The Operating Cattle Car No. 3656 would unload the cattle into the platform from which they could then be loaded again into the car. Operated with the use of a sliding shoes that were on the trucks of the car when they contacted the electrical pickups in the platform base.

Produced from 1949 until 1955, there are five variations to this car. These variations have to do with an "ARMOUR" sticker that was applied to the car (1949 - Variation A & B), and the color of the gates on the platform which were either YELLOW or ORANGE.

Early cars came with staple-end trucks and later variations had bar-end trucks with magnetic couplers. The first issues of the platform had a chain that went across the top of the ramp. This car came with nine BLACK cattle in a separate box that is illustrated to the right.