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Hello

New to Forum. New to Fastrak. 

Ive followed the Lionel videos on insulating my outer rail. The rail is cut. Connecting tabs removed.

Gateman is lit on accessorie power.

Trigger lead deploys gateman when touched to center rail. Does not deploy when trigger lead touches outer rail. Reversing power to rails, outer rail deploys gateman.

Using an illuminated caboose to make the trigger connection on the insulated section. 

My issue is that the gateman deploys whether the metal trucks are in the isolated section or not. The rail car has no input. 

Old gateman but not as old as my metal one. 

I’ve changed the wiring on the top of the gateman every way I can. He operates in this configuration with the shack lit. 

Ideas?

 

Thanks!

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Thanks John for getting back to me. 

I have power to the center rail. U to the outside rail. 

According to the Lionel video, the trigger should connect to the insulated outside rail. 

Ive removed the bonding straps and the outside rail connecting pins but still have power thru the insulated section which doesn’t seem right.

The guard deploys only when touching the trigger lead to the center rail. 

This is a used EBay item that I’ve never operated before.

Think the common is the issue?

 

You definitely shouldn't have power on the insulated rail. I don't use FasTrak. I have my gateman triggered by standard tin track insulated section.

Two wires in front are from my auxillary power and common. That third connection ( no wire in this photo) is the wire to the insulated outside rail.

Gateman light remains on at all times. Passing train triggers action to open door and gateman emerges.

That's my set up. My gateman is a modern remake so not sure how it compares to yours.IMG_20180920_195423700

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I think you should swap the connections at the gate man for the 2 wires that are successfully feeding the light.

Simplistically, the internals for the gateman look like this:

Pay no attention to the letters themselves, but look at the connections I drew. (I forget how Lionel labels them, but the chances I matched exactly what it says on the plastic or in the manual is not too good )

C should be the connection to the transformer "hot" (which provides the "hot" for both the light and the "man" - all the time). 

B would be a connection (always connected) to transformer "Common".  So the light will always light, but B is not connected to the "man".

A is your "Trigger", which is supposed to go to the insulated rail (which then completes the circuit to "common" when a train goes over a properly insulated outer rail).

The fact that you are getting motion when you hook the "Trigger" to the "hot" (center rail) tells me the "common" is already connected to the other terminal of the "man".  If it was not, you would just be creating the same voltage on both terminals of the "man" instead of getting the motion (which happens when you have hot on one terminal and common on the other).  What you describe how the behavior flips when you reverse the wiring to the track also supports this theory, I believe.

So I think you have currently got C hooked to "common" on your transformer, and B hooked to "hot".  That's why when you hook A to hot (via the track center rail) the figure moves.

Swap connections B and C and you should get the motion when you hook the trigger to the outer rail.

The issue with the FasTrack insulated and Isolated sections is I think covered above, but the part I describe above is independent of that.  You can solve that part of the problem most likely, then worry about either fixing your gap in the outer rail or getting the needed FasTrack piece to provide the gap.

-Dave

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Last edited by Dave45681

Again. Thank you all for your help. 

It appears that my outer insulated rail is not insulated. It’s been cut at both ends. Pins removed. However the caboose fails to make the connection to activate the Guard. 

Gateman wiring works. Many iterations with Dave’s diagram. 

Post-Holidays, when able to get back to my tubular layout, we’ll readdress. 

The Force is strong in you all. Not so much me. 

Cheers!

You only need to cut (or better, remove) the pins at the beginning and end of your isolated section.  You must remove the outside rail connecting straps from the bottom of all sections of track between your beginning and end sections.

Following Dave’s diagram, the wire from your isolated section should go to terminal “A” this is the connector closest to the hole (top right in your picture).  The hot wire (center rail) goes to the bottom left connector (in your picture) or Dave’s terminal “C”.  The other ground wire goes to the bottom right connector to power the light.

Good luck.

John, Dan,

John: had resistance at one of the cuts of insulated section. Made a deeper cut and took care of resistance. No effect on operation. 

Dan: my wiring is correct per your instructions and how I’ve had it all along. 

Im tempted to use my old metal gateman off my tubular layout. He was never mounted to operate with insulated rail just the switch it came with. That’ll be another “wiring” learning point. 

Running out of time. Will have to move on without it this year. Appreciate all the help. 

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