Lionel Culvert Loader Questions

Hi Dan:  There have been clearance issues with the modern versions as well as sensor problems. Appearance-wise, seeing the big motors and wires mounted on the gantry was a turn-off for me, so I kept my old Postwar set. The loader runs smoothly with no problems, but I've had the magnet on the unloader occasionally not drop far enough to pick-up the culverts. One of these days (ah, but when?) I'll work on that spot where the string binds. Plus, the PW vibrotors are LOUD ! Hope this helps.

I have the late 90's release of the culvert twins, I got the conventional vs. the command versions and am glad I did. They were cheaper by far and with ASCs or other controllers one can operate them in a command environment. It is only an on & off switch. The "throw" or distance the mechanism travels was  adjustable. They work very reliably and when hooked together with their ramp you have continuous operation. Of course one does eventually empty one gondola and fill the other. The only real issue is the gondolas need a short connecting car so they are both centered correctly for one to have continuous consist.

Good luck with the surgery. My wife had C-spine fusion on Thursday that went VERY well.

ernie

Thank you Ernie.  It was prostate surgery for me.  In on Tuesday morning, out of the hospital by Wednesday afternoon.   Catheter is supposed to come out this coming Tuesday.  I'm happy to hear that your wife's operation went well.  

I found this on Youtube.  It's not very reassuring.  Have a look.

https://youtu.be/9uhMEBkXJhc

I wish you a Quick and Permanent Recovery concerning your recent surgery. Several of my friends have gone through this at Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville. The doctor has done over 6K utilizing Biotics...Our prayers will be with you and Your Family....

Now, I have a new in the Carton set of the Conventional Loader/Unloader-and car.

I like the idea of using the ASC for command Performance....Now, Enjoy getting well. God Bless You.

I have the modern, non command culvert unloader and loader. The loader works fine. However I didn't use either for a few months while I was working on that portion of the layout. When I turned them back on, the unloader was out of sync, with the magnet dropping and raising at the wrong time. I searched on here and someone (Hokie?) posted the diagram of how the string should be positioned. I took it apart once and couldn't get it right. I've moved on to other projects but printed the diagram and will try again. When it was working properly the culvert unloader was fun to operate.

Dan Padova posted:

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I found this on Youtube.  It's not very reassuring.  Have a look.

https://youtu.be/9uhMEBkXJhc

That was sort of painful... good that he demonstrated the adjustment, I guess, but not so good that it failed at least 3 or 4 times before the adjustment finally worked right for the unloader.

This video by a fellow Forum member is far more of a successful example.  Not a single culvert landed sideways.

I did learn something about the width of the channel being updated so you can run FasTrack through it.  I have the late 90's versions, and the clearance is a bit tight, so the widening might be good, even if using with traditional tubular track.  I wasn't aware they changed that.

RE: using the non-TMCC versions with the TMCC controllers (ASC, SC-2), the reason the original late 90's releases came as both a TMCC and conventional version was because the SC-1 (the only Lionel product of the time for controlling accessories) is said to not have enough current handling capacity to control these, so that is why Lionel offered the TMCC versions at that point.  (Possibly also because at least one of these were in the "Heritage" line - limited discounts, supposed to be a top level product, etc... sounds like a slightly different flavor of today's BTO, doesn't it?   But I digress...)

-Dave