My Lionel #45 Gateman works, to a point. He comes out and the light works, but how do you get him to go back inside the shack?
NOVICE/OLD
FWIW, it's pretty easy to make an insulated track section for Fastrack, there's no magic involved. It's actually easier than with tubular track.
? about the 153IR. Can this 153IR be placed so that it will operate connected to two or more crossing gates at the same time? Example: two lines running along side of each other with traditional gates on the outside of each track......I guess what I am really asking is can the 153IR be connected to more than one accessory and what is the operating range (how far does the 153IR beam extend)? As always, many thanks.
I have a Lionel 45N gateman with a bulb in the base and only two screw connectors (one being insulated) on the base. What I did is to insulate three track sections' outer rail that faces the gateman and use two plastic insulating pins (one at the beginning and one at the end of the three tracks) and this was just the right length for "action" of the gateman to come out and go back in while crossing a brown plastic Lionel car crossing.
I did discover that the insulated screw connector on the base was a neat idea, but mine separated while attaching a wire. In my parts box of screws, nuts, bolts, washers, etc. I found a plastic part with a shaft slightly larger than the screw hole of the gateman's base. This plastic part also had a hole in the shaft. What I did was to make the gateman's hold almost the diameter of the plastic shaft, then snugly pushed that part into the base hole. I found a screw and nuts, put the screw into the shaft's hole, and attached the wire. The shaft is the insulator from the metal base and actually will probably outlive the original design.
Eriediamond wrote:I have a question here. I remeber a Lionel "gateman" like pictured here, however the ones I remember had a light bulb in the base that shown through a hole in the base that shined up on the lantern giving the illusion of the lantern being lit when the gateman popped out and the arm was hinged so the arm and lantern swung as if signaling the train. I don't see the hole for that light in this picture. Are they different now or are the ones I remember newer? Ken
The metal 45N/45 had the light in the base. The 145 is plastic.
Rob
lionel2 wrote:How does the #45 gateman work?? I have a #45 gateman with the controller...but how do you wire it and where do you put the controller piece that goes on the track??...are there any other parts i need to make it work??...thanks
I have a #45 and had always set him up with a 153C contactor and had good reliable performance. Where you place the contactor (Assume this is what you mean by "Controller") depends on which direction the trains are travelling and how soon or late you want the gateman to operate upon arrival of a train. I like to have the gateman come out well ahead of the arrival of the loco; this makes him go back inside before the train is through passing unless you use an additional (Parallel) contactor on the other side of the gateman. In this case no matter what direction the trains were coming from the gateman would come out before the arrival of the loco and not go back inside till after the caboose has passed.
Last year I set the gateman up with an insulated track section (Tubular 027 track) and found this cleaner and even more reliable operation. All you need then is a CTC lockon on the insulated section with wires from it to the gateman. Of course as pointed out plastic axles/wheel won't work in this case, but all my trains are metal wheels and axles. Using the insulated track sections you could either use two sections, one on either side of the gatehouse, as with the contactors described above, or create one long insulated section. you'd have to buy sevaral sections of insulated track or make your own. The control rail would have to be insulated from the ties (and other outer rail) throughout its length.
Roland
lionel2,
There have been quite a number of modifications to the Lionel Gateman over the years. If you actually have the #45 (as opposed to the #145 and other numbers) things are a bit different. I understand the #45 was "prewar" and its design is somewhat simpler than later ones. Here is a link to a drawing by Olsen's Toy Train which you might want to compare with the more modern schematic referenced above, or with the postwar #145 at the same Olsen's site.*
http://pictures.olsenstoy.com/cd/b123/001000.pdf
I concur that the modern train detectors mentioned above work better than the old mechaniical 153C that worked on the basis of weight and doesn't do very well with modern light-weight cars. However, the modern 153IR detectors are rather pricey by comparison.
There are special "detector tracks" if you use FasTrack. Many operators who use traditional tubular track make their own insulated detector tracks. Some plastic or wood and metal track, such as Gargraves, are already insulated and need only to be wired up properly. Some wiring schemes work well with metal wheels and trucks but not with plastic ones.
If you would tell us what track you plan to use, someone might give you specific suggestions on your choices as to what detection method to use. The modern 153 IR detector will work with any track and even with plastic wheels, as it actually "sees" the train.
* Sometimes the large and wonderful Olsen's site is up and working; sometimes it is not. It has been both today, Friday, 10/26/07.
I wired the gateman on my layout through Lionel's #153IR infrared controller. I have found the infrared controller to be more reliable than the track clip.
Gateman Instructions
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