Lionel Barrel Loader 362 Track setup RSE

Dan,

You are right on with 2 operating tracks.  That way you can load the loader and unload into a different barrell on the same train or for more realistic scene and difgferent train.

 

Paul Edgar

Thanks,

i don't have any to spare at the moment so Im trying to figure out what to pick up eventually (TOMORROW HA HA) are they side by side or is there a spacer to line up the car with the loader ?

 

i was surprised that i couldn't find much on you tube that had them paired up, many people just use a hopper of some sort and then must pick them up to put on the loader

was a sudden purchase...couldn't pass up my price, its 25 bucks and in pretty nice condition, the base has a broken corner but in a completed layout is totally hideable!

 

could paint it and weather it too without worries for original condition

I don' really see why you'd need two operating tracks as the ramp operates without one. The barrel car can even get by on the cheap as it only requires one power rail under just one of the trucks to operate. I made my own w a piece of rail from an old damaged section of fastrack.

I have a 6019 section strategically placed in front of the 362 to operate the car at both the load and unload positions.  My recollection is that the instructions might have at some point, for the car or the loader, mentioned the use of two OTC lockons to operate the car if you didn't want to spend the money on a track section just for the barrel loaders.

Lionel supplied an OTC contactor for a Barrel Car that was snapped to the bottom of the rails about halfway along a Barrel Loader. The rear shoe unloads the car and the front shoe loads it. As Rob posted, one 6019 or "O" Gauge UCS will work, too.

 

Be sure the Barrel Loader has a brown or green flap at the top of the ramp. Usually vertical, it moves beneath a barrel to place it on a Barrel Car. ALSO, a rectangular black clip on the wide platform fills the space by the track so barrels will roll from a Barrel Car on the loader.

 

It's best to use two different variable voltage circuits for the OTC/6019/UCS and for the Barrel Loader.

 

When loading the Barrel Car, turn down the Loader and operate the Barrel Car to move barrels up the ramp on the car and make room for the rest as they are loaded.

 

It takes practice, but a Barrel Car can vibrate on low voltage and "snug barrels up" against each other until the whole ramp is filled. Visitors are amazed because barrels are loaded with no belts, chains or moving parts. A Loader can be turned down or off while barrels are moving up the ramp on the car. And all the time there is a low, businesslike hum.

 

A Barrel Loader and a Barrel Car are among my favorite Lionel accessories. They are fascinating to watch. They are real crowd pleasers.

Red Shirt Ensign,

 

Here is a few pictures of my 362 barral loader set up. The UCS track is positioned in order to unload and load the car.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Richard

ReadingFan

You wouldn't happen to have a scan for the directions on this item would you?

 

I do have the ramp extension and the brown flap at the top of the ramp...  any other connectors, it didn't have anything in the way of Track clips or any other OTC Contactors (Picture of contactor? )  didn't see it in the greenberg

 

Thanks for your repeated assistance (497 Coal Tower too)

Dan

Richard, Thanks for the pics, It does help, I've always been under the impression that the car need to be on teh track entirely to operate, not just one side, so this really spells out the earlier responders!

 

I've not been at it too long ;-)

Had a set as a kid, my Mom threw it out probably 25 years ago.... (Grrr)

 

Nice stock car yard by the way!

 

Thanks
Dan

Dan,

 

The OCT lock on, the control button, and the spacers are not needed if you use O gauge track and a UCS section. In my case I cut the cork road bed out and set the UCS track in the gap in the Gargraves track.

 

Richard

Thanks Dan,

 

Glad I could help.

 

Richard

Here you are

Reading Fan,

 

A picture truly is worth a thousand words!  Now I know why I have a 90C controller! 

 

These parts were in a different bag of things I got at the same time... wasn't sure why they were in "That" bag!

 

Thanks Again to all!

Dan

Don't have the 364 C controller or any others to use.... if you don't have a 364C what are some good alternative controllers?  I find the latest switches I have in my culvert loader and unloader boxes to be very lacking and wouldn't mind replacing them too

 

Thanks
Dan

Dan,

The 364C switch shows up at train shows. They cost around $10. They are nice to have for the "Lionel Look" on your layout. any on / off toggle switch will work with the barrel loader, and for that matter any Lionel accessory that requires an on / off switch.

 

 

Richard

I find the 90C(or any pushbutton) is easier to use with the barrel loader, especially when coordinating with a barrel car.  Better fine control.

Here is how I have mine set up. 

Art

I didn't see anyone mentioning the 2 little rubber spacers that go between the loader and the track, they are tuff to find as many have never seen them.

 

If you screw the loader down to your table, remember not too tight, it has to be able to vibrate. Also I  find I can control both the car and the loader with a 96c switch, the 364 is ok but harder to control.

 

Rod

Rod,

If I recall the two spacers were for using the barral loader when it was set up in a floor layout. When the loader and track are mounted there is no need for the spacers - I think.

 

Thanks,

 

Richard

I have a question regarding Richard's photos above. He's illustrating how the car can be positioned in two different ways on the OTS in order to "cycle" barrels with the ramp accessory. One is fully centered on the OTS, the other is with just one truck on the OTS.

My question is, how does the barrel car not short out when positioned with both trucks over the whole OTS? I thought that only one truck/shoe is used to make the electrical circuit? 

