Thanx, guys, for all your replies. BTW, this is my second time writing this, as something I did (or the Forum website did) sent my first reply into hyperspace. Anyway, I now realize that I should have stated at the outset that I was an electrician and research chemist in my former life, and for many years kept seven G-Scale restaurant layouts running in the Greenville/Spartanburg area in W SC. Plus an N-scale restaurant running in Johnson City, TN. Plus built at least five O-scale and HO basement layouts over the years. And am now converting all my O scale and some S & HO Scale engines to Dead Rail (battery) power. Not bragging; just letting you know that I am far from a newbie in this hobby. I apologize for not making that clear at the outset.
Given the above, I would like to bounce something off you folks (as sort of a sanity check): My plan for going forward with this rotary tipple project . Here goes: If I cannot get the thing running properly (that is, as advertised by Lionel), with your collective help, then I plan to gut its electronics, and use a momentary, ON-OFF-ON, two-pole toggle switch to supply forward and backward DC power to the rotary motor...manually stopping it when all the coal is dumped.
At this time, I also feel trying to incorporate the car-centering micro-switches, altho do-able (i.e., using a relay to allow motor circuit power only when both MS's are closed), but also a tad unnecessary (maybe even 2-3 tads). Why? Ms Deats in her great tipple repair article, showed how to use plastic shimstock between the rails to accomplish the same thing. Thanx, Susan!
Guys, thanx again for showing interest in this project...and inspiring me to press on. Actually, I feel I have no choice, as I paid way too much for something that does not work at all right out of the box. And here's the really sad part: If I cannot ever get it to work, I can't even use it as a boat anchor because 1) The dang thing is so light and rickety, it would probably float, and 2) I don't own a boat! So please help me get thru this ordeal.
