Gary, you jogged my memory of mine...., it was one of the cheaper variety with a metal lever sticking out the top. Flipped one way was forward, the other for reverse. You could also reverse it by applying a little juice with the lever on the controller, quickly bring the lever back to stop and then applying the juice again.
Jarrell
WeighmasterThe two outside rails are the same electrically; connect one wire to either or both outside rails, the other wire to the center rail. Runs on AC, so reversing wires will not reverse direction. That is accomplished by the e-unit (reversing switch, usually in the tender if steamer). Cheaper sets may have a lever protruding from the top of the loco which performs the reversing function. Hope this doesn't confuse you further... Gary
The two outside rails are the same electrically; connect one wire to either or both outside rails, the other wire to the center rail. Runs on AC, so reversing wires will not reverse direction. That is accomplished by the e-unit (reversing switch, usually in the tender if steamer). Cheaper sets may have a lever protruding from the top of the loco which performs the reversing function. Hope this doesn't confuse you further... Gary
If I remember correctly from my old Lionel set, it doesn't matter and won't hurt anything if you 'wire it backwards'. On my controller, I believe it had two posts with a screw and nut. You loosened the screw, attached a wire and tightened the nut down on the wire. On the other end of the wires, at least on the set I had, was a kind of spring loaded clip that attached to the bottom of the track. Mine was the 3 rail type. I would attach the clip to the rail, then attach the wires to the controller and away I'd go. If you try this and the engine runs in reverse, just swap the wires on the two posts.
Hope that helps.