Man I gotta tell you I’m not surprised by the effort you guys are doing to help me, but I am glad to see that in this hobby we help each other. Thanks a big bunch!
The controller box is 6-10-2782-400 and from looking at the exploded view of it, it appears to be a lot more complicated than I thought. It’s got IC’s and other components that make this appear as a “Gotta get one of the original boxes or you’re screwed” I suppose I could get it to go up and down but I would like to have all the other things that it does. Thinking a little further I suppose the IC’s might be for the track sensors and thereby telling the bridge what, where it should be doing or what to engergize or shut off. It would take a while but I know I could do it. However I’m 69 and I’d like to enjoy this beast before I die. VBG! I’ll keep trying to get one on line and who knows, there’s got to be one out there without the bridge, hell I got a bridge without the controller box.
Making it go up and down should be easy with a SPDT and 12VDC.
I’ll bet the sound chips for the horn and bell are in the control box and two of the wires in the harness are to the speaker. Someone might be able to help you get a Signal sounds board to do a horn and bell.
From reading the manual for this bridge, the sound board is in the tower that has the 12 pin connector. If you open the tower to look at the board, it may have the connections for the power & bell/horn buttons labeled-- So you could then activate the sounds using a SPST switch. I do have a suggestion— contact Lionel’s service department— they may have a connection diagram for your bridge-- and maybe a complete schematic— just a thought—
I bought this on Ebay. It appears to be in prime shape. That being said it was bought with a no return policy. I am a EE with a masters but I don’t have the IC books to see what those IC’s are and then try to figure out what they do. There might even be, I don’t know for sure, some proprietory IC’s and if there is then I’m screwed.
Now here’s the deal. This bridge works with 18-20 vac, not dc, but that doesn’t cause a real problem I can use one of my many train transformers to provide that and I know where it should be inserted, Pins 1 and 2 of the connector on the bridge. How do I know that? They are the largest wire diameter and it just is a basic assumption. After that I haven’t done much with it except stare at it on my dining room table everytime I have something to eat. VBG I have one more solid option with regards to getting an original control box. Also I have sent an email to Lionel and I will call and harass them but I’m not too optimistic as I’ve said before there have been others who have tried for me and came up with nothing. I will give this a little more time until I get totally frustrated and then I will attack it in stages. First determine how to get the bridge up and down, after that it’s the sound of the bell and warning horn. The sensors are not an issue because I can bypass the bridge system with a relay system of my own and insulated track sections. So It’s not impossible to make this a “working” accessory but I’m sure you all can see why I would like it to perform the way it can and should. I’ve had Lionel trains since the early 50’s and always loved tunnels and bridges on a layout. I paid less than two hundred for this bridge and I still think it was a good buy. However I did see one go about three weeks later for a new in the box $350 and that was an even better deal. But hey, how is one to know when there were others that were posted on ebay for 650 at the same time. That one is still pos
Yes I have already talked to the seller and asked him to keep an eye out for a lost control box that can’t find it’s way home. VBG
I can, and will, take pics if you think it would help. However this is not a two by two circuit board. It looks like the Lionel people had some outside help with this circuitry. It appears state of the art but not from 91. I’m familiar with the state of the art in 91 and these circuit boards are way ahead of the time line of 91. I don’t know how that happens, but it did somehow. Like my daughter said last night, tear out all the electronics and put your own in. Now out of the mouths of babes comes another gem. This bridge has twelve functions, I counted them on the control box. Up, down, mid point, and a few more. I can reproduce those but it might not be possible to do them in the confines of the bridge tower cavities on the top.
Whatever I’ll get it working but only if someone had a control box sitting on his workbench somewhere, The question is how to reach that person, yup that’s the question.
I have been corrected and the correct PN for this bridge is 6-12782, and the corntroller box is 6-10-2782-400 is it really matters. I think I will start and new post noting the correct PN.