insulated track problems

[Anonymous]

I operate post war lionel with all post war track, etc... I just constructed a piece on insulated track (i did it right) to operate a postwar 153 semaphore (the one with 3 posts) I have tried all suggested ways to hook it up but i can not make the insulated track perform. I tested the semaphore (it works) and went over the connection and construction of the insulated track and thats fine. Any body know how to hook it up right?

[Chris F]

I think you mean the 151 semaphore, yes?

Looking down at the semaphore base with the three terminals on the right:

Bottom terminal (#1) goes to transformer ground, or outside rail of nearby non-insulated rail.

Middle terminal (#2) goes to transformer hot (fixed or variable, 12-14V recommended).

Upper terminal (#3) goes to outside rail of insulated track.

The above is from Greenberg's Lionel Postwar Operating Instructions (Greenberg Publishing Co., 1992), p. 185.

[Anonymous]

thanks, i will go try that now....

[Anonymous]

my semaphore is the 151 it has three nuts in line on the base of the semaphore. (looking down at it if the semaphore is upright) The far left is power for the light, middle is ground and right is power to the plunger. when i hooked it up ur way the plunger came on when power was applied from the transformer . I now have the ground to the outside rail of the non insulated, the left hooked to the trans. for constant power and the right (plunger) to the outside insulated, so in thought the wheels hit the insulated and throw the plunger down and back up with its passes, but still nothing happens?

[lionelsoni]

When used with an insulated control rail, the middle terminal should not be considered a ground but rather should be connected to the center rail or to an accessory voltage. The terminal for the light should be the one grounded to the (non-insulated) outside rails; and the terminal for the solenoid should be connected to the control rail.

Since the middle terminal is connected to the structure of the signal, be sure that that structure does not touch any other electrical parts, like the track.

[Anonymous]

thanks a bunch, works now, but does not go all way down unless i have power at 10, is that good for it? I know they say between 12-14.

[lionelsoni]

Low voltage certainly won't hurt it; but to get it all the way down you'll have to use an accessory supply on the center terminal which can be set at a higher voltage and left there. Most transformers have such an output for just that sort of thing. What transformer do you have?

[Anonymous]

i have a zw, it is on an a acc. allready and to go from 12 to 10 increases the wattage. I just tried to hook up my signal bridge and it works fine, but both lights (green and red) light up at the same time when the train is on the insulated. when it is off it goes green. Is there something i can do to make it so both are not lit when the train goes on the insulated? I am new to this insulated track theory so bear with me!! i appreciate the help alot..

[lionelsoni]

Happy to help.

Is it the modern ZW or the postwar? You can find the service information for the postwar version at
http://pictures.olsenstoy.com/cd/transfmr/psvw2.pdf
However, all you really need to know about the postwar ZW is to connect the U terminal(s) to the (non-insulated) outside rails and the others to the center rails of your blocks or to accessories.

I don't know what you mean about going from 12 to 10 and increasing the wattage.

The problem with using a color-light signal with a control rail is of course that you have to turn one light on and the other off when the train gets on the control rail. Some folks do this with relays; but I prefer a simpler method that uses only an incandescent lamp (other than the ones in the signal). That lamp can actually be any other lighted accessory, like a floodlight, if you don't mind that it lights up when the train is on the control rail, or just a lamp, covered with something so its light doesn't show.

This topic has come up a few times recently. See
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?page=-1&TOPIC_ID=26500&REPLY_ID=261523#261523
for all the details.

[Big_Boy_4005]

QUOTE: Originally posted by adorler

thanks a bunch, works now, but does not go all way down unless i have power at 10, is that good for it? I know they say between 12-14.

The one thing you want to watch out for is long periods of activation, ie, don't leave the train sitting on the insulated section. It is possible to fry the coil.

Keep in mind that the insulated rail is great for that simple on / off function. The semaphore works, because you just have th turn the coil on and off. Switching between X or Y takes a different device.

Signals with red and green lights, such as the signal bridge, need a different form of activation, in order to have only one light on at a time. The easy way to do this is with is with the 153C contactor, which uses the weight of the train to move a set of contacts. This method is fairly inexpensive, but can be fussy and unreliable.

Lionel has come out with a modern electronic version, called the 153IR. This device uses infra red light to detect the train. Just place it next to the track, and wire it up.

[Anonymous]

THANKS ALL PROBLEM SOLVED<