Lionel Modern culvert loader replacement IR sensors

My loader will only work intermittently. I have not attempted to fix yet, am interested in your solution when it is found. 

Not sure that this applies to your issue but i had to cut small "shade roofs" for the sensors as the room light was hampering their operation. I just taped a small black square of sheet foam to the top of them to block out some of the overhead room light.

Mr_P,

getting IR sensors aimed and functioning has been discussed in a couple of threads in '15 on triggering block signals. Search around. If I find one, I'll post the link. Stan2004 had a detailed method. One is a light, like the camera focus beam and one is the receiver. Did you get all receivers?

Placing a shade helps. Using a remote from a TV or something may be easier to use then the camera for testing.

I'll poke around for the thread.

Thanks all,

I took the old sensors out and placed them up to about 3 inches apart and they worked.  Tried the same for the two new ones and did not, so somethin's going on.  I also checked and was reading almost 5 volts on each brown/orange pair.  Once I can get them to work, I'll mount them back where they go....

Perhaps the wires are reversed on the receiver(photo transistor). here is a way to test with a meter provided by Stan2004 in another thread. Is there anyway to tell which leg was longer with the pre-wired parts from Lionel to identify the Anode? Any this will tell you.

"Put DMM into Resistance or Ohms mode.  Attach red and black meter leads across photo-transistor.  In one orientation, the reading will be very high and will change little if aimed at a lamp, out the window, etc..  In other orientation the reading will be much lower...and will go lower if you aim the device at a lamp or other light source.  When you find the latter case, then the red meter lead is connected to the "+" side (collector) and the black meter lead is connected to the "-" side (emitter)."

OK, in another thread, I found that if you use a piece of heat shrink tubing around the transistor, it will assist in blocking ambient light. The "shade".

Thnaks moonman, the receiver, building side, has a black sleeve on it.  Presumably to reduce the ambient light.  Reversing the wires on each had no effect.  Possible the parts are defective. Since they were only 10$ and I had to cut the micro plugs on each, I won't be sending them back.

Sent message to Lionel support, see what they can do....

Well, I exchange several emails with the Lionel tech person.  Bottom line is they want me to send it in for service, probably a new PCB, he said, in March. Apparently they've got enough work to do for a while..  Probably won't do it, will hook up another switch to turn on the unit.  Was hoping to get a solution since the old sensors worked if I disconnected them and held them about 2 inches apart.  My thought is the replacement sensors won't work with the "old board" that puts out 5 volts to each.  But he couldn't confirm that....

I saw a video on those two accessories.  In my opinion, Lionel tried to reinvent the wheel.  I don't think the sensors were a good idea.  Also the way the culvert is released from the magnet on the unloader is troublesome.  On the original unloader, the magnet traveled past a stationary wall which caused it to release the magnet.  On the newer version there are a set of doors that once the culvert passes through, only swing in one direction, also causing the magnet to release the culvert.  Watching the video, the culvert would turn 90 degrees each time the operator demonstrated the unloader.  Finally he suggested bending the support tower a bit in order to get the culvert in exactly the correct position so that when it passed through the swinging doors both doors would resist the culvert equally.  

I know that these two accessories from the post war period can be troublesome just because of how they were taken care of by the original owners.  

I would just by-pass the IR's. Connect the wires to the sensors together. The sensors solved a problem that wasn't there.

MR_P posted:

Well, I exchange several emails with the Lionel tech person.  Bottom line is they want me to send it in for service, probably a new PCB, he said, in March. Apparently they've got enough work to do for a while..  Probably won't do it, will hook up another switch to turn on the unit.  Was hoping to get a solution since the old sensors worked if I disconnected them and held them about 2 inches apart.  My thought is the replacement sensors won't work with the "old board" that puts out 5 volts to each.  But he couldn't confirm that....

Try another configuration. Connect the old sensors. Hold them one on top of the other, stacked facing out away from the base. Move a car body in front and see if it reflects off of the car body and activates the receiver. A second try would be to angle them slightly to aid the bounce off of the car body. Aiming across the track introduces a lot variables.

gunrunnerjohn does this in a trackside pylon for train detection. Azatrax angles them in the roadbed for train detection.

If no joy, do what Chuck said and put in a manual switch.

Chuck Sartor posted:

I would just by-pass the IR's. Connect the wires to the sensors together. The sensors solved a problem that wasn't there.

Why didn't I think of this solution?

DP posted:

I saw a video on those two accessories.  In my opinion, Lionel tried to reinvent the wheel.  I don't think the sensors were a good idea.  Also the way the culvert is released from the magnet on the unloader is troublesome.  On the original unloader, the magnet traveled past a stationary wall which caused it to release the magnet.  On the newer version there are a set of doors that once the culvert passes through, only swing in one direction, also causing the magnet to release the culvert.  Watching the video, the culvert would turn 90 degrees each time the operator demonstrated the unloader.  Finally he suggested bending the support tower a bit in order to get the culvert in exactly the correct position so that when it passed through the swinging doors both doors would resist the culvert equally.  

I know that these two accessories from the post war period can be troublesome just because of how they were taken care of by the original owners.  

Ironically, the unloader works fine after I replaced the motor housing.  Saw the video and I woudn't have put it up showing all the problems the lionel tech had.  Think I'll leave the sensors diconnected and then add another switch to apply power to both units.  Problem solverd, er rather band-aided.

Thanks for all the helpful tips