Wiring No. 115 Station

Welcome to the forum!

The easiest way to have just lights without the train stopping is to set the mechanism in the "Continuous" mode.

If you do not wish to use the station stop function any longer, disconnect the 2nd lockon in the insulated section, and replace the insulated pins with the original steel pins. Then hook power to the #2 and #3 terminals for power to the lights.

The owner's manual page 2 shows the wiring.

Larry

Larry, thanks for the welcome, and thanks for the help. This forum is terrific! Heading to the basement now...

Hudson,

If your running off an auxiliary source, the hot wire will go to the rear terminal and the ground wire will go to the middle terminal. The top switch should be in the Cont. position.

I tried running hot wire to the rear (right-hand) terminal and ground wire to the middle terminal. I'm using the 14 volt AC accessory terminals out of my Z1000. Nothing. Since the station lights work when power is directly attached to the roof bulb socket and ground to the frame, I can only conclude that there is an open circuit somewhere in wiring between terminals and the lights.

The original Lionel No.'s 115 & 132 had #1 or the front most post as the hot and #2 as the Common for the light on. #3 powered the thermostat for train stop control.

Try that connection method. Diagram attached.

The "open" in circuit is the thermostat when using only #3 Hot and #2 Common.

What is in the station as the control? Did they repro the old the thermostat style or is it a pcb board?

Check continuity from #1 or #3 to the center contact in the socket. Then check #2 to the socket.

Perhaps #1 & #3 need power with the switch in the "continuous" position.

Do you have power to the interior light? If so, make sure the bulbs are seated securely in the front posts.Had minor problems with mine not seating correctly. They would not light up until seated properly.

It appears they indeed reproduced the old bakelite thermostat for the station stop.

I got the multi-meter out and there is no continuity between #2 terminal and the overhead bulb socket (or anywhere else on the frame). So now with power to #3 terminal and a bridge from #2 to anywhere on the frame, I have lights! Just need to solder a bridge and I'll be all set--or maybe just scraping some paint from under #2 terminal so the metal frame is exposed.

Good Find!

is there no wire from terminal#2 to anything metal? Did it get fiber washers when it shouldn't have?

if you need to take off some paint, do it on the bottom under the head of the machine screw.

Enjoy your station! It's a nice one.

Where does the #2 terminal wire go to? Here is the parts view of the station, but it does not show the wiring.

Larry

You called it Carl, the #2 terminal had a fiber washer underneath it. And I scraped off a tiny bit of paint with a rat tail file and removed the fiber washer but still no ground. With the solid paint job on this station, no way was that terminal going to common (ground).

Larry, there IS no wire from #2 terminal--and I think there should have been so I ended up running a wire from #2 to the overhead lamp frame. Not pretty but I've got lights!

Larry, Gus, Carl-- you guys are wonderfully tenacious and I thank you for all the feedback.

John 

Hudson, glad