After many years of not having my train set up I decided to do a new layout using FastTrack. I have two accessories (gateman and crossing gate) that I used to set up with my old tubular track using the contactor under the track. Now I purchased the FastTrack operating track but I am having great difficulties figuring out how to wire to the three-wire accessories. Anybody having a solution or wiring diagram would be greatly appreciated. WVWOODSGUY.
Connect one of the accessory’s terminals to the center rail. Connect the other terminal to a control rail. A control rail is a stretch of one outside rail that is insulated from everything else on the track. That is, there is a gap at each end of it and there is no cross connection under the roadbed to the other outside rail. The idea is that, when the train goes by, its wheels and axles connect the control rail to the other outside rail so that the accessory has the track voltage applied to its two terminals.
Lionel makes some Fastrack sections designed for setting up a control rail, so you don’t have to cut on regular track if you don’t want to. I’m sure some others here can tell you what the part numbers are.
A drawback of using the center rail as I described is that the accessory won’t work if the track voltage is too low or turned off. You can get around this by connecting to an accessory voltage instead of the center rail. If you can tell us what transformer you’re using, we can advise you on what connection to use.
Bob thanks for the assistance. I have the FastTrack accessory activator pack and am trying to connect the Lionel Gateman (6-2145) that has three terminals (only two wires on the track). I would like to use accessory voltage from my transformer and have the gateman activated by the train. I just can’t figure how to wire. My transformer is a Lionel No. 1033 90 watts. Thanks again, Jack
The 1033 is a good old transformer. You probably already have the transformer’s terminal A connected to the outside rails and terminal U connected to the center rail. I don’t have a gateman nor any documentation of it; but I would guess that it has something like a light that would stay on all the time and something that moves when the train goes by. Try this experiment: Connect terminals A and C of your transformer to each of the three possible pairs of gateman terminals. One pair should light the light (if that’s what it is), one pair should make it move, and one pair should make it seem like it’s trying to do both. The terminal not connected in the third case should be permanently connected to terminal C of the transformer. Whichever of the other two makes the light light up should be connected to terminal A of the transformer. The remaining terminal should be connected to the Fastrack control rail.
Anyone who knows something about the gateman, please comment on my guesses here.
You may have to use a relay to have the 3 wire accessories operate. The activation track would activate the relay coil, transformer power to relay coil, U across the activation track. The NO and NC terminals would be used to activate the accessory. To me 3 wires usually means an accessory that requires power to go in two directions, or possibly one that has a continuous light on in addition to the activation. By the way, my old gate man (1940’s vintage) only has two posts.
If you have the accessories numbers you could try the Lionel web site.
I looked on the Lionel site for the 6-2145; and all I found was a parts list. However, there was mention of a light; so I imagine that the third terminal might be for the light which would remain on all the time. That would make it simple to operate the thing directly from a control rail. Surely someone on the forum can describe the accessory for us.
Bob, the Lionel web-site can be quite a challenge – and I don’t understand why.
The member might try
http://www.lionel.com/media/servicedocuments/71-2713-251.pdf and/or
http://www.lionel.com/media/servicedocuments/71-2713-250.pdf
I couldn’t find anything under the number either. I found these by searching for “Automatic Gateman” under Customer Service, Operator Manuals. It may be that this version is beyond the range of what Lionel keeps in its online archives.
The part numbers don’t match, but there may be sufficient info here for him to proceed. By the way, your suspicion that the device can be wired so as to leave the interior light on all the time, or just when the door opens, is correct.
That’s a big help. So connect the terminal that Lionel identifies as the common to terminal C of the transformer. (This is not the same as the transformer-layout common.) Connect whichever of the other terminals operates the gateman to the control rail. Connect the third terminal, which controls the light, either to terminal A of the transformer (if you want it on all the time) or to the control rail (if you want it lit only when the train goes by). The other outside rails should be connected to terminal A and the center rail to terminal U.
The wiring hook-up for the gateman was confusing to me, too. Fortunately, the wiring logic has been around since the original 145 gateman was introduced in 1950, so there are on-line references available.
Let’s start with this one. Refer to the wiring diagram at the bottom. Starting at the upper left side of the transformer, the wire goes through the back of the shack and connects to the front left terminal. This terminal is attached to a post. A wire at the bottom of the post is attached to one side of the solenoid coil, and the other side of the coil is connected to the metal base. Also connected to the base is a rear post and terminal, which is wired through a 145C contactor to the lower left side of the transformer. The solenoid is activated only when the contactor is closed.
Now go back to the terminal on the front left of the shack. A metal strip touches this terminal and includes the light base. A center contact for the bulb leads to the front right terminal, which is connected to the lower left side of the transformer, completing the circuit. The light is always on.
When a 145C contactor is used, it doesn’t matter which transformer connection is HOT or common/ground. However, when an insulated track is used, only the common/ground can be used. This is shown in this insulated track wiring diagram (lower right). However, since you are using a 1033 transformer, the tranformer terminal designations on the diagram don’t apply. Here’s how they would be connected:
1033
There is no terminal D on a 1033. You must mean terminal C.
Bob, Thanks again for the info. I will try again tomorrow to hook the gateman up. The bulb did not work the last time I tried and it may be burned out. I’m in the process of picking up a replacement. I’ll let you all know if I have any success. Thank you all for the great info and assistance. Jack
Chris, Thanks for the info. I’ll give it a try again tomorrow.
Bob, thanks for the catch. I did mean terminal C, and have edited my earlier post.