Fun But Frustrating - The Lionel

[@flatheadfred28]

Excellent explanation and illustrations of the unit and de-mystifying the operation and fine tuning, great job.

[@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks]

Glad it helped

[@cheapbastardmodeltrains7210]

Mike it's great to have you back Bro. Hope you have a good recovery. Your videos help us so much Thank you Sir

[@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks]

Thanks!!

[@brianmuhlingBUM]

Some great tips, Mike. I just bought one and it is a mess, but I will get it working because of your hints. Thanks

[@DonDyke-zv9hy]

Good explanation thank you

[@davidcaudill7025]

Good to see you back! Hope all gets better with your shoulder. Thanks for the tips on this frustrating toy..lol i will get mine back out and try to adjust it again...

[@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks]

Thanks 👍

[@bobquilici6369]

I was looking at my set and wondered how mine ever worked. I don’t remember mine ever working and now I can see why. Thanks for the input.😊

[@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks]

No problem 👍

[@robertsylvester7005]

Hello, Very nice video showing alot of important details on this accessory. I still have mine that I received Christmas of 1961. They do require time and patience to repeatedly tweak them to run the best they could, but never perfect. Before you adjust your ramps, or as Lionel calls it the bridge assembly, between the corral and the cattle car, you need to flip them over. I noticed that they had been installed up-and-down. Need to carefully remove the long rod of the bridge assembly from the holes in each end of the side fences. Be careful where it attaches to the lever. The top of the bridge ramps have short side walls to help guide the cows on and off the car and prevent them from trying to get away like yours were attempting. I know that this is a frustrating accessory, but rewarding when it works. To you and everyone trying to get theirs to work correctly I wish the best of luck and patience with it. Please keep the videos coming! GREAT JOB!

[@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks]

Thanks for the tip!

[@MarnePlatt]

Great video, you have given me a simple plan for diagnosing why my cattle car isn't working (at least for today).Thank you!

[@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks]

They require constant attention, but they're cool when they work!

[@henryszubielski8601]

Mike, This was an excellent tutorial video. I will utilize your tips when I get my layout built.

[@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks]

Thank you, and thanks for watching!

[@scpvrr]

Welcome back Mike. You’ve been missed.

[@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks]

Thank you!

[@cliffordkiehl3959]

I gave up on the cattle car. I would get it adjusted so it worked and when the kids came over to see the layout it wouldn't work. So I sold it and got a horse car, which works pretty well.

[@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks]

Yes. I have heard the horse car works better.

[@green97probe]

Mike, the bridge ramps between the stockyard and car are upside down.

[@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks]

Yes, thanks! Someone else spotted the same problem.

[@donaldwiller9238]

Great information 👍

[@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks]

Thank you!

[@DonDyke-zv9hy]

Good explanation thank you😅

[@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks]

I'm glad you liked it!

[@tinytowntrainstv]

Its a pretty complicated accessory for that day and time. I can see why it isn't all that reliable. Best wishes for your continued recovery! Thanks. T4

[@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks]

Thanks 👍

[@OliverT-qt1gn]

I would be interesting to see if a small amount of Armor-All Protectant daubed on the rubber 'snubbers' would keep them from hardening. I know this liquid keeps vehicle door seals, 'snubbers' and vinyl stuff in good shape.

[@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks]

An interesting idea!

[@OliverT-qt1gn]

​@@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks I should have added that it might not be a 'cure-all'. Man-made Rubber is basically 'broken-down' by exposure to oxygen, UV and high temperatures. If the 'Cattle Chute' assembly isn't exposed to high temperatures and/or UV, then Armor-All might not be called for...though I imagine it might help the 'chute' part move around...

[@patmonty3484]

Thank you for a very informative video and glad things are better for you and family can you please share where I can get parts for this item or any other old accessory that I am trying to work on much appreciated thank you again

[@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks]

Thanks for watching! My go-to Lionel parts supplier is The Train Tender (ttender.com) because I like their searchable web interface. If I cannot find it there, I do a Google search under the part number to see if anyone else has it.

