# Lionel 132 Station Stop mystery



## Newtown Joe (Jan 30, 2013)

It was working fine for a long time.The train would stop then start again according to the timer setting. Then one day the train stopped but never started again. After trying a number of things including replacing the track section, I concluded that the rheostat must have burned out, so I bought a whole new setup on Ebay. It was like new, never used and rust free. I switched it out and nothing changed. The cause must be somewhere else, but where? I don't have a clue and really need some ideas.
Please help!


----------



## Newtown Joe (Jan 30, 2013)

*Lionel 132 Station Stop mystery - Update*

I've determined that the problem is not with the passenger station but with the insulated track. The engine stops but occasionally if I jiggle it it will briefly turn on. This must be a track connectivity issue but what exactly I can't figure out. The insulated section is made of a continuous three section piece and one more section. This always worked before so I'm at a loss to understand what changed. I insulated the center rail as shown in the diagram.


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

That is this thread huh?
http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=37098


----------



## Newtown Joe (Jan 30, 2013)

It's been awhile since I started that thread and after replacing the track and station stop hardware I'm still looking for the solution. One thing is clear the insulted track is not conducting electricity but I can't understand why. Could this involve the transformer?


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Newtown Joe said:


> It's been awhile since I started that thread and after replacing the track and station stop hardware I'm still looking for the solution. One thing is clear the insulted track is not conducting electricity but I can't understand why. Could this involve the transformer?


I am looking at the link that John posted here, http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showpost.php?p=444922&postcount=17

Is the light always on in the station?


----------



## Newtown Joe (Jan 30, 2013)

Yes, the light is always on and the lockon is outside the insulated section.


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Newtown Joe said:


> Yes, the light is always on and the lockon is outside the insulated section.


And the #1 lockon is outside the block too?

I guess the insulating washer up top is in good shape? Where the #2 lockon is going.


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Joe, from the picture it looks like the #2 lockon only supplies power to the light?

Try disconnecting that lockon and try it?


----------



## Newtown Joe (Jan 30, 2013)

I'm pretty sure it's wired correctly. The lockon to the light is before the insulated section. The lockon to the rheostat is within the insulated section and has only one wire to the # 2 terminal which I believe goes to the center rail. Make sense?


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Newtown Joe said:


> I'm pretty sure it's wired correctly. The lockon to the light is before the insulated section. The lockon to the rheostat is within the insulated section and has only one wire to the # 2 terminal which I believe goes to the center rail. Make sense?


Are you looking at the diagram?
Do you mean the rheostat is going to the center rail *inside the block* and is #3? Not 2.
That should be #3 in the picture,

#2 to the light is on the outside rail *outside the block.
*
The #1 is going to the center rail *outside the block.
*
This picture, http://pictures.olsenstoy.com/cd/accs/acc132p1.pdf

If that insulator washer (on #2 in the picture) is shot it could screw up the circuit?
But I think it would burn the bulb out too?


----------



## Newtown Joe (Jan 30, 2013)

I may have the numbers wrong but the wiring is as shown. I had this thing working fine for a long time, then I tried to get my tender to sound while the train was stopped and that's when all the trouble started, but I can't see any connection with that.


----------



## Newtown Joe (Jan 30, 2013)

*Lionel 132 Station Stop mystery half solved*

I got it working again by experimenting. I direct wired from the insulated center rail through the hole in the bottom and to the round grommet on top (which I guess connects to the rheostat) and dang if it didn't start working. So, I soldered the connection and I'm good to go. Don't ask me why this worked, but I really don't care. I'm happy, my passengers are happy and life is good again.


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Newtown Joe said:


> I got it working again by experimenting. I direct wired from the insulated center rail through the hole in the bottom and to the round grommet on top (which I guess connects to the rheostat) and dang if it didn't start working. So, I soldered the connection and I'm good to go. Don't ask me why this worked, but I really don't care. I'm happy, my passengers are happy and life is good again.


Why do you say only half solved?

Did you connect it to the red arrow I made or to the blue arrow in the picture?


----------



## Newtown Joe (Jan 30, 2013)

big ed said:


> Why do you say only half solved?
> 
> Did you connect it to the red arrow I made or to the blue arrow in the picture?
> 
> View attachment 77058




The arrow marks the spot. 

Perhaps I should say the problem is solved but the mystery goes on. Why didn't it function when connected from the bottom, as designed? However, I can live with the mystery unsolved as long as it works as intended.


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Newtown Joe said:


> The arrow marks the spot.
> 
> Perhaps I should say the problem is solved but the mystery goes on. Why didn't it function when connected from the bottom, as designed? However, I can live with the mystery unsolved as long as it works as intended.


There are 2 arrows I made????????????
A red arrow and a blue arrow.hwell:


----------



## Newtown Joe (Jan 30, 2013)

*Blue Arrow?*



big ed said:


> There are 2 arrows I made????????????
> A red arrow and a blue arrow.hwell:


I don't see a blue arrow just a red one that points to "fixed contact strip". I'm pretty sure that's the one. It's a small round copper colored grommet. I just stuck the wire in and soldered it there. That made a direct contact from the center rail and bypassed the #3 contact on the bottom of the station. For some reason current wasn't flowing from the bottom to the rheostat even after making sure the connection was tight and continuous. Why and how this started is still unknown to me.


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

You see the blue arrow now? I made a big red one pointing to the blue one. 

Does anyone else see a blue arrow?:dunno:


----------



## teledoc (Oct 22, 2014)

Not to be smart but the BLUE arrow is dead center at top under the word insulating washer


----------



## Newtown Joe (Jan 30, 2013)

big ed said:


> You see the blue arrow now? I made a big red one pointing to the blue one.
> 
> Does anyone else see a blue arrow?:dunno:
> 
> ...


It's black on my screen and not the one I connected to.


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Newtown Joe said:


> It's black on my screen and not the one I connected to.


Strange.
Maybe your monitor does not see blue?

Must be some kind of break on whatever that pin type thing is called that you bypassed.


----------



## Newtown Joe (Jan 30, 2013)

big ed said:


> Strange.
> Maybe your monitor does not see blue?
> 
> Must be some kind of break on whatever that pin type thing is called that you by passed.


The pin is quite thick and maybe it was reducing the current to where it wasn't enough to activate the rheostat. Direct connection was more efficient.


----------

