How to adjust the direction controller on Lionel 263E

[Anonymous]

Hello everybody, I inherited some Lionel trains, among them a set of the blue train with the 263E engine. Unfortunatly it seems that the spring of the direction controller is worn out and the engine will pull the relais even at low voltage. How can I get to this thing an adjust ist? Problem is, here in Germany there are not too many model railroad stores which carry prewar Lionel ;-) Kind regards Eberhard

[lionelsoni]

Eberhard, are you under the impression that Lionel direction control is by a high-voltage pulse, like Maerklin uses?  The Lionel reversing unit ("e-unit") operates by interrupting the track voltage, not by increasing it.  So it should operate at a lower voltage than the motor.  It will step every time you put voltage to the track.

Except for a few locomotives which had no room for vertical mounting of the e-unit, Lionel e-units have no springs but depend on gravity to return the armature.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I'm under this impression, since Maerklin HO is the system I was growing up with ;-) Well. Is there anywhere a description how the E-units work? Right now, the engine is runnig for a short while and then stops with a snarring sound. The other engine, a 224E, runs great, but doesn't change directions with my Maerklin transformer. She just looks a little awkward in front of the blue passenger train. Kind regards Eberhard

[lionelsoni]

Most e-units swap the connections to the motor armature to reverse the locomotive.  The armature and field are wired in series, as is normal for a universal motor.  The field winding is usually grounded to the locomotive frame, as is the frame of the e-unit.  A switch built into the e-unit connects the e-unit coil between the center-rail pickup and the frame, so that the e-unit can be left in one of its three positions if reversing is not desired.

Most e-units sequence through forward, neutral, reverse, neutral, forward, etc.

E-units are notorious for buzzing.

Here is a link to much more information:

http://pictures.olsenstoy.com/searchcd2y.htm

 

[Anonymous]

...there has to be a minimum voltage of 4.5 Volts on the system otherwise it will switch into the next step?

Strange ;-)

The engine decided to operate this afternoon, it runs great. But I do have to think into this E-unit.

Kind regards Eberhard

[Anonymous]

...I start to understand the system.

Apparently the engine did understand that she will face some serious maintenance work so she decided to function ;-) Seems like she just needes some practice after all that years.

Kind regards Eberhard