Lionel 182 Triple Action Magnet Crane

[Hotrod]

My crane's electronic magnet no longer works. Other than buying a replacement part which might cost almost as much as the unit, is there anything else that I can try to retore it's magnetism?

thanks,

Rod in CT

[TrainLarry]

The accessory uses electricity in a coil to produce magnetism. It is not a permanent magnet that you can 'restore'. You may have a wiring or controller issue. Open up the controller, and find the 2 wires leading to the electromagnet. Connect transformer power to those 2 wires, and the electromagnet should energize, and become magnetic. If it does not, chances are the wiring may be bad to the electromagnet. If there are connections at the electromagnet itself that you can get to, apply power there. If still no magnetism, the electromagnet may be bad. If this all works, but not with the controller, the controller may need to be rewired, especially if the original wiring is still on it.

Larry

[cwburfle]

On the original Postwar crane, it was common for the contact finger on the top of the spool to slip off. If the contact finger is out of place, the magnet will not work.