All Ac Lights blinking

It would be better if you could explain more fully, with more words, what is happening and when it happens.

If all the lights on the layout are blinking along with the crossing then either, something is shorted in the crossing lights, or there is a bad ground or bad connection somewhere.

In other words. the crossing is loading down the power to the lights, or the power to the lights is not strong enough to support the load.

Thanks so much for replying.  I just hooked up these crossings as I am working on the layout going on 3 yrs now.......

The crossing lights are working fine.  They blink in a 2 2nd sequence.  The few lights I have installed are pulsating in the exact sequence as the crossing lights.  The power is supplied by seperate transformer and only the crossing ligts and 3 street lights are hooked up to that pwr supply.........doe this explainit a little better.  WHen I shut the crossing s off, the st lights burn steady.............???? 

Are you using a common return wire for all three transformers? Or you have a severe power drain for your crossing lights. I would wire your crossing lights with separate wires from all other electrical sources and see if your problem goes away, sometimes a shared common or a shared return wire will give you trouble.

I have seen car tail lights simulate a railroad flashing sequence because the common or ground circuit was faulty, but that is with a DC circuit with a negative ground.

Lee Fritz

Hello lee,

Thanks for responding.  The crossings are hooked up directly to the main power source seperate transformer.  The street lights are hooked ito the same line to the pack.  There is nothing else on the line/feed.  When I shut off the crossings with the little switch attached to them, The street lights burn fine.  This pack is putting out 18 Volts AC.....This is direct wiring.  Do you recommend a barrier strip or other method?

Thanks! 

Just checking, you don't have the lights wired in series with the crossing, do you?

Yes, that is exactly what I have........... 

What size transformer(how many watts) are you using? You might need a more powerful transformer with that set of crossing lights. If you have an 80 watt transformer try using a 110 or 150 watt transformer.

Sometimes lights take more power then you think they do, you may have to use a separate transformer if the blinking problem won't go away.

Lee Fritz

Okay.  Thanks very much Lee.  I'll try that.  Stay tunned for results...

Yes, they have to be in parallel. A blinky light in series with non blinky lights will make all the lights blinky. 

Thank you kindly for the info.  It's been a long time since I wired anything in parallel.

Series is no problem.  I'll have to research to refresh m memory.....I had a feeling thats why the other lights were blinking.  Some times taking a short cut just won't work...

Thanks so much........