Mth prr signal bridge

1. Confirm this is the MTh 30-11030 where each signal head is controlled by 3 wires: Red, Green, Black.

2. Confirm which version of the 153IR you have.  Following busy diagram copied from previous OGR thread where Lionel changed wiring instructions depending on version.  If you have the manual, what is the release date on the front page.  If you don't have the manual, look at the markings on the wire terminals.  Specifically, are the 2 connectors on the left going left-to-right labeled U and A...or A and U.  Some earlier versions were not labeled.

3  Are you powering the 153IR from Accessory AC power...or using the two wire-tabs to Fastrack?

4. Have you confirmed 153IR operation ... for example, can  you "hear" the faint relay click on and off when you trigger the 153IR such as waving your hand in front of it?

This should help.

71-4111-250 153 IR Controller (lionelsupport.com)

I’m using a single 153ir #71-4111-250 Lionel controller and I’m powering it from the accessory power . There is power going in and power coming out at the accessory terminal and the accessory ground is good. I tested the rail king prr signal bridge from mth to the accessory power of the 153ir. The single block heads come on ,so I know the lights are good but I do not have the normal open and normal closed connected at this time.  Ok so as the prr bridge instructions state I connected the black and there is 3 wires for each block head light. One green one black and one red in total there is 12 wires coming out of this bridge so the the black is common and I connected it to the accessory ground on the 153ir then it says to connect the red to the normal open and then I connected the green wire to the normal closed. These instructions are for a mth Itad not for the 153 ir.  I’m thinking this should not matter because normally open is normal open and normal closed should be the same and common is common I do not have the accessory power connected,The instructions are not clear,that the accessory power out from the153ir should be connected so with this said and done there isn’t any power, lights are not coming on at all with all wires connected except the accessory power, I pass a train in front of the153ir no a thing happens so I added power from the 153 ir accessory to the green wire,light come on for a brief second then the trans former blow a fuse. I have the date as 3/15 for the 153ir and the u /a is visible. on the right side it has accessory power /accessory ground /normal open /normal closed. So question is how do I supply power to the bridge also do I connect all the wires according to there respective color and then do I connect to the normal open/normal closed/etc.  where does the power come from? This light should alway be lite and as train goes bye it should change its patterns accordingly.   Ok I going nuts with this. Lol. Yes I hear the clicking on the 153 ir it has power.  Thank you for your response

trirailguy

I studied your picture but couldn't follow all the connections.

I suggest you simply try to get ONE of the 4 signal heads to work.  For the 3/15 release of the 153IR:

I can't quite see all your connections from above diagram you should NOT need a connection to the 2nd terminal labeled ACC GND in the 4-terminal section.

@Trirailguy posted:

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So question is how do I supply power to the bridge also do I connect all the wires according to there respective color and then do I connect to the normal open/normal closed/etc. where does the power come from? This light should alway be lite and as train goes bye it should change its patterns accordingly.   

BTW, your question as the "where does the power come from" might be answered with above diagram.  What is NOT AT ALL OBVIOUS is that the 153IR internally connects one of the incoming power wires to the internal relay ... such that one of the "NO" or "NC" terminals will have that power at any given time.  Over the years, this has been both a blessing and a curse.  Much hair has been pulled out!

In any case, once you apply your Accessory Power to the U and A terminals...the only other connections you need to make are the red/green/black MTH signal wires to 3 of the 4 terminals on the right side of the 153IR as shown in my previous diagram.

If the 153IR will work. In order for the bridge to work correctly you'll need one I.R. detector for each head that your using. I don't think the 153 I.R. can see across 2 tracks.

FWIW, I used a pair of Z Stuff dZ1075 sensors. the wiring to the signal bridge to these is much more straight forward.

http://www.z-stuff.net/instruc...Z1075%2012-26-08.pdf

( maybe use the 153 I.R. for something else?)