I have a Lionel Barrel Loading Ramp operating accessory on my layout. The accessory is installed on a siding, and it works fine. I place a loaded Lionel Barrel Ramp Car on an accessory activation track section appropriately placed alongside. Then I activate the car so that its vibrating action moves barrels off the car and onto the input tray of the Barrel Loading Ramp. As the barrels roll onto that tray, I activate the Barrel Loading Ramp accessory so it can nudge the barrels up to the top of the ramp. So far, so good.
While the barrels ascend the Barrel Loading Ramp accessory toward its "summit," I move the now-emptied Barrel Ramp Car and re-align it to the accessory so that it can receive the barrels as they fall off the ramp. So far, so good.
However, to enable continuous action, I want to activate the Barrel Ramp Car in the receiving position so it can nudge the barrels onto itself - filling it completely. That action would require another accessory activation track section placed alongside the accessory.
The Problem ...
Because the locations of the "entry" tray and the "exit" point of the accessory are too close to each other, two Lionel accessory control track sections can't be placed (end to end) alongside this operating accessory to enable a Barrel Ramp Car to be moved back and forth along the rails to rest at the appropriate positions; i.e., one track section for UNLOADING the barrels from the car to the "entry" tray of the accessory and the other track section for "RELOADING" the barrels onto the car from the "exit point" of the accessory.
Because the truck-mounted pick-up shoes of the Barrel Ramp Car touch must touch the activation rails of the accessory activation track sections, two accessory activation track sections (placed end to end) won't permit the car to be positioned and activated at the "right places" of the accessory.
Is there a way to accommodate unloading and reloading action? Or is this a case of triumph of linear geometry over "gee whiz" continuous operation?
Mike Mottler (ritrainguy)
LCCA 12394
mottlerm@gmail.com
