I have the 80s version of the 445 Lionel switch tower which has already required a replacement solenoid. I have it wired to constant voltage (c&d) on a KW and to an insulated track. Had been working fine for some time since I replaced the original solenoid but lately it seems to loose power and barely be able to activate. At times it works great and other times not so good. I have been running longer trains ... could it be heating up too much?? Any thoughts on what might be happening??
It seems a bit unusual to need a replacement solenoid. How are you using your swtch tower? Is the solenoid activated for long periods of time?I ask because I am under the impression that the solenoid for this and most other Lionel accessoried are only designed for short, intermittent use.
The problem may not be the solenoid. There's a clever 445 "tune-up" in the Tips.Tools.Techniques department, page 82 of the July CTT.
Pete
"You can’t study the darkness by flooding it with light." - Edward Abbey -
I played around with the wire on the insulated rail and after simply touching it to other nearby tracks the 445 came back to life snapping on contact though the insulated rail which I reconnected. Puzzled as to how that happened. I do run long trains (12 - 13 cars) and the solenoid is engaged for while but it doesn't seem to affect the 445 now. I installed a shut off switch some time ago so I can turn the power to the 445 off if I have to. Any thoughts on what may have happened here??
Could be you had a loose connection or a spot of high resistance somewhere and was cleared up when you took it apart and reconnected.
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.
Get the Classic Toy Trains newsletter delivered to your inbox twice a month