Wiring up UCS tracks

Kevin,

 

Here is Lionel's video on just this subject.  Hope this helps you, Good Luck 

 

Jim

 

http://www.lionel.com/Customer....cfm?documentID=6481

Disconnect the wire from terminal screw #3 and leave #3 w/o a connection.  Take the now loose controller wire and connect it to your fixed/variable accessory voltage(which should be phased with the train transformer to provide a common ground).  Follow the diagram:

 

The video link above has more relevance to getting the FasTrack sections off of 18 volt powered command track to a lower 14 volts accessory power.

 

The principles in the video are very well suited to providing fixed voltage to the track sections for conventional operation, so you can shut down track power and still get accessories to work, but this isn't brought up at all.

Hi,

 

   Thank you both for the information, now back to work on the layout.

 

          Kevin

Rob,

 

    I have done what you mentioned, but when I press the uncoupler button it seems that the engine that is sitting idle on the track starts to power up, which I think is depriving some of the power to operate the dump feature on the car.  there seems to be enough power to activate the coupler when I position the car for that.  Do I need to insulate the middle rail on both ends of the UCS track section?

 

          Thanks,

 

          Kevin

What do you have connected to terminal #3?

Nothing at all.

Nothing at all.

Have you confirmed that your transformers are phased, with a common ground?

Hi I am running a power feed from my nth terminal block to the disconnected wire #3 do I need to run a common ground to number 1 or 2 wires on the UVA terminals? Thanks, Kevin

It does sound like you have a floating ground somewhere.  As you can see from the diagram above, there is no connection to the center rail through the controller at all if you power the #3 lead/wire with an auxiliary power source.

Rob,

 

          Thanks, I will dig around to see if I can find that ground.

 

        Kevin

 

Rob,

 

    I found the "loose" ground.  On the loop that has the UCS my power clip had the wires flipped.  Once it flipped the wires then everything went just as you said.

 

    Thank you for pointing things out, now onto the next one.

 

          Kevin

........................,,-~*~,,
......................./:.:.:.:.:.|
......................|;.;.;.;.;./
......................|.;.;.;.;.|
............._,,,,,_.).;.;.;.;.|
.........,,-":.:.:.:."~-,;.;.;.|
........(_,,,,---,,_:.:.);.;.;..",,
......,-":.:.:.:.:.""-,,/;.;.;.;.;.",
.....(:.__,,,,,,,,,___);.;.;.;.;.;|
...../"":.:.:.:.:.:.:¯""\;.;.;.;.;.,"
....\",__,,,,,,,,,,,__/;;;;;;;;;/\
.....\.::.:.:.:.:.:.:.;.);;;;;;;;;/:\
.......\,,,,,---~~~~;;;;;;;;,"::::\
.........."""~~--,,,,,,,,,,-"::::::::::\
...................\::::::::::::::::::::::\