As handy as newer electronic locomotives are for uncoupling the whole consist, I still like to be able to uncouple smaller cuts at several strategic locations around the yards and the mainlines.

My track is all oldschool tubular, and there are about a dozen UCS tracks currently. I am thinking of adding another 2 or 3 to facilitate uncoupling at locations I did not originally consider.

So am I off-base here, or are there lots of other UCS track users out there?

Rod

I do.

My layout small, but that doesn't stop me from having 10 of them. I also have about another 20 squirreled away under the layout for future use.

Although I run a lot of command control stuff, I prefer to keep my conventional(i.e. postwar) stuff completely conventional.

Besides that, I love operating cars, and it's far more than I can afford to convert all of them to command control.

I use them with Lionel Accesories and plan on using some on sidings. I have half a dozen or so.

Mort

I've got many. Use 'em all!

Jon

I don't have LIONEL UCS tracks, but I do have a dozen Gargraves UCS sections on the layout.

New layout - old school operation!

Jim

UCS tracks? Yes. I have 15 operating cars (milk, coal, log).
I run remote conventional, so the UCS tracks are important.

Dennis

Agreed, I use RealTrax and have 2 in use with several more planned.

quote:

Originally posted by Hartman:
UCS tracks? Yes. I have 15 operating cars (milk, coal, log).
I run remote conventional, so the UCS tracks are important.

Dennis

Same here.

I have three with lionel milk stations. i use GG unloaders/uncouplers for all of the other operating accessories that need them. I use the GG Uncouplers as well mosting in the storage yards. all the GG tracks are tied in to OTCs as well as controlers so I can go either way.

ralph

I have about 8.

On classic postwar lionel: I know that some of the newer products work better, and are much less finicky. But I like challenge of making and keeping the old stuff running the way it was designed, limitations and all.

It's classic and also fun.

Prairietype

I have a dozen UCS and counting, plus a few 6019s. In the process of wiring six or so of the UCS to SC-2's for remote uncoupling via TMCC.

I have six of Atlas's, but I haven't hooked them up yet. I like to do hands-free switching, so will use them a lot.

Wow, you folks have a lot of UCS track sections. The controllers take up a lot of real-estate space on the control panel. Do you have very large control panels? If not, how do you control so many UCS track sections?

Earl

I use them with Gargraves Track for various accessories and have the controller on the edge of layout adjacent to respective accessory controller, not on a single control panel.Happy Railroading!!!!-Don Klose

quote:

Originally posted by EIS:
Wow, you folks have a lot of UCS track sections. The controllers take up a lot of real-estate space on the control panel. Do you have very large control panels? If not, how do you control so many UCS track sections?

Earl

I reduce a lot of the clutter by wiring some of them together. My yard section is three tracks, each with two UCS sections on it, and all of these operate off of one controller. Since a car has to be carefully spotted over a section in order to work, I've never had an issue with activating a coupler I didn't intend to activate. Some of the tracks on this one controller are activated through a relay, so as to reduce the current in the contacts of the controller itself.

This is an older photo, and I've added a few controllers since then. You can see, though, how they fit in with my control panel

quote:

Originally posted by EIS:
Wow, you folks have a lot of UCS track sections. The controllers take up a lot of real-estate space on the control panel. Do you have very large control panels? If not, how do you control so many UCS track sections?

Earl

Here's a picture of mine from last Spring (before they were all wired). The 11 grey rectangles are the Gargraves uncoupler controllers. The dark grey one in the corner is a Gargraves uncoupler/unloader controller.



My shelf area is about 12" x 37"

Jim

I have many of them on my layout even though I use Gargraves track. Never had a problem Some controlers are located along the layout. I have them all set up to operate on fixed votage just like my Lionel switches.

quote:

Originally posted by EIS:
Wow, you folks have a lot of UCS track sections. The controllers take up a lot of real-estate space on the control panel. Do you have very large control panels? If not, how do you control so many UCS track sections?

Earl

Earl, I have 22 of them used either for unload or uncouple and control all of them using the DCS remote through AIU relays (some SW and some ACC) to control all of them. Based on each one's individual use, I choose which AIU relay points to use. To unload logs or coal, I use a switch point as momentary does the job. Where I need a longer "shot" to be accurate as uncouple on a middle of a consist, I use an ACC point. When I do, I must rember to knock it back off after it has done its job or else stand a chance of burning up the track. I actually melted a couple when the DCS system had random picks of ACC relays, before 4.1.

I am running conventionally and still use them, I have 10 now and need to pick up a few more.

Paul

I do.

I use about 5 of them - Lionel UCS tracks. They are specially wired to connect with constant accessory voltage from the transformer, rather than the normal conventional method of using track voltage. This requires a minor modification to the existing UCS track wires - the wiring scheme was posted previously on this forum about a year or more ago. I typically place the controller directly near the UCS track section to allow visitors to actuate the track section themselves (e.g to activate a dump car, milk car, etc) and be right next to the action. Great for the kids.

