Hello all, my nam is John and I have been involved in repainig and operating Lionel Trains since the late '80s. I am currently working on a Lionel 2032 Erie Alco. The horn blows properly, but when you stop, the armature (lower set of points), will not drop and break the circuit. The armature moves freely, and it appears as if it has been magnatized, and does not want to let go of the coil. I Have seen relays that have springs attached and soldered on the the far end of the pivot points to assist in opening the relay. Has anyone seen this before, and how do I remedy it? Thanks!
When the relay is completely closed, it takes very little residual magnetism to hold the armature in that position. An easy fix is to put a bit of masking tape between the armature and the pole-piece, so that the armature never comes completely in contact with the pole. The thickness of the tape reduces the armature travel only by an insignificant distance, but enough to keep the armature from sticking to the pole.
Bob Nelson
I've superglued a very small washer on the bottom of the armature to give it a bit more weight. That helps it fall back down when the relay is de-energized.
Larry
aboard!
Becky
Trains, trains, wonderful trains. The more you get, the more you toot!
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