Marx No. 418 Bell Ringing Crossing Signal

I don’t have a diagram, but found one I have downstairs. There should be one wire coming out of the bottom. That is wound around the binding post under the base that has the insulating spacer between the base and post.The other post is the ground circuit through the base. Hope this helps.

Ross posted:

I don’t have a diagram, but found one I have downstairs. There should be one wire coming out of the bottom. That is wound around the binding post under the base that has the insulating spacer between the base and post.The other post is the ground circuit through the base. Hope this helps.

 

Thanks for your info on this, is it odd that there is only one wire coming out of the unit?

The Metal body is the other "wire".

Marx tries to keep things simple and use common parts.

Kirk,

Maybe I was answering the wrong question.  Here is a link that will help with connecting the 418 to the track.

http://www.thortrains.net/maracc2.html

Again, hope this helps.

Thank youfor your help.

Kirk

totrainyard posted:

The Metal body is the other "wire".

Marx tries to keep things simple and use common parts.

Thank you for the info.

Kirk

Ross posted:

Kirk,

Maybe I was answering the wrong question.  Here is a link that will help with connecting the 418 to the track.

http://www.thortrains.net/maracc2.html

 

Again, hope this helps.

 

No you were right thats what I needed.

Thank you

Kirk

Use of the frame for "common"(chassis as ground or hot) is commonly used; not just in Marx. Your average locos and cars use it too    (ac terms about ground aren't used exactly as dc might be, "common" is usually more correct as hot vs return changes 60 times a second; but context varies fyi.   

Here's a view of another Marx 418 that I repaired some time back which might make the wiring clearer: 

What kind of track are you using?  I've had success in cutting gaps in Fastrack, running a wire to the gapped section and using tha to actuate the bell.  

Mitch