Bob, not real sure, just a smallish motor that was in with a bunch of junk I bought at an antique store that had train stuff in it. No writing on it whatsoever. I have one of the cars in the photo, still kinds slings the logs towards their intended mark. I have a log loader set up on a side track that is postioned perfectly to load logs on the car. It's run by remote using the train car to activate the loader. If I could just find a good way to load the deck of the loader, this would but fully automatic not needing any handling at all. Know of any motors Bob than can be reversed? Thanks, Jake
Are you running it on AC or DC? If it is a permanent-magnet DC motor, just reverse the polarity of the voltage. If it is a universal motor, there is a simple modification to make it reversible running on DC.
Bob, it's running off of track power. I tried hooking the wires up in reverse, it didn't matter. Jake
Fred BearIs there a log car made that doesn't " hurl " logs off the car but unloads them in some type of orderly fashion? Thanks, Jake
I have 3 operating log cars. The old 6511 which has one solenoid to tilt the logs, the newer 336155 which someone has provided a picture, and a K-Line PRR K713-1891 which I bought in 2002. It is "Scale", so it overwhelms the other two. I keep them on different trains, each with similar scaled cars. Its mechanism involves a motor, and it very smoothly lifts the tilt bed to unload the logs. It comes with logs which are probably too big for the Lionel 364 Conveyor Lumber Loader, which I am hoping to purchase soon.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3150/3089443295_6ba1b58a98_b.jpg.
The MTH cars have a slow, smooth action...and return to normal after dumping. They do need a 5-rail "accessory" track section.
Joe, do you know what model the MTH dump car might be? thanks, Jake
If you would like to see the Lionel 3361 dump car in operation, I have a video of it on YouTube. The car is the last one on the video. Every time the unload button is pressed it moves the tilt mechanism in small increments. After about 5 presses the logs will begin to dump and after a few more presses, the mechanism will reset.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXihu92pqME
If you would like to unload individual pieces of lumber, one piece at a time, the Lionel Moe and Joe 6-36774 is hard to beat. Every press of the unload button will unload one piece of lumber. The car will hold 9 pieces of lumber. Here is a video of it in operation. Instead of unloading into a tray, I like to unload into the flatbed of the Lionel stakesided tractor trailer with the trackside stakes removed. The stakes are attached to a piece of clear plastic and angled off the side of the flatbed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19dKCVLqp24
The second log car certainly dumps at a better rate than most. Jake
Jake, I've had no personal experience with the modern motorized K-Line dump cars, but the MTH Railking one is very nice. It is a BIG car when compared with the Lionel spring-based dump cars, but the MTH car will clear 027 switch box housing. The MTH car has a motor/gear set-up so when the car is activated the dump bin goes up slowly and then the bin jerks to-and-for at it's highest point of the motion, before the tray comes back down fully. It is a nice concept.
I'm a bit of an inventor and love designing and making train things. For example, I've designed and made an operating icing station that works with reefers of any make. On my last layout, I'd designed and made a device to operate dump cars. I'd taken a Lionel spring-loaded dump car, removed the spring and made a modification to the dump tray with a tab that went off the car on the back side of the dump tray. Then I made a motorized gear/cam device working off DC power with a DC motor, that would rise from out of a railside electrical box. A plastic piece would rise and hit the tab on the back of the dump car, thus rising and dumping the car load a little more slowly than the rapid motion of the normal spring release.
The other thing I do to all my Lionel dump cars of this type is to re-enforce the plastic tabs that the dump tray locks into. I've designed a piece that I make from a solid piece of basswood that goes on to the car body frame right over the tabs. If I am not repainting the entire car (I have dump cars customed painted Lehigh Valley, NYC, Nofolk Southern MOW, Conrail MOW), then I will match the paint to go with the existing paint color of the car.
I have found the plastic tabs on both the car frame and the dump tray itself are subject to easily snap or break. The dump trays are readily available from Lionel parts dealers and not expensive. So if the small tabs break off that, at least I can replace the tray. If they break on the car body, then that becomes more complicated. So that's why I take the preventative measure of re-enforcing them.
I have taken dump cars that have had the tabs broken on the frames, and used those car bodies for the basis for my own kitbashed 027-ized "spine TTUX" trailer cars. I paint them yellow and mimic the TTUX sceheme, using appropriate decals. I made modifications to the car frame to accept Lionel trailer bodies alone or Lionel trailers mounted on their metal frames with wheels. By my design mods, they will also accept two of the smaller short Lionel 027 trailers, the type used as a twin load on a normal flat car.
As a final thought for your thinking (since it soujnds like you have some free time)...
I love those short cheap little Kickapoo dump cars Lionel made in the early 1970's. I picked up loads of them cheap at YORK one year. I make changes to the cars including added weight beneath the car body, swapping metal wheels for the plastic ones, adding a brakewheel, etc.. I tried successfully to put operating couplers on the cars, but then opted out for the easier method of just leaving them as is with the dummy couplers.
I do repaint the cars, first removing the plastic grab tabs on top of the dump bin. You have to be creative with the decaling since the space is so small. I use the sides of the dump tray itself for railroad logo. These cars operate very simply with a bicycle brake cable that comes up out of the layout surface at a slight angle, which as it manually rises (via my hand at the conrol end of the layout), the loads dump out very nicely. Given how little I paid for the cars, the effort I put into them is no biggie. They make for a super looking long MOW sort of train and I've painted these little cars into NYC/PC, PC/Conrail, Conrail, LV, Chessie/CSX, B&O/CSX, NH and NS.
brianel, Agent 027
"Praise the Lord. I may not have everything I desire, but the Lord has come through for what I need."
Thanks for those tips, much appreicated! Jake
The K-Line/Lionel website offers a remote controller for use with the Log Dumping car (and 23 other K-Line operating cars). Does anyone know it the Lionel TMCC can be used with K-Line cars?
Thanks for the tips, most appreciated, Jake
brianel027Jake, I've had no personal experience with the modern motorized K-Line dump cars, but the MTH Railking one is very nice. It is a BIG car when compared with the Lionel spring-based dump cars, but the MTH car will clear 027 switch box housing. The MTH car has a motor/gear set-up so when the car is activated the dump bin goes up slowly and then the bin jerks to-and-for at it's highest point of the motion, before the tray comes back down fully. It is a nice concept.
Apparently Jake bought the K-Line model. I was looking around the net for the MTH version you mention, but they are all "Due 31-May 2009" Did you actually get one of these? The 2 part numbers I have seen are 3079256 and ...257. One of these if Norfolk & Western. I forget the other one. Are they available yet?
I have the K-Line Milwaukee die cast dump car. I do not use the remote control. You put it on the uncoupling track, hit the uncouple button (not unload button) and the bed rises slowly and the logs roll in the bin. I have had it for four years and use it a lot. It has been flawless in performance!
DSmith,
Could you please elaborate on how you motorized that MPC barrel loader platform kit in your video? I have a kit here right now unbuilt. I would love to be able to motorize it.
Roger
Hi Roger,
I used a solenoid to activate the barrel loader and a thin piece of music wire to act as a spring return. I bought the solenoid from an electroic supply company and I think it was rated at about 12 volts. I used a single 1 amp diode to convert my accessory power AC terminals to DC. When the solenoid is activated by pressing a button, the figure moves out and unloads a barrel. By adjusting the voltage you can determine how fast the figure moves out. When the button is released, the music wire spring causes the figure to return to the rest postion. Although the whole building is attached to a base, I'll try and see if I can photograph it from underneath, that will give you the whole idea better than trying to explain it.
I have been looking at MTH log cars. Someone here said they are BIG. I looked at the MTH specs for the Premier version (typically 20-98591) and it is 12" long, same as the K-Line, if you include the couplers. Does anyone know how big the MTH Traditional version is? A typical number would be 30-79257. Their website doesn't show the size of it.