Did the postwar versions of the car have a shoe on only one of the trucks? If I park and operate my PWC gray version centered over the OTS it shorts out as both trucks have a power shoe and it's intended to work with only one shoe having contact.

Richard's photos show a UCS track section.  If the car has both shoes on the track and you press "Unload", there will be a short circuit.  Press "Uncouple", and the car will operate correctly. 

 

This is how to get your car to work properly too, and it is because only one truck/shoe is required to be energized to complete the circuit.  The two shoes on the barrel car are wired in parallel, the other side of the circuit comes from chassis ground through the wheels.

I've always found my 362(s) work best not screwed down. But they do have to stay in position. So what I do is get the position right and then drive small-headed finishing nails into the table through the base holes. They act as steel locating pins so I can remove or replace the loader without tools at all.

I also prefer the centered 6019 track section to power the car action.

John

 

Rob,

 

You are correct. The instruction sheet that came with the post war barrel car does state that the car will short when the car is centered over the UCS track and unload is pushed, but it will work when the uncouple button is pushed.The instructions caution the  operator to be aware that the electromagnet in the UCS track could over heat due to prlonged activation.

 

Maybe my UCS controller is just old, but when my barrel car is centered over the UCS track for unloading it will work when either the uncouple or unload button is pushed. When positioned for loading on the UCS with only one slider shoe contacting the UCS track, only the unload button activates the car.

 

Now some times when the car is positioned for unloading and centered  with both slider shoes on the UCS track it will short if I push too hard on the UCS controller.

 

In any case the Barrel car and the barrel loader are fun to operate

 

Tnanks,

 

Richard

 

 

 

 

I've never read the instructions.  If you don't get a short with the unload button, you're not pushing it all the way, which is fine.

 

Using a 1019 or RCS will eliminate the problem of overheating the magnet.

Here's another question:

When I have my PWC barrel car parked with just the right truck on the OTS, it works fine. However, if I move it so just the left truck is on a half of the OTS, I get nothing.

Is that because, in that position, the left truck's shoe is over a "ground" rail instead of a hot rail in the OTS?

I assume that the wheels normally provide the ground.

That is correct.  It should work with the uncouple button.

Thanks to everyone who posted on this thread. It's very timely for me as I have just gotten to the point on my layout where the main lines are running and I'm putting in a couple of sidings specifically for old-style Lionel operating accessories. I've already got the 456 coal ramp and 397 loader, the ice house, and the milk platform. I have the barrel car and I've been wondering if I shouldn't get the loader to go with it. This thread has shown me exactly what I need to do to install it properly. I like the idea, and if I can find the room I think I'll get one. 

After doing a forum search, found this thread to be very helpful. I recently picked up a 362 barrel loader and had all sorts of issues getting things to operate smoothly with the barrel car. The explanations and pictures here really helped.

 

I would echo what others mentioned about having independent, variable voltage available for operating both the loader and the car. Makes all the difference in the world and allows you to really fine tune control. I even got the whole process of unloading the car and then re-loading it with all barrels nice and snug down to a science

 

A very cool accessory.  

I have read that if using an OCS/RCS   to have only 1 shoe truck on the track & use the operate button. While it will work w/ the uncouple button, holding it down can heat up the electromagnet in the track.

 

I just bought one a few weeks ago & while it won't be hooked up on this layout, it's still cool to have track side

This is correct. I use the ‘Unload’ button for operating the barrel car when dumping the barrels into the barrel loader.

 

As some of the pics above illustrate,  the placement of the UCS track section (if one is being used) is critical for efficient operation. The trick is to get it situated in the right spot alongside the barrel loader so that the sliding shoe will make proper contact on the rail. In this way, you can use it for unloading TO the barrel loader and loading FROM the loader back to the car.  

 

Not rocket science, but does involve a little planning when deciding where you place the barrel loader and operating track section on the layout.

Anyone know where I can find the black clip that allow barrels to move from the car to the ramp? I have the upper one that allows barrels to get into the car properly.

Of course if you have TMCC, you can convert the barrel car with an Electric Railroad Mini Commander and operate it anywhere without any UCS tracks.

Here's a guy selling them on the Bay. $7.95 with free shipping.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lionel...;hash=item4d165b2d4b

 

May also want to check out some of the Lionel parts dealers.

 

 

The 3562-48 clip is $3.50 at The Train Tender.

The clips that space the platform from the track are 362-82.  They are also available from the Train Tender.  These are metal stampings, but I seem to remember little blue extrusions for track spacers.  Similar in appearance to the gang car bumpers.  If you are having trouble with the platform, the copper oxide rectifier should be checked.  Or maybe just add a new diode in series with the platform.  If the diode is put in backward, and the copper oxide rectifier is still good, nothing will happen.  Just reverse the diode.  If the copper oxide rectifier is bad, the ramp should vibrate slower and move the barrels faster with a good diode in the circuit.  The service manual warns not to secure the platform down. I think I used wood strips around the outside of the platform at one time to keep it in place. 

I did what David did, I just made a "fence" of 1/8" wood strips to keep the barrel loader in place.  For tubular track, there is a track spacing clip that holds it in place at the correct spacing from the track, #362-82.  Obviously, this doesn't work for most other kinds of track.