# K-Line Operating Flagman Shanty Wiring Problems



## ventura county (Jan 20, 2011)

I am new to the Model Train Forum. 

I have a wiring problem with a K-Line Operating Flagman Shanty on my Lionel Fastrack set-up I hope someone can help me with. This accessory has the man come out of the shanty when the train is going by and then he goes back into the shanty after the train passes.

I initially hooked up the Flagman Shanty using a Fast Track Power Wire. The Flagman Shanty worked fine, however I had run my transformer at full power to get the Flagman Shanty to work properly which caused the train to derail all the time.

So I purchased a Lionel 1.8 amp accessory transformer to power the Flagman Shanty separately from the train. Along with the accessory transformer I am using the Fastrack Accessory Activator Track and additional insulated Fastrack pieces. After connecting all the wires the light in the shanty comes on, but the man does not come out of the shanty.

The Flagman Shanty has three wires: red, black and brown. The Accesorry Activator Track has two wires (a white tracer wire with a red connector sleeve and a black wire with a black connector sleeve). I need to know how to connect the wires.

The following is my guess as to where some of the wires get connected, but I am really just guessing on most of them.

Flagman Shanty red wire - one end to accessory transformer the other end to the Flagman Shanty

Flagman Shanty black wire - same as red wire above just different terminals

Flagman Shanty brown wire - one end to Flagman Shanty the other end to ????? 

Accessory Activator Track white tracer wire - the wire end to the Flagman Shanty brown wire ??? and the end with the red connector sleeve to the underside of the track (but where ???????)

Accessory Activator Track black wire - I have no clue where to hook up either end of this wire. The end with the black connector goes on the underside of a track somewhere???. The other end of this wire I have no idea where to connect it.

Any help on this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks


----------



## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

The first thing I do is read the manual. You want to keep it simple.

Black and red go to a 10 to 14 volt power supply that has nothing to do with train speed. However brown gets connected to three feet of an insulated track section. So it operates while the train is in this section.

If you have a CW 80 you may have to adjust the voltage. Your accesory transformer should work
CW 80 Transformer

The you have the isolated section manual

Page seven is interesting and the source of your confusion.

Does your transformer have accessory terminals? Probably not.
The isolated track sections need to be on the same side. 

To me, The red and black connect to the 1,8 amps. Black is u .The brown connects to the isolated rail White. The red track wire is not used with the accessory, you Do not want track power . What is left is U on the accessory transformer. connect that to the outside rail. Outside of the isolated section.

ANother view the red on the isolated section is center rail power The white is the isolated rail section. So brown goes to that white wire. SO your first two connections are correct and this answers what to do with the brown wire.

The black wire must run from the outside rail ( outside of the insulate sections)to the transformer.

My only concern is the lack of marking of the terminals on the accessory transformer. SO I would connect black to black. You can try switching terminals but do not have the black wire connect with the red, just the other black.


Take a look at your pieces and a see if that makes sense.
Your transformer


----------



## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

After careful thought with the isolated sections. Have them spaced 3 feet apart.That means three regular sections of track between them with the isloation on the same side. Connect the brown to the white wire. Then the bkack and red go to the acessory transformer. Don't forget to adjust the voltage. Just enough for it to work. That should be it. The last black wire should not be needed.


----------



## ventura county (Jan 20, 2011)

T-Man
Thank you for your response.

If I understand your response I would connect the brown wire from the Shanty to the white tracer wire with the red connector sleeve from the Accessory Activator Pack. But I am still unclear as to where to connect the red connector sleeve on the other end of this wire. Does it go on a regular piece of track outside of the Isoldated section or does it stay on the Insulated track section? Also does the red connector sleeve go on the inner (power) connector tab or does it go on the outer connector tab (ground)? 

Where does the black wire with the black connector sleeve get connected to? Nothing it seems? Is that correct?


----------



## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

That is a far as I can go. Unless you take pictures of connections.
The red I guess is the center rail. Maybe the black is the out isolated rail. That should be the one to connect to the brown. Without seeing the track I don't understand all the switching around the manual for the track states.


----------

