I went to the Springfield Train show here a few weeks ago and purchased a set of the mainline auto crossing gates 6-14098. After I got them home and a few days later I took them out of the box and found out that they look like they can only be used with conventional track. The connector that they come with in no way will fit on Fastrac which is what I use. Is there anyway to wire them to fastrac and make them work properly? I have emailed Lionel and so far no answer.
The contactor will work, but is a little awkward. Use the Fastrack Accessory Activator set, and the wiring diagram HERE to make for a neat installation. You can extend the “trigger” section with the Accessory Activator extension pieces, or make you own from your exsisting Fastrack.
Rob
I bought those crossing gates about a year ago. In the Lionel catalog it has said for years “also works with insulated track section”. Don’t believe it. The 153c contactor is used as a SPDT switch that will lower the gates when contact is made by the weight of the train and raises the gates when contact is made from lack of weight on the contactor. The insulated track section will lower the gate but will not raise it.
I found that the article in CTT March 2008 “Wire a more reliable signal bridge” worked great for the crossing gates. The article shows a bridge rectifier, SPDT relay, and a capacitor to smooth out the intermittent contact of the wheels on the insulated track. They go up, they go down, what more could you ask for? Well, let me tell you, because of the capacitor the gates operate smoothly and puts about a 2 second delay on the gates going up after the train passes.
To wire the gates to this you would connect the white wire to the normally closed of the relay, yellow to the normally open, black to common, and red and blue to power as in the manual. Don’t connect the accessory power to the common of the relay as shown in the article. I use tubular track but this should work with the fast track accessory activator track.
If this all seem like a little much the 153IR controller will work. If you have trains going in both directions on the track I believe you need 2 153IR’s.
I have made these circuits to operate my crossing gates, block signals and gate man. They all work flawlessly now.
JT
Ro
To use the Fastrack Accessory Activator set or insulated rails, the wiring diagram Lionel recommends is HERE. It is much like the one you just described.
Rob
[8D]
hello wondereing couldn’t you use a time delay relay to lengthen the time they go up and down?
Tex,
All the 153C Connector is a pressure plate for conventional rail You can “smart Rail” with insulated sections for fasttrack. The other option which is the easiest would be to use a 153IR (infrared detector) In your manual will show you how to do that. The other method is to get 2 insulated track sections and hook your blk/Yellow to your Transformer blk to “U”, Yellow to "A"hook your white to one outside rail (NC - Normally closed) which will be the non insulated outer rail, and yellow to the insulated outside (NO - Normally Open) and it should work. The insulated sections are 4 inche (?) and you can use any number of 10 inch sections depending on where you want to activate them and have it stop. Hope this makes sense. Your style of Crossing Gates is that they use an external voltage supply and just using the track as an open/close switch to operate. The Easiest is the 153IR which you can find from $25. - $30. depending on your supplier. If you need a manual you can download it from Lionel or load to the “ThumbDrive” which I use to keep info. good Luck.
Ken Berg
Tex,
Sorry I checked alittle further and you need to get a dpdt 12 vt relay from Radio Shack and a bridge rectifier and separate dc supply. I dont have your style of Crossing Gates. Lionel has a wiring diagram for “Smart Railing” which you need to get parts. So best bet is to get a 153IR and follow the instructions and you’ll be fine. I model Postwar and I use Scale Signals by ZStuff and MTH. Good Luck.
Ken
Ken Berg
Hey J.T.
Here is the instructions from Lionel. Just for FYI.
http://www.lionel.com/media/servicedocuments/6960_mainlinexingtoinsultrack.pdf
Hey Tex,
Here is the schematic for wiring your gates to insulated track. Just for FYI
http://www.lionel.com/media/servicedocuments/6960_mainlinexingtoinsultrack.pdf