[johnfin]

Does anyone know where I can find the wiring setup for pre-war American flyer (o scale) switches?

 

[T-Man]

This is a library. You may have to look at a lionel and figure it out from there.Or you can buy a good AF service manual. Recker has some good links.

 

[Reckers]

Try this link: http://www.trainweb.org/s-trains/diagram/basic.htm

Also, if you go back to the home page for Model Train Forum and look down the columm, you'll see "Other Scales TT, HOn3, Narrow Gauge, S, OO". (It actually should be the first listed, but I won't quibble). I run American Flyer S scale, you run AF O scale----should be pretty similar. I try to post information there for folks like you and me who appreciate the finest model railroading equipment.

 

[johnfin]

S scale

Switches between S and O for AF are way different. O scale has 2 terminals and S has 4 or 5. Two vs. Three rail also.

 

[johnfin]

Olsens links

That link is bad. I clicked on most of the stuff on his site and it bombed out.

The other link provided here is for S scale engine wiring. I need O scale switch wiring.

 

[Reckers]

johnfin,
Have you tried this site? http://myflyertrains.org/gallery/GilbertFactoryManual

Another place to go for help is here: http://ogaugerr.infopop.cc/eve/forums
That one is a forum similar to this one, but oriented mostly to O gauge.

 

[johnfin]

I noticed that some people wire the switches so that they get power from the rails. Does that mean you have to full throttle into the switch for it to operate correctly? I would think that powering the switch with aux. power would be the way to go. My switch has the lights on the switch and there are alot of contacts wiring internal within the switch, hence I would not want the aux. power to touch the track power. Its a brain teaser.

 

[T-Man]

some switch theory = brain food

If you care too show a picture of the guts. If you use the attachment I can mark up a copy for you. I love rusty dirty guts.
They cannot be all that different. Track voltage is not a big deal because you only operate one switch at a time.There probably is a minimum throttle. Are we talking three rail?
IF so the center rail has to be isolated to route the aux feed.
Next you have two coils, one for each direction. These are charged and have a pole. The third pole is common and grounds to complete the circuit and activate the switch.
That's how it works. It gets fancy if it gets nonderailing. When the train enters the top of the y side it grounds out the isolated rail to sets the switch. With these principles in mind the wiring you should get it to work.
To test, wire the track and power up. Then ground one of the coil poles at a time. If all is well it will ckicK away.

Those coils are only electromagnets. With patience they can be rewound. The electrical contacts need to be clean. The mechanical parts need to be free to move. A dry lubricant is best. On old switches it is not uncommon to have a short. It may have been "repaired" earlier causing an insulator to fall out. Properly insulate your feed connections. I used cardboard on a 022 switch where power came from the center rail to keep it off the bottom frame.

 

[johnfin]

AF switch

Here is a picture(one with lights) of the switch. It works, the coils and mech., I just need to know how to wire it into the layout, ie aux. vs. track wiring. These is a switch on it for 2 train operation, not sure how that wiring works or that derailing feature you mentioned. p.s. there are only 2 lugs on this switch.

 

[T-Man]

You need a service manual. I doubt it has auto derail or aux power. You have track power and two poles to operate. You tell me how it works!
You have a lotof differnt stuff there. Does the switch have an id number?

 

[johnfin]

Switch

Once I looked at the controler I figured it out. One side of the controler goes to the transformer, the other side of the transformer goes to the track(common). The controler directs one leg of the a/c to the motor. All other wiring is internal to make the motor and lights work. Problem solved.

 

[Reckers]

Turns out you were a lot smarter than you thought, John---nice job of working it out.:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[Big Ed]

Once I looked at the controler I figured it out. One side of the controler goes to the transformer, the other side of the transformer goes to the track(common). The controler directs one leg of the a/c to the motor. All other wiring is internal to make the motor and lights work. Problem solved.

But do you know if it's right?

Does it have a automatic derail set up?
Only way to know for sure if it works correctly is to hook it up in a layout and try it.

Did you find any info on it? I all ways try to find some kind of info and illustrations.
For piece of mind.

I know nothing about American flyer switches. Never messed with any.

(if that's what they are I am going back to look again I just gave them a quick look over):laugh:


Edit..........................................................,

I went back and looked you have some Lionel in there too.:laugh:

Well you got my two cents worth anyway.













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