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I have several O gauge remote control track sections: postwar UCS and 5530 reissues from 90's and 00's and they ALL operate the following way.  My faint memory as a child over 50 years ago tells me that when you press UNCOUPLE the trigger disc is energized to open the couple and when you press UNLOAD the operating car action begins.  Recently I set up a test track with a postwar UCS section and my old 3562 barrel car.  When I center the car over the remote control track and press UNLOAD, the car's mechanism starts to vibrate and the barrels unload.  If I roll the car across the trigger disc, nothing happens since the magnet is not energized when pressing UNLOAD.  So far, so good.  But if I have the car centered on the remote control section and press UNCOUPLE, the control rail energizes and the unload process begins.  If I roll the car across the trigger disc, the knuckle opens as expected since I am pressing UNCOUPLE.  This is not what I recall as a child.  Is it me?  The reason I ask is if you press UNCOUPLE to unload the car the trigger disc gets very hot and the black or red disc will melt and de-form.  Why would pressing UNCOUPLE initiate the UNLOAD process at all?   

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Your response made me search for the instructions.  Found them for the modern reissue and it addresses my issue in specificity.  Thank you!

Operating your Barrel Car:

The Barrel Car can be operated on any Remote-Control Track section with control rails.

1. Load all six barrels into the center channel of the car.

2. Unlatch the barrel guide at the side of the car, allowing the guide to pivot freely. Refer to Figure 1. Secure the latch when the car is in motion to prevent the barrels from falling off the car.

3. Position one truck on a Remote-Control Track section (available separately) so that its sliding contact shoe is on the right-hand side of the track. Position the track bin next to the car to receive the barrels. Positioning BOTH trucks on the Remote-Control Track section before operating the car will cause a short. Only one truck should be positioned on this section.

4. Press UNLOAD on the Remote-Control Track section’s controller, and a barrel will be unloaded. Do not hold down the UNLOAD button for too long, or the magnetic oil may overheat and damage your layout.

@Bob Paris posted:

O gauge remote control track #UCS and 5530 energize control rails when I press uncouple button

Positioning BOTH trucks on the Remote-Control Track section before operating the car will cause a short only if both slide shoes are contacting their respective rails and "unload" is pressed fully.  "Unload" grounds one rail and sends center rail power to the other. The two sliding shoes are connected internally, so this would connect a hot rail to a ground rail, hence the short.

Pressing UNCOUPLE on the Remote-Control Track section’s controller sends center rail power to both rails and the track magnet. No short from the 3562, but extended operation may overheat the track magnet or the car coil.

Holding down the UNLOAD button for too long will not affect the track magnet, but may overheat the coil on board the 3562.  I use these at such low voltages, though, I have never had this as an issue.

Last edited by ADCX Rob

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