I saw mention of this on another thread, so as not to interfere with that posters topic I thought I'd start my own. Regarding those small plug harnesses on Lionel locos, I have one that has four wires going into the back of one plug terminal,one of the smaller wires has pulled out. Is there any way to get it back in. I'm guessing the rest of the wires would have to be removed and then all of the wires out back in. Is this possible or are these plugs pre assembled and must be replaced with a new plug and harness. I manage to cran the wire in and it works but its not right and I'd imagine only temporary should I need to remove the shell again.
Replies sorted oldest to newest
Yes, the small plugs inside the loco similar to this,how do you "open" the plug. This pic shows one wire to each terminal, I have one terminal with 3 wires crammed in it with the exception of the one I pulled out.The right side of this pic is comparable to what I'm dealing with, no "sleeves" like the plug on the left,not that it makes a difference.
To remove a wire, you use a jeweler's screwdriver and gently pry up the little tab to about a 20 degree angle, do NOT bend it more than that. The contact will slip right out. It helps to have three hands while you're doing this. You can then fix the contact, or even use a different wire with the contact already on it and slide it in. The folks like Boxcar Bill also sell pre-cut wires with contacts crimped on if you want to go that route.
Thanks John, so them if I have the three wires in one contact remove all three wires with the contact reinsert the loose one into the contact, reinstall contact?
You have three wires trying to go to a single connector contact? I wouldn't do that, I'd splice them externally and run a single wire to the contact. Those little contacts are not designed for multiple wires.
Yep, apparently the 19 year old chinese girl thought it was a good idea. I can splice the loose wire into one of those coming out of the plug, thanks again for your input John!
That's probably why it came loose, the 13 year old Chinese girl was wrong! By 19, they know better, they've been assembling the stuff for years.