394 Beacon

Yes, there should be a depression on the top of the bulb. The pin sticking down on the inside from the top of the beacon sits in that depression.
The heat from the bulb creates an air current that turns the top.  

perfect! thank you, I know that many have said to avoid the 394 and go with the 494, but I'll go with what I have now.

much appreciated C.W.

CrazyT, let me know if you have any luck. I have one from when I was a kid - worked then, not so much now (not at ALL now), even with a brand-new, untweaked beacon from Jeff Kane. There has to be a secret!

CrazyT: I've had one since 1952. It is a shelf queen now at best. The light has to generate a lot of heat to make the globe rotate. Beware, any air movements in the room from a heating/A/C duct will likely negate any rotation of the globe. 

Now you know why the 494 was invented....

CrazyT, let me know if you have any luck. I have one from when I was a kid - worked then, not so much now (not at ALL now), even with a brand-new, untweaked beacon from Jeff Kane. There has to be a secret!
 

What sort of bulb do you have?
One of the problems with 394 beacons are the bulbs.
Replacements often don't get hot enough to generate the required air flow.
And original GE brand bulbs (#461) are not that easy to find.

I have 3 beacons and a trick I discovered on the web is to buy an aquarium air pump and run the air hose on the backside of the beacon (where you don't see it) and let the air from the pump make your beacon spin. You can pick one up on ebay pretty cheap. Simple fix..

I just gave up and upgraded my 394 to a 494  (with Jeff Kane's kind assistance). 

I think the Lighthouse beacon simulator product from these folks could be used to modernize a beacon tower

See the videos here

Not a bad idea, but what about the rotating action?

M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

Not a bad idea, but what about the rotating action?

The #394 lens rotates to mimic the color change - red, green, red, green...

I did like old school lighthouses that had rotating lights that would sweep by one's perspective - kind of haunting...

Here is mine with a small computer fan helping it along.

I once had one of the 394 beacons, and I consider it a bad design all around.  If you're determined to run one, I recommend putting it on its own, variable, power source, so you can adjust the heat of the bulb precisely.  Too high, and the beacon head spins like a turbine.  Too low, and nothing happens at all.  If the head gets knocked out of the dimple on the bulb, it will sit directly on the bulb and in short order, you'll have a hole melted in one of the lenses (fortunately, replacement lenses are not difficult to get these days).  Any disturbance to the nearby air and the head will wobble.

I'd advise putting the 394 in a corner of your layout where there aren't likely to be any stray air currents, where none of the household animals will disturb it -- and put it on its own transformer.

Of course, the preferred solution is to buy a 494.  Lionel replaced the 394 for a reason.

I have two that I bought on ebay. They turn on their own, with no power applied, with just a ceiling fan running in the room.

Rusty

C W Burfle posted:

 

What sort of bulb do you have? GE 461, it appears to be original, starting to get a little dark inside the glass

One of the problems with 394 beacons are the bulbs. Replacements often don't get hot enough to generate the required air flow. And original GE brand bulbs (#461) are not that easy to find.

So they sell a conversion kit, eh? I wonder if I might not buy a 494 at a show for less than the kit?

The beacons never worked well even when new. But like many have said here, it's the bulb. The Chinese made replacement bulbs don't get hot enough at 14 volts, use 16 volts. The beacon will be overly bright, but the beacon will turn. 

Also, the beacon top. Many older reproductions are too heavy. Lionel used almost aluminum foil on theirs. The newer reproductions like Train Tender sells are close. The best is to find some new originals on Ebay.

Finally where you live matters. On the sea level east coast, they will work better than higher elevations, like Denver. More air to heat.