John
TCA

There is a way to wire them so you just have to use a SP switch. I think if you wire the switch to screw two, and jump to screw 4, you can run both the electromagnet and the control rails.

No UCS "tracks" for me, but I do have a couple dozen of the magnets that I removed from UCS tracks, buried in my gargraves track. For operating cars, I use the Atlas accessory rails installed in the gargraves.

quote:

Originally posted by EIS:
Wow, you folks have a lot of UCS track sections. The controllers take up a lot of real-estate space on the control panel. Do you have very large control panels? If not, how do you control so many UCS track sections?

OK, so I see I am in good company with lots of others using UCS sections, as well as similar GG and Atlas offerings.

Ben; I really like your idea of wiring multiple UCS's to one controller. I had not considered that. Sounds like a great way to cut down the amount of panel space required. I think I will "steal" that idea for future UCS sections.

John; your comment of operating on a fixed supply voltage is right on. I run mine off of a 16 VDC power supply that also runs all my 022 switches. They work really well in this manner, and the DC eliminates the annoying AC buzz associated with UCS track operation.

Keep the replies coming, its all good information!

Rod

I should also mention that all of mine are run off of fixed voltage also.

Here's another trick that I've used:

Most of the ones I buy are postwar(I've never bought one new), and the controller wiring is shot.

I don't know if you've priced 4-conductor wiring lately, but it's not cheap. Couple that with the fact that most of mine are several feet away from the control panel, and the cost of wiring up every one of them to work becomes quite daunting.

So, here's my money-and wire-saving plan that also works quite well.

I have a couple of terminal strips under the control panel



The bottom terminal of each strip gets a ground wire, and the second from the bottom gets a wire from the fixed voltage source I use for UCS tracks(one of the throttles on a ZW).

Each controller then has its 1 and 3 wire connected to the power and ground connections, respectively, and the 2 and 4 wires go to some other terminals on the terminal strips.

I then use Radio Shack intercom wire(http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062655) to go from the 2 and 4 wires on the terminal strip to the 2 and 4 terminals on the track.

This saves a whole lot of redundant wiring, and in turn a lot of money, while also conveniently providing fixed voltage.

I have six in use at this time. I'll be adding at least six more in the near future.

I have GG UCS -- seven of them -- and talk about a love/hate relationship.

The good news: the sweet spot is large.

The bad news:

* Dad Gum things suck the power; you better have yer accs on a separate supply;
* AH! They have to be sanded down or half my PS2engines won't get over the "hump"
* Be careful; don't use more than a few seconds. All that heat/power can burn them out (ask me how i know)
* The longer UCS sweet spot also means a longer center roller dead spot; don't locate near switches

Short answer: i'm going to try ERR Commanders in my fleet of a dozen operating cars.

-- gary ray

I have 10 uncoupler sections on my 5' x 9' layout. I operate them in pairs, one of the pair is on the mainline to uncouple and the second of the pair is on an adjacent siding to drop off the cars. A 6 position rotary switch is used along with a single uncouple button. Each positon of the rotary switch controls a pair of uncouplers. I also use a 1 1/2 amp self resetting circuit breaker in line with the circuit so that a pair of uncouplers will only operate for about 4 seconds before tripping the breaker, this prevents the uncouplers from overheating if the button jams or is accidentally pressed for a long period.





I mark the uncoupler positions on the layout using small signs on a post or if the uncoupler is at the edge of the layout I use a marker at the edge. Here you can see the pair of uncouplers marked with U5. Using the markers makes it easy to keep track of which selection of the rotary switch should be used. The markers also make it easier to uncouple at the exact right moment since you cannot see the uncoupler electromagnet position when a group of cars are sitting on top of the track.





I also have 4 of the control rail uncouplers for milk car unloading and log and coal dump cars. A second 6 position rotary switch is used to operate the control rails through a second button.

I have a bunch of them on the layout. By removing the cork road bed you can set a UCS section in Gragraves track and it fits right in, level with the Gargraves track. Here are some pictures.

Milk car platform



Here is the UCS with the coal ramp and coal loader



Inside the Yard



Here is a siding with a milk car platform, Barrel loader, and Log loader. all of these operating cars are activated by a UCS track. You can see the UCS controllers mounted on the bench work behind the ZW's



I even set an OTC lock on in the Gragraves track to activate the horse car.



I wire the UCS tracks to my ZW in order to use variable voltage. This allows me to fine tuen the operating cars. No milk cans flying accross the layout, and the amount of coal flying off the coal loader can be reduced. The live stock makes it up the ramp into the horse car without falling over.

Thanks,

Richard