Fred BearCan you , or someone that has a similar car that works of the track section, please post a picture of the BOTTOM of the car so I can see what it looks like? Or send the pic to me @ Jskve@aol.com Thanks, Jake
I don't have a picture of the underside, but I can describe the significant parts: there are 2 roller pickups, one on each truck that get power from the center rail. There are 2 sets of switches, one ABC, the other 1 thru 8. There is a 1/4" by 3/4" rectangular thing close to the center of the car that probably houses a magnet activated switch. Nothing much else shows. Since you already own one, I guess you want to compare it with one that works? If you post a pic of the underbelly of your car, I could tell you if it differs from mine.
Bob.M ... I looked at the MTH specs for the Premier version (typically 20-98591) and it is 12" long, same as the K-Line, if you include the couplers. Does anyone know how big the MTH Traditional version is?
OK, I found the length of the Railking (cheaper) version. It is 10 1/2" long.
Now, does anyone know if they both (Premier and Traditional or Railking) use motors for smooth operation, or does the cheaper one use a clunky solenoid?
There's no difference what-so-ever between the Premier and RailKing versions - they're identical - goes for both the log dump and the dump bin cars. I'm virtually certain both models (log dump and dump bin) use the same car base as well, and just change the dumping platform. Mine are buried right now, or I'd pull them out to absolutely confirm. MTH has a number of models that have "crossed over" from Premier to RailKing without any changes beyond road names.
GPJ68 There's no difference what-so-ever between the Premier and RailKing versions - they're identical - goes for both the log dump and the dump bin cars. I'm virtually certain both models (log dump and dump bin) use the same car base as well, and just change the dumping platform. Mine are buried right now, or I'd pull them out to absolutely confirm. MTH has a number of models that have "crossed over" from Premier to RailKing without any changes beyond road names.
Thanks for replying. I am looking to add a MTH log car to my layout, but I want to be sure it is the smooth motor operated type as someone here said. I managed to find a Railking 30-7648 available, and looked at its description in the 1999 Volume 3 catalog, and it says it is 10 1/2" long. The current description for the Premier model 20-98591 says it is 12" long. I wonder if the difference is that in 1999 they did not include the couplers in the measurement? All the pictures I have seen of the 2 versions seem identical.
On a related topic, we took a walk today along the seldom used railroad out back and saw a full size version of the MTH dump bin car. Wish I had my camera with me. It looks just like the pictures in the MTH catalog.
I've got a few of the RailKing Western Maryland log car and they are the same overall size as the Premier Western Maryland dump bin car (just a different dump platform), and operate with the same smooth dump action. Conversely, I've got a Railking CSX dump bin car that is identical to the Premier WM ones.
Nice cars, only problems I've had is that they're best used on the longer O RCS or UCS track pieces - they have to be positioned exactly perfect on the shorter O27 sections (and are still finicky then). Since I'm using O27, my plan is to one day combine some O27 1019 sections into longer pieces. Other issue I ran into was in an area with two K-Line 42" switches back-to-back - somehow within the "S" curve the shoes were getting a brief shot of power and the bins were slowly tipping up with each pass thru. Finally noticed it when trackside stuff started getting wacked by the partially open sides. Never did figure that one out - pulled the layout down for a move.
GPJ68 Other issue I ran into was in an area with two K-Line 42" switches back-to-back - somehow within the "S" curve the shoes were getting a brief shot of power and the bins were slowly tipping up with each pass thru.
Thanks again for the info. I ordered a Railking log car from Hiawatha Hobbies in Wisconsin. Better price ($31.99) than I would have had to pay for the Ebay bid I lost last night. I felt bad at first that someone beat me out at the last second, but now, not so much. Shipping ($6.95) is more reasonable also.
I have found that "S" curves are not compatible with many of my cars. The American Model Trains 1950's passenger cars just can't get along with S curves. It is a shame, as it limits how I can layout the track patterns.
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