Ok I just got a grade crossing today. Box says that one crossing does not work. Here is what I have. Lights work, Bell works, and when you hit the direction button both gates go up then immediately down again. Now not ever having seen one work how is it supposed to opperate. I took one gate motor off and when the direction button is pushed the gate would stay up until you did the direction button again.
Any thoughts or help or even a video would be appreciated
Mike
If you have the 5" track sections with insulated control rails that go on both sides of the crossing gate section backwards, you will get constant power to the gate and it will stay down. When you hit the direction button, you are cutting this power and the gates will go up. Underneath the crossing section, it should be marked “insulated side”. This is how you tell which way the 5" insulated track sections are inserted.
Ok mine only came with one section of 10" straight track. Was it supposed to come with something else. What came originally in the package, and do they sell insulated track sections seperately?
mike
The crossing gate should have come with two 5" long activator track sections. Mine did. You can buy them seperately (6-12029) for around 10 bucks. To verify this, look under the crossing gate section and it should be stamped “insulated side” somewhere. You are talking the Fastrack grade crossing right? Not the seperate gates.
Mine came with a 10" piece. How can you tell if it is insulated or not. Can I make an insulated piece out of 2 10" pieces? Thanks for the help on this I appreciate it.
Mike
Yes you can make your own insulated pieces.
Remove the metal piece from the back of the track section (electrically) connecting the 2-outside rails.
I installed these with an additional 10" straight section in between crossing so the gates would be down when the train gets to the crossing.
Kurt
That 10" piece is probably the two 5" pieces snapped together tightly. The Lionel website has the instruction manual for this accessory.
When you assemble the track sections, be sure that the “broken” rails on the 5" Isolated Track sections are on the same side (i.e., locate both “breaks” inside the track loop or outside the track loop) as each other, AND on the same side that the bell on/off switch on the grade crossing is located.
Rob
You need isolated track to operate the crossing, with (1) piece of insulated track between the isolated track and the crossing.
5" Isolated - 10" insulated (option) - crossing - 10" insulated (option) - 5" Isolated
To make an isolated track section remove the jumpers on the back of the outside rails, and you will need to cut a break in one of the outside rails. When installing the isolated rails to the crossing, make sure the break in the isolated tracks, is installed on the same side (top or bottom) outside rail.
This is correct as 3railguy say’s. You have the gates powered by the track power. Thats why they cycle when you change direction or stop the train. You can power them from the accessory side of the trainsformer and they will stay down as long any wheel set of the train is on a section of the insulated rail piece. Now that I’ve said this, I’m not all that familiar with fastrack. I may stand corrected here. Ken
You can make your own activator sections as others say by removing the rail jumper and cutting a gap in the rail. However it’s hardly worth the trouble because, for $10, you get two 5" activator sections plus a 10" section of isolated rail track. That price is not much more than two sections of 10" standard track. That’s just my opinion. You can decide however what suits you best.
You can use fixed voltage or track power to energize the gates. Either way, you still need the activator sections (bought or home made).
Thanks everyone. I have been out of town the last couple days. I will have to check the track that came with it to be sure but I thought I saw 10" on the back of it.
So if I understand this right. If you want 15" of track on either side of the crossing then you need a 5" piece of insulated and a 10" piece of insulated as well. I am usually a ho guy(don’t hold that against me). This is a new venture for me with fastracks and the wiring. I have a mrc power pack that runs the steamer ok but it draws to much power to run the wistle if it is not at lightning speed. I think with the crossing gate added to the mix I may not get the whistle or the bell sound. The pack is so weak it will not sound the horn for my alco diesel AA set. Of course I am missing the backing plate for the d cell battery that is supposed to help power the horn?
Mike
The part # for that is 2023-38. A Google search will turn up several parts sources, including ttender.com.
15" of track on one or both sides is not required unless you want decent lag time. You can also use a curved section between the 5" activator section and XING gate if you remove the outside rail jumper under the track section.
To test your gate, do this. With aligator clips or something equal, hook track power to the inside rail and the outside rails oposite of “insulated side” marked under base. The gates should stay up. Now jumper the outside rails by touching the ends of a short piece of wire to them. The gates should come down. This is what the train wheels do to activate it. You’ll also get a feel for how this works.
Been busy so I haven’t been on in a while. Well I made the track pieces(2) by removing the metal piece on the back of 2 10" sections. I am not clear on cutting the rail or whatever that was. I am heading out tomorrow to the hobby shop near home and pick up the insulated track to see if that works. I will post a pick of the tree setup when it is all done.
Thanks again for the help.
We don’t hold it against you we just see it as you have finally seen the light and came over to the best side of the track. You’ll learn you can do just as much detailing with O as HO and its a lot easier on the eyeballs.
It was the best change I ever made . Problem was it put me many years behind everybody else when I changed from ho to O . But OH SO MUCH EASIER to work with … and really alot more detailing can be done .
Ok I bought the 2 insulated rail sections and put the insulated tag side to match the insulated stamped side on the grade crossing. The gates stayed down and the lights stayed lit. When I selected the direction they went up then down. So I swapped the whole unit aroud 180 degrees and tried that and had the same result. Any Ideas I am stumped.
Mike
As I stated before. Your gates are powered by the track power. When you stop the train or reverse it, the gates become unpowered and hence raise. When you reverse the train notice the loco head light goes off and then on again? This power is also interupted to the gates. If you run the gate from the accessory side of your transformer the gates will have constant power an stay down, regardless of what the train does as long as the train wheels are on the “activation” track. Hope this helps. Ken
Ok so is the activation track something different than an insulated track piece.
This is what I have. An mrc tech II throttle o27 written on it. I have the track hooked up to the variable side of power and nothing hooked up to the fixed side. I have the dual crossing gate with the road crossing with insulated track sections on either side of it. All insulated writing is on the same side. The throttle is wired with the black wire on the outside rail of the oval and the red on the center rail. I have had the crossing gates with the insulated side on both the black wire side and the non wired inner rail with no difference. What am I doing wrong or is this thing busted in some way. Is there someplace to find a wiring diagram for it?
mike
I’m not a fast track person but from what I’m understanding hes telling you to wire the crossing gate to the fixed side of the transformer somehow. If i was there I might figure it out but thats all the help I can give you, oh by the way now that your doing O gauge we expect you to change your signature to modeling in O gauge or at least add and O Gauge [:D]