3462 & 3472 Milk Car Question

The 3472 used magnetic milk cans, same cans as the 3462. 

David Johnston posted:

The 3472 used magnetic milk cans, same cans as the 3462. 

Dave, Why then are the cans hanging up in the chute ?   As I mentioned in my post the cans stick to the chute if I hold them against the outside of it .  And when I took the top off the chute I could see them hanging up in the same place.  To me, that says the chute is iron based.  The 3462 must have been made using Zamac or some similar metal.  

They all used magnetic milk cans. How else would they stay up on the platform.

Not all of the milk cars used magnetic cans Ed.  The 3662 didn't use them, nor did any of the newer releases i am familiar with from the 1980s.  

Dan,

The 3462-72-82 cars all used the magnetic cans.

Could be that the cans you have are repros with magnets that are too strong.

Jim

Dan,

As Jim has noted I have found that the magnets in the reproduction cans are too strong.  This is easy to test by feeling the "pull" of an original can vs. a reproduction can.

My solution for this was to grind out a good portion of the magnet on the bottom of the can.  It left the bottom of the can pretty scarred up but you can't see it.  It was a real PIA to do.

Don

Thanks Don and Jim.  I didn't know that magnetic cans were used in both the 3462 and 3472 cars.  The cans I received with the car are definitely reproduction cans.  I'll have to experiment with one or two to see if I can get them to fall through the chute properly.  

 As I mentioned in my post the cans stick to the chute if I hold them against the outside of it .  

The chute cover is sheet metal, but the chute itself is cast, and looks like zamac to me. I don't understand why they would stick.

If the cans are hanging up in the chute, I'd make certain the inside of the chute is clean, and has no burrs.

There is also the possibility that the cans you have are defective. I've seen the problem more in "O" gauge milk cans. Some cans would work, others not.

Maybe the cans are a little too tall, or the magnets are sticking out of the bottom. Maybe the grooves are in the wrong place, or aren't clean and smooth.

That's interesting.  I suspect I need to look at the chute with my magnifying glasses on.  It certainly doesn't appear to be made up of an outer skin with an inner cast lining.  I shall report back in due course.....

That's interesting.  I suspect I need to look at the chute with my magnifying glasses on.  It certainly doesn't appear to be made up of an outer skin with an inner cast lining.

The milk car chute itself is a single cast piece, with a sheet metal cover. There is no skin and lining.  At least this is true for every 027 milk car I've handled, and its been quite a few.

There is a sheet metal part (#3472-25 can sweep arm) attached to the bottom end of the chute.
See the attached PDF below.

OK, I went and took some pictures.  You are correct, the chute is a casting, no outer liner.  I suspect when I held the milk can up to the outer face of the chute, there must have been a can in the chute which attracted the magnet of the can I was holding.  I measured the cans.  They are 15.67 mm or .617" in height.  I seem to be having some difficulty with the "flapper", see the last photo.  It doesn't seem like it's moving correctly.  Shouldn't it move to the right of a dropped can ?

I see grime on the top of the finger (part of sweep arm?) that is visible through the opening at the bottom of the chute. The inside of the chute looks kind of grimy too.
Were the milk car on my bench, I'd clean all the parts, using mineral spirits on a rag and/or QTip.
I have been known to polish the insides of those chutes with Simichrome polish too. It makes a difference.

Usually there is a lot of grime trapped in the sweep arm part of the mechanism too.

eddie g posted:

They all used magnetic milk cans. How else would they stay up on the platform.

You had some that stayed up?! I'm not sure I ever saw more than one or two - tops - that were not on their sides rolling around having a dubious time of it. The same goes for the cows on another mechanical "wonder."

C W Burfle posted:

I see grime on the top of the finger (part of sweep arm?) that is visible through the opening at the bottom of the chute. The inside of the chute looks kind of grimy too.
Were the milk car on my bench, I'd clean all the parts, using mineral spirits on a rag and/or QTip.
I have been known to polish the insides of those chutes with Simichrome polish too. It makes a difference.

Usually there is a lot of grime trapped in the sweep arm part of the mechanism too.

Good idea.  Will do.  Thanks.

You had some that stayed up?! I'm not sure I ever saw more than one or two - tops - that were not on their sides rolling around having a dubious time of it. The same goes for the cows on another mechanical "wonder."

If you are having problems with the cans remaining upright, and the platform is at the right height, I would suspect that the voltage is too high.
If the voltage has to be set high to get the mechanism to operate then the problem is most likely to be dirt and grime.
Folks might be surprised to see what cleaning and polishing all the parts in the mechanism can do for the operation of the milk cars. Do not lubricate sliding surfaces.

An update.  After dismantling the mechanism, yesterday, and thoroughly cleaning it, I still could not get the cans to drop down the last part of the chute.  After a conversation with the seller by phone, he suggested that he send me another car to see if it will operate any better than this one.  I felt it was a very fair offer, considering he's paying postage from California.    

C W Burfle posted:

You had some that stayed up?! I'm not sure I ever saw more than one or two - tops - that were not on their sides rolling around having a dubious time of it. The same goes for the cows on another mechanical "wonder."

If you are having problems with the cans remaining upright, and the platform is at the right height, I would suspect that the voltage is too high.
If the voltage has to be set high to get the mechanism to operate then the problem is most likely to be dirt and grime.
Folks might be surprised to see what cleaning and polishing all the parts in the mechanism can do for the operation of the milk cars. Do not lubricate sliding surfaces.

Thanks very much, CW, for that excellent practical advice. I will put it to good use.

FrankM

Same 3472 Milk car... different problem... I have the remote tracks on fixed voltage accessory feed and the cans come flying out so hard they bounce allover or shoot through the back platform rail & rarely stick to the metal platform, which I have cleaned. I had already installed a small filler plate to keep the cans from flying through the back, but now they simply ricochet off it. Fixed voltage was at first 16 volts. I tried a 5 volt feed & the doors would hardly open, so I used the only other fixed voltage I have left.. 11 volts. It's a little better than the 16 volts, but not much. I tried attacking from the point of contact on the back rail of the platform by putting several impact absorbing materials along the back rail, but results were not great either. (i.e. different rug piece thicknesses, rug padding, & even fiberglass insulation)

My guess is that the can magnets have lost much of their magnetism (one can's magnet is missing).

Does anyone have suggestions? Thanks.

I use a small, variable voltage transformer to power the milk car. This way, the voltage can be tweaked to have the little guy just deposit the cans right in front of him. That said, an occasional can does tip over or go flying a bit further.

Jim Barrett sold me a set of aftermarket milk cans with large magnets years ago when he was working for Davis Electronics in Milford, OH. I set my milk platform track at 20 volts and the cans cleanly exit my 3472 and remain upright 99.99% of the time.

If you can find the large magnet replacement cans, they are exponentially better than the small magnet cans.

Curt