Well, I here's what I found ...

Apparently Lionel didn't include any wiring instructions in the 6-14107 coaling station manual since it was all pre-wired (1st attachment, bottom of page 2). Apparently, it does need some wiring so Lionel issued an addendum (2nd attachment). The addendum purports to have wiring instructions and fixes for all your miss-wiring sins. Good luck with that. Next, a pictorial diagram that hints at wiring (3rd attachment) . There may be enough legible info to sort out your wiring dilemma. I wish you the best

And lastly, just to further confuse you, the original 497 wiring diagram (4th attachment). While the 14107 relies on track power, the original Lionel instructions for the 497 specified accessory power ... in a nicely laid out schematic. Let us know how you make out.

"Don't shoot the messenger." Shakespeare in Henry IV, Part 2 (1598)

 

Thanks Mike. It's as clear as mud.....LOL I purchased it used with no instructions. My brain was at an impasse as to how to wire the remote track. Thanks for taking the time to look up the info.

 

Worked on getting the coaling station up and running today. Motor seems to be burned out ! I think I am going to look for a post-war model.

 

How did you test the motor?

 

Here's the long story, Mike. I originally had the 497 on my temporary layout, until dismantling it last year. Since the 497 did not come with a UCS track, I inserted my own and wired it like any other remote track. Basically, separate from the 497. The black four wire cable, coming down from the tower I figured out how to hook directly to the accessory terminal on my transformer, in this case terminal A on my ZW.

So the operation went like this; Once the car was on the UCS section, I simply used the UCS controller to dump it. Then I used the controller for the 497 to raise the bin and operate the chutes. It worked very well.

This time I tried hooking up the 497 the way it was originally meant to be hooked up, with the UCS track being controlled by the 497 controller. I turned the power on and saw smoke coming from the wires attached to the UCS track. So my presumption is that I burned the motor out today. I tried jumping power leads to the motor and got some vibration but no movement.

 

Puzzling. I would presume the motor is good to run on conventional transformer voltage. So I don't understand how it could be burned out from miswiring. Obviously, the smoke is not good. Did you disconnect the motor from the remaining circuit to test it? The only thing I can think of if the motor is still connected to the circuit that "smoked" while direct testing, the "blown" circuit/wiring is impeding it's operation.

 

That test will happen later today. Thanks Mike.

 

This evening I had a chance to look at the 497 remake on my workbench. Removing the top cover of the motor assembly revealed a disappointing surprise. Instead of gears there is a rubber band that drives the rod which raises and lowers the bin.

As it turns out, there is nothing wrong with the motor itself. However, the so called drive belt was dry and broken. It looks like an ordinary rubber band. I may see if I have an "O" ring in my parts drawers. Measuring the rubber band stretched out I came up with somewhere between 5 1/2" and 5 3/4". Must find the formula for figuring out diameter if the circumference is known.

Some times it's better not to try and reinvent the wheel. Lionel's remakes may operate quieter than their post-war counterparts, but at what cost ?

 

Diameter = Circumference / pi

5.5" / 3.14 = 1.75
5.75" / 3.14 = 1.83

 

Big Thanks, Millstone Mike, for posting this good info. I've got the newer #497, and so far it's been golden, but now I'll have an idea what to do when the time eventually rolls around and I need it.