# 18B Transformer



## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

It started like this.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

Then four screws on the bottom of each conner. The nuts hold the transformer's coil.










Then two screws for each handle.











The two rollers cleaned and mis adjusted. The next picture shows the back of the terminal board with the two circuit breakers in the lower conners.









The spring loaded slots that contact the roller springs for a connection.









I had to clean up the terminals and lube. One was stubborn and needed some heat. They are all fine now. Out of three bulbs only one had burned out. A 14 volt baynet type supplied by Radio Shack.

The rollers are tricky. The handle press down on the spring with the roller. The trick is to adjust the tension so the roller contacts the coil. WHen the handle is raised it is suppose to let the spring lift the riller off the coil to break the connection.

Not knowing I adjusted them to hit all the time. DUh! So now I have to redo.
I also added another cord. One end to the coil the other to the toggle switch.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

*Cleaned*










A nice transformer. I did get a 1950 catalog with it too. Interesting reading. I am also impressed with the car quality. I can see why hobbyists who are into scale modeling like the S gage items.

More cleaning to do, I still have to adjust the rollers.


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## oldsarge218 (May 23, 2011)

Looks great!


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## Reckers (Oct 11, 2009)

They really knew how to build them back then, didn't they? No one had yet coined the term "planned obsolescence". Nice acquisitions, Bob!:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

T-Man,

Nice restoration.

That's a clever design on the "lift up throttle" ... however ...

To all of you S guys ... how would one actually use that in action? Would you ever set a throttle to a given speed, and then start or stop a loco by disengaging or engaging that high voltage, rather than via a "normal" throttle down/up ???

Clue me in ...

TJ


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

It's the only way to get the reverse mechanism to work.










This is how I adjusted it. Just high enough off the coil. The left worked but the right got jammed down so I will have to try again with the case line up.


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## Stillakid (Jan 12, 2010)

TJ, it's a "Dead Man Throttle"
You have to be at the throttle at all times when running your trains.
Allowing the throttle to break contact and then engaging again is what will activate the reversing unit.
Bob, my 15b is very similar but with only one control arm. Doesn't it have a "no contact" area at the beginning so that you can manually throttle down and engage the reverse unit?
BTW-Very Nice acquisition and Fantastic restoration!


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Stillakid said:


> TJ, it's a "Dead Man Throttle"
> You have to be at the throttle at all times when running your trains.
> Allowing the throttle to break contact and then engaging again is what will activate the reversing unit.


Thanks, Jim & T-Man ...

Seems like an odd setup to me, though I'm only used to my little and simple Lionel transformers ... there, you simply dial-in and they go.

Is there some override lock that you can engage to keep the trains running without your hand on the throttle?

Just curious ... not being critical of the exhalted AF!

Thanks, guys,

TJ


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

First, they do lock down. To get the dead man feel you don't lock it but keep the button down. The transformer starts at 5 volts so it has no dead spots and I haven't tested the reverse yet. I ran the 322ac backwards but the reverse unit stuck. I did get smoke! I gotta clean it in pieces. I also have a 1950 manual that I have been reading too!

I still have a learning curve, and I wanted to start with the transformer. My run time has been minimal too.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

T-Man said:


> First, they do lock down. To get the dead man feel you don't lock it but keep the button down. The transformer starts at 5 volts so it has no dead spots and I haven't tested the reverse yet. I ran the 322ac backwards but the reverse unit stuck. I did get smoke! I gotta clean it in pieces. I also have a 1950 manual that I have been reading too!
> 
> I still have a learning curve, and I wanted to start with the transformer. My run time has been minimal too.



What did you get smoke from the engine or the transformer.

Cool a dead-mans throttle that sounds neat.
I never knew they made them like that.

Nice save T.:thumbsup:


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

I drew out the Electrical diagram for this beast. The Service manual had a poor small picture insert. This is for you to see. I think it is right.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Giving T-Man an electrical circuit CAD software package is kind of like giving Beethoven a piano when he was six.

:thumbsup:

TJ


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I see TinyCAD is getting good use.


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## Reckers (Oct 11, 2009)

Great job, T-Man! Didn't they make beautiful equipment, back then? I'm sure a lot of people will appreciate that diagram: thank you for doing it.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

I have to admit I have problems. AT first the right side ran fine but when I throttled the left the circuit blew . The other day with the right off the left actually ran the engine. Neat. So I found the short under the right side control arm. The rivet tilted so much it wore the tape off. I found it with the volt meter.










THis shows the worn side of the tape. Naturally it was only an intermittent ground. A little harder to find, so the owner beware. Grinding down the rivet head helped with a piece of rubber added over the tape.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

While you guys were chatting in the other thread I fixed the problem and it runs great like it ought too. It was cool to run a train on both throttles though. ( At different times of course. )


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Nice work, Dr. Frankenfix!

Another cadaver brought back to life!

TJ


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## Reckers (Oct 11, 2009)

Nice job! You're a class act, Bob!


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