[@OgaugeTrainsplusslotCars]

Cool boxcars

[@unitytwins6652]

you should find a stiffer spring and cut down the ends to length inside that boxcar. By the looks of the one that's there it's lost most of it's stiffness as it looks as though it was a light spring or maybe even someone else with the same idea but could only find that spring. That spring will come out of tune again relatively soon but a new one that's a little bit stiffer would last another 20-40 years. Just my two cents but great video and keep up the good work!

[@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks]

Thanks for the comments. That is, in fact, a newer, replacement spring that I installed a few days before the video. The original spring broke.

[@jblackacre2325]

Welcome back.

[@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks]

Thank you!

[@timfaracy754]

Maybe just place the first cow farther back on the ramp so the door doesn't hit it and turn it sideways.

[@Biagio-q4h]

What color is the base and fence I have one and would like to paint it I have tried to find the color but not able could send me the colors thank you 😊

[@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks]

Other than "green and cream" I cannot help. Maybe search Google for "Lionel paint colors"?

[@martinheller1102]

Hi, I hope you are feeling better. I'm missing the part that goes from the gate into the solenoid, can you direct me to someplace to get that?

[@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks]

If I understand correctly, you are looking for the part that inserts from the bottom of the the platform assembly (3356-124) into the solenoid. It looks like this is part 3656-113 (spade bolt) and a rivet 3464-14. Unfortunately, a check of multiple parts dealers comes up empty on this part. This part was ONLY used on the 1949 version of the corral. 1950 and later corrals were redesigned and do not require this part. If you are certain that yours is a 1949 model, your only option is to find ANOTHER 1949 platform for parts. It may be both easier and cheaper to find another functioning platform and retire your current model. I wish I had better news. Perhaps someone else will have a comment to help on this one.

[@martinheller1102]

Thanks, That's not bad news, I'll just have to figure out a work around. I'll think of something, maybe a bit of metal tubing super glued on to the platform. But there is a train dealer in NYC that is around the corner from where I work, he's been there forever, I'll check with him. The only thing I'm going to retire this year is me.

[@green97probe]

@@martinheller1102 that stud is part of the platform and wasn't available separately. Jeff at The Train Tender might have a solution though.

[@feathersfeathers2022]

Please list the part houses you use.

[@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks]

This is my primary supplier. www.ttender.com/

[@Lee-rp6kk]

You never show it working. Which was the whole purpose of me watching, was to see adjustments to the ramps.

[@huntercoleman460]

Lionel also made a horse version.

[@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks]

Yes. And it works better!

[@DiRtYwHiTeBoii]

I have 1 my father passed away and it was under his bed I used to love it

[@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks]

Thanks for sharing.

[@brandongaines1731]

Does anybody make aftermarket replacement reproduction parts for this set? I'm wondering if anyone has tried making those pads in the car out of silicone instead of natural rubber - something tells me that silicone pads would work a lot better. Same story with the pads under the corral platform and with the cow figures, too lol! Also, speaking of aftermarket repro parts, I wonder if a small weight embedded in the base of each cow figure would keep them from tipping over ;-)

[@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks]

What, you don't like cow tipping? ;-) Replacement pads are available, but to my knowledge they are all rubber.

[@dbtech7914]

I'm working on one of these right now. It was giving me problems. I used felt pads that you would use on the bottom of furniture, like a chair or table. Sticky on one side, felt on the other. Works good. (Working on the video!)

[@VB-bk1lh]

I think it would have worked better with a simple belt with some magnets under a plastic surface and metal feet on the cows. Many of those operating cars worked better in theory then is reality and all the fussing with them only made kids lose interest in them sooner. While I'm a bit too young to have had any prewar Lionel of my own, I inherited quite a bit of it from two relatives who were avid collectors. If it were me, back then, I think I'd have opted to spend my money on more Engines, cars, or track then on gadgets that made a ton of noise, weren't realistic, and rarely worked as they should. In the two lots I inherited, there were 9 'operating cars' one of which is the cattle car as shown here, but its been gutted of all the mechanism and the cows were glued or screwed down in a 'field' on the layout.

[@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks]

How do the cows get into the car when using a belt?