Powering Menards Building

This may help your thoughts even though not exactly what you want to do.  In my version, the car lights at the crossing are track powered through the AC/DC-DC converter.  The trigger is an isolated rail which does the crossing gates/lights and the car.  But, using this method in your application will turn on the whole building and the fork lift, I think, which is not what you want.  But further isolating the circuitry(and trigger) for the fork lift in some manner might be the solution.  

You could use the isolated rail if your grounds are shared. My AC and DC power share a common ground.

This is a YT video on how I wire menards structures.

https://youtu.be/VTVtCgNWnFA

Hope this helps: Gary

Ted W Thanks I was not going to separate the lights from the forklift. just activate both when  boxcar pulls in.  Would like to isolate forklift Menards should have thought of that otherwise the forklift operates continuously .

John H.  Thanks didn't know that I could combine both.   

Train Room -So if I understand you correctly, The wire with the dash is the positive .   

Art, I’m sure with help from the expert forum members here, you could separate the forklift circuitry from the lighting, and turn them on individually.  It will take looking into the soft underbelly of the building and performing some surgery, however.  May not be for the faint of heart, but a cool modification, if one was willing to tackle it.  I have cut the access holes in the bottom of Menards buildings much larger in order to gain access to change lighting configurations.  Ya just have to go for it.  

@Art Lites posted:

Train Room -So if I understand you correctly, The wire with the dash is the positive .   

Hi Art:

Yes: The gray dash side is the positive. This is based on Murphy's Electrical Law, if it works leave it alone.

Gary 🚂

I had no clue what you were talking about when you said "forklift" so I googled Menards forklift and got lucky.  So we're all on the same page, is this the item in question?

What exactly is this AC-DC converter you have?  Is this a Menards wall-wart adapter?

Pending clarification, I think John H above has the solution...sharing AC and DC common.  This means no relay required.  We can clarify what/how following confirmation of exactly what you have.

@Art Lites posted:

... Using the Menards connectors which I will cut at one end,  Which wire is positive and which is negative. 

Not clear when you say "cut at one end" if you mean the connector on the building or the connector on the transformer.  In any case, there are screw-terminal adapters that fit the coaxial-barrel connector used in Menards buildings.  Male and female versions.   From my understanding of what you have and are trying to do this would mean you wouldn't have to cut into any power cords.  Of course the biggest "problem" with this is if you only need 1 of these screw-terminal adapters you end up paying way more for shipping than the adapter itself!  Frustrating!

Guys,

Just a reminder, track power is usually 18-volts or so. Anything besides 4.5 volts will completely destroy the electrical system or the building and voids the warranty.

Many thanks and enjoy our hobby!

- Mark the Menards Train Guy

Stan thanks for the info.  I have the FedX building .  My plan was to power the AC side thru a ZWC with either a 135 or 180 brick .  Then using an buck converter take AC to 4.5 volts DC.  The buck converter I have allows adjustment of DC voltage down to 3.0 volts.  I thought this would also power several Menards cars and any future  buildings.  Thanks Art

Thanks Menards I was planning to reduce volts to 4.5 DC.  I just don't want multiple wall worts and I want to power   several autos and future building via a single source.  I have the FEDX building and want to turn it on or off .  I guessing  that the fork lift running in and out would have a short life span.  I want to turn on forklift only when boxcar is parked outside.  Thanks Art

If the 4.5V DC for FedEx is derived from your train transformer AC output using an AC-to-DC converter module, then you can't use the shared AC-DC common method.  You would need to use a relay.  I suggest you "dedicate" one AC-to-DC converter module to the FedEx forklift as shown below.  In other words, the FedEx forklift is now powered by 14V AC (or whatever Accessory voltage you use).

Of course this means you no longer can use this AC-to-DC converter to power your 4.5V DC cars or other buildings...unless you want them to turn on/off with the FedEx building!

Add additional AC-to-DC converter modules to power the "always-on" 4.5V DC devices.

I suggest this alternative (vs. a relay) for several reasons which are technically boring and cause eye-glazing.  In addition, a suitable AC relay is ~$15 whereas an additional AC-to-DC converter module is closer to $5.

Stan Thanks for your help and knowledge. I will either use the insulated track or an off/ on switch.  I think that the constant forklift activity would be be too much. 

In the future, if anyone needs to determine if a wire is polarized positive or negative, you can use your DVOM to find out. Put the meter range on DC, in a voltage range that exceeds the expected voltage.

Put the red lead (+) on what you think is the positive wire from your supply. Put the black lead (-) on what you think is the negative supply wire.  If the display indicates either + or no polarity, the red wire is on the supply positive, and the black lead is on the supply negative.

If the meter indicates  a minus sign ( - ) then you have the red lead on negative, and the black lead on positive.

@Art Lites posted:

...  I think that the constant forklift activity would be be too much.

I agree.  For example, most Lionel buildings that have electromechanical activity have 3 wires going in.  2 wires power the lights all the time in the building, and the 3rd wire activates the motion...commonly triggered by an insulated-rail section.

If anyone who has a forklift-equipped building wants to attempt a modification I think it might be fairly simple electrically.  OTOH, I understand Menards buildings can be difficult to dis-assemble.