I have added a Fastrack accessory activation section (insulated rail) to my layout in order to activate a postwar 45N gateman. I have it wired for track power, which is set to 18 volts for DCS. The section works and activates the gateman correctly. However when a train is in the insulated section I get a ton of sparks under the wheels. The sparks stop once the train exits the accessory section. Something isn't right, but I don't see anything obvious. Any ideas?
Thanks,
Chris
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Normal situation. Try cleaning the track and the wheels. The cleaner they are the less sparks you'll get. You might want to try wiring it up to fixed voltage and using lesser voltage.
agree. Use a lower voltage for the Gateman rather than track voltage. When there are sparks, there are surges . The Gateman wont have a problem but electronics in the loco or the DCS set may.
A small relay triggered by the rail, could isolate the shack totally and will use very low amperage across the axles as the train rolls past. It would have the same effect even if the track power to shacks commo was switched on/off by the relay instead.
Take a look at the this video on the Lionel customer service channel on YouTube. This wires the gateman for light always on and use the activation track with accessory power and a common neutral or U.
Do you an have accessory terminal for 14 volts or another transformer that you can use for voltage, separate from the track power? (already mentioned above)
Having the two transformers phased is also required. This should only be a concern if you are using an older transformer.
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