This thing has been kicking around in my garage for years now and I finally thought I would see if I could find out what is for. It is a 6 cold DC power supply, the plugs into a wall outlet. On the front, it has a 120 volt outlet. Anyone know what Lionel used it for? Thanks in advance.
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Only a wild guess here, but a power supply for their old slot car track system? It looks like it plugs into a wall outlet and a lamp or whatever can be plugged into it. Then it provides 6 volts constant to a power distribution box for the slot car control grips. All without loosing the outlet for the room lamp. If not, it could be for something non-toy related that Lionel contracted out.
Whatever it is, I love the fact that it uses Round Head, Slotted, Blackened screws!!! Probably 6-32 x 3/8"
There is no slots in the pins in the back. Those push pins may be the same ones like used on the back of 364c on/off switch.
I guess 70+ year old eyes see what they want to see!
Never seen one, but it looks like a power supply for some kind of animated retail store display.
No clue what it is for, but 6V seems awful low for slot cars of the era... at least the ones I have used a 16v or 20v transformer.
No clue. The Logo looks early to me. There is no ground pin that plugs into wall. Suggests early. I would start in 50's and go backwards from there.
It is part of the Lionel No.3203 Electronics Lab Mark IV Engineering/Science kit - vintage 1962. It may also have been used in other Lionel science kits of that era.
Jim
Jim, I knew that someone here would know. Thank you for the photo & info and thanks to all who chimed in. Allen
Jim Policastro posted:It is part of the Lionel No.3203 Electronics Lab Mark IV Engineering/Science kit - vintage 1962. It may also have been used in other Lionel science kits of that era.
Jim
My, oh, my - and I had one of these. Used it, too. Certainly the last Lionel product I ever received (Xmas or B'day) until the late 80's when I bought my 785 Hudson. It is the only Lionel product from my childhood/youth that did not survive. Don't know where it went. I enjoyed it. I had switched RR=format briefly to HO (Lionel!) by '62, then put all that stuff aside until my 40's.
Probably wound up in the same place as my chemistry set.
If I recall correctly, that is not a power supply, but a relay with a 6 vdc coil. When the coil was energized it powered the outlet on the front (assuming the unit was plugged in.) So, you could use the photo cell shown in the photo above to turn on a radio with a flashlight, for example. I think the set also had a moisture detector and other similar doo-dads.
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