Lionel 154C Connector Quesetion

[Anonymous]

Ok...So I have this Marx crossing signal that works the same way as the Lionel on. Or should. I have a 154C connector and as the train goes over it, only one light bulb glows. Periodically the other one barely lights up. All the connections seem be good. And when I roll a train over the connector by hand, I can get both lights to go on. Is there a secret to this? I have cleaned to top part of the connector so the wheels should be making a good contact on both. Any suggestions would be great!

Thanks 

Tim

MBL 

[lionelsoni]

Are you sure that the common of the signal is connected to the center rail?  These are terminal 1 on both the 154 and the 154C; but the Marx signal may have the terminals numbered differently.  This could cause symptoms similar to what you describe.

[sir james I]

If it works when you push the cars, then its working. Check for dirty wheel's or the other outside rail could be dirty. What kind of cars are you using? They may be to lite for a good contact. But I would check for dirt first.And plactic wheels will not work at all.

[magicman710]

The 154c contactor has to sections on each side of the clip that goes over the outside rail. When a wheel runs over one half, it illuminates the left/right light, and when it touches the other it lights the left/right light. I dont think that the weight of the car has any effect on this. As long as it touches the outside rails, all it has to do is touch the contactor and make the 'short' as I call it and it illuminates the light.

I think Bob has a good point. The numbers may be different than the lionel flasher.

[lionelsoni]

I've been looking at the pictures of Marx crossing signals on Ebay.  (The only one I have is the kind with the bell.)  It looks likely to me that the center terminal of the signal is the common and is the one that should be connected to terminal 1 of the 154C.

[sir james I]

The wheels don't make a short. it completes the ground circuit, therefore the wheels and other rail MUST be clean and the car weight must touch well enough to complete the  circuit. these are suggestions of help. not a this is your problem thing

On a marx flasher the center post is ground, on a lionel;facing the front ground is the third post(back )

[magicman710]

The wheels don't make a short. it completes the ground circuit

Yes, I know that. I said I called it a "short", since it sparks once in a while.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all the feedback! I got it working. It turned out to be hooked up wrong. I could have sworn that I had it right. The center is the common ground. I had one of the wires transposed. It seems strange to me that it would have worked at all or only when I put pressure on it. Either way. It looks good now.

Thanks

Tim

MBL

[sir james I]

MBL- glad it's working. thanks for responding, sometimes we don't learn the results of our efforts.

[Anonymous]

You're welcome. Oh and some other things that I noticed about this part. If anyone cares to hear it. One of the light sockets did not accept the bulb far enough to make contact at the base. So I added a glob of solder. A quick fix. Also I needed bulbs, so I took some out of some prewar cars I had, and I painted them red with a testors paint marker. Worked like a charm. This is good if you don't have any red bulbs lying around.

Tim

MBL