american flyer 290 fifth wire

[rlassoc12]

Anyone have a picture of the connection of the fifth wire from tender to engine

on a 290?

[Road Foreman of Engines]

Hello,

 I've been there before too! If you Google " American Flyer Steam Locomotive Wiring Diagram", you should get an image with the schematics. I printed it out. Very handy to have.

Hope this helps.

Paul

incidentally, my 290 is a 4 wire connection. I had to replace the harness on it.

[rlassoc12]

Thanks 

I found the wiring diagram. What was used to connect the wire from the tender to the wire from the engine? American Flyer didn't have any 5 pin plugs did they?

[Road Foreman of Engines]

All mine are earlier engines with 4 wire connections, but I believe some engines had the jack plate on the back of the cab with a fifth port, and the fifth wire would just plug in there. It was to provide power to the headlight and smoke unit, regardless of the reverse unit position. I believe this was something that came along later in production.

 Good luck! I am adding a Flyer loop in the train room as we speak!

Paul

[Laurastom]

Gilbert did not make any 5 pin jacks and plugs. The 5th wire was a solder connection, making it impossible to separate the engine and tender w/o unsoldering the wire. The 5 wire design was first used in 1952. In 1955 Gilbert began placing the reverse units on the rear of the motor. This design required only a two wire connection between engine and tender.

[rlassoc12]

Thanks for all the replies. I will figure out something so that the tender can be remove without unsoldering

[rlassoc12]

Solution. I took a 4d finish nail sanded it in the drill press to fit 5 th hole. Cut it to .5 inches long soldered the tender wire to it.

[Road Foreman of Engines]

Great! That'll work. Homemade solution, fantastic!

Paul