Is this the correct controller for an original American Flyer 785 coal loader?

It looks to me like the control button for Gabe the Lamplighter. The red and green buttons appear to be able to rotate when pressed to lock them in the down position. This was used for Gabe. I do not have a Coal loader unpacked to photograph its controller. The one shown will work on a 785 since all the button contacts are available for wiring connections under the button.

Much appreciated, 

Could you please send me a schematic that you could draw on a piece of paper on how to wire this thing. This is what happens when you buy stuff not knowing what your buying 

Thanks again, Jerry

Better than I could do, go to portlines.com. Click on the blue AF repair clinics at the top of the page. Scroll down to #27, that should work for you.

Thank you put my issue is that I think I may have a Gabe The Lamplighter controller and I'm trying to find out if I can use that to operate the 785 coal loader. Please look at the picture of my controller.

Thank you, Jerry

Jerry A posted:

Hello everybody, 

Please look at the picture and tell me if this is the correct controller for my original American Flyer 785 Crow loader? Could somebody send me a picture of one that they watered if this is the correct one. Will be most appreciative very confused with this controller.

Thank you very much for your help, Jerry

 

Hi Jerry,

    I have an original American Flyer #785 Coal Loader and that button controller appears to be exactly the same as my original. I must be honest though I do not have a Original Gabe the lamplighter but I have seen the original Gabe's  working the the same way as the loader. O the #785 Coal Loader: You press the green button to close the clam shell and bring the gathered coal in the clam shell up to the hopper release the green button and the clam shell drops the coal into the hopper. You press the red button to run the open clam shell down to gather more coal up to the hopper. The center button was used to open the hopper door to empty the coal into the waiting hopper car below.

    Gabe: The green button was used to have gabe clime the ladder one step at a time until he reached the top, The center button was used to light the lights, and The red button when pressed slid Gabe to the bottom of the ladder.

    I hope this can solve your inquiry. I feel Gilbert used the same controllers just renaming them to save costs and I don't think they changed the circuitry in side of the buttons. So your button should work as I have told you above but if the coal  loader operates in reverse it is the problem with the button, because the Reb button was never released when it reached the lowest position to pick up the coal and the thread started to rewind in reverse with the red button and the open clam shell traveling up.

Don

Don,

Much thanks for your help. Would you please look at the the bottom inside of my controller in the  first picture and advise if it is the same wiring connectors  schematic as yours

. When you press the red or green button are the clam shells  supposed to close as the shovel goes up and down and then when you release the button they open? If that's the case I might have the right controller.

Thank you very very much for your help, Jerry

Jerry A posted:

Don,

Much thanks for your help. Would you please look at the the bottom inside of my controller in the  first picture and advise if it is the same wiring connectors  schematic as yours

. When you press the red or green button are the clam shells  supposed to close as the shovel goes up and down and then when you release the button they open? If that's the case I might have the right controller.

Thank you very very much for your help, Jerry

Hi Jerry,

     Jerry, I wish to explain to you that My #785 Coal Loader is one of the first years produced of that model 1955. I got it for Christmas that year and was very excited to have it then and now.

    Now because of the early model my wires are directly attached to the button. There are no fan clips. They came later on in the production. With that said they wire attached just the same locations as the locations of the fan clips are on your button. Inside there are another set of bars to create a reverse action to the Motor between the Red and the Green Button. That one on mine is the Green Button.  The Red Button on mine reverses the carriage to travel down with the clamshell open all the way to the pile of coal. When I pressed the Green Button the clamshell closes and when I release the Green Button released the clamshell opens so you don't release the green button until you arrive to the Hopper or you will spill your load all over in-between. When the red button is depressed the clam shell stays open and travels from the hopper to the coal pile below. The center button activates solenoid to open the shutter door in the coal loader hopper to send the collected coal to the hopper car below. I have operated mine many times and it work flawlessly every time.

    I am doing this from memory because My #785 Coal Loader is in the attic of my garage and I can't get to it because I have COPD and attached to an oxygen machine with a fifty foot tube and it is not long enough to go the 150' where it is located.

   I hope this will answer you quire and solve your problem so you can see how sweet the #785 Coal Loader can operate. Lubricate yours and it will be quite and run smoothly. That is why they are very popular with the American Flyer Collectors and Operators.

Don

One thing you can be sure of, its probably not a correct original button. ALL Gilbert control buttons had lettering. Someone had a button from another accessory and removed the lettering so they could place it with the coal loader. The button is a later 5 digit style button. It will work fine with the Gabe or 785/23785 Coal Loaders. Wiring is fairly straight forward. Your Base post goes to the Black lead coming from the loader. Your Yellow fixed voltage lead from the transformer goes to the clip with the strip under it. (The one facing up in your photo.) The Green lead goes to the clip under the Green button, The Red lead goes to the clip under the Red button. The remaining lead goes to the clip under the center button. You can verify this by ensuring that the double wound field on the motor has a Red and Green lead going to it, and that the trap door has a Yellow lead going to it.

Tin

Thanks you all very very much. Some of the stuff gets really confusing especially when you buy used accessories. Now, I guess you are saying that there were at least two different controllers for the 785 that is two different vintages. Looking at my picture, would you say mine is a 785 controller?

Thank you again, you guys are fantastic with all your help, Jerry

Jerry A posted:

Thanks you all very very much. Some of the stuff gets really confusing especially when you buy used accessories. Now, I guess you are saying that there were at least two different controllers for the 785 that is two different vintages. Looking at my picture, would you say mine is a 785 controller?

Thank you again, you guys are fantastic with all your help, Jerry

 

No its a later button so it would be a 23785 button or a Gabe button.

Tin

Great, now I can wire it up.

Thanks, jerry