Help with 394 beacon

[djrmmr]

Have a 394 rotating beacon. Beacon does not rotate. Light is bright. Tried original and aftermarket Beacon. Any suggestions ?? Thanks

[sir james I]

There is only one fix for a 394, get a 494. That's how Lionel fixed it.

It has a vibrator motor that works well.  My 394 has a red flasher bulb in it without the beacon top.

[TrainLarry]

There has been much written about the 394 beacon, and getting it to work and work consistently. Basically it is a trial and error scenario incorporating a lot of patience. There have been suggestions about changing bulbs, changing beacon tops, bending the vanes on the beacon, ambient temperature, air currents near the beacon, operating voltage,etc. It is probable that some or all of these suggestions may need to be tried, as there does not seem to be any one fix for this accessory, except for the one given in the above post.

Larry

[emdmike]

Mine has never rotated well, but does best with an OEM Lionel beacon top I found at an antique shop years ago new in its box.  The tower has lots of memories from my childhood since it was my fathers before me.   Cheers  Mike

Silly NT's....I have Aspergers.

[Tootle]

It IS possible to get the 394 to work, but it requires some time, patience and trial and error. Whatever adjustments you make to the top or bottom vanes should be very slight. You may also wish to take a look at how the dimple in the bulb sets...the top of the dimple needs to be dead level. Also, the support needle needs to be dead center of the dimple and vertical, and the intake vanes shouldn't hang up or rub on anything. Personally, I've never got my 394 to work, so I gave it to a retired friend who has the time and patience. Now it works, but my 494 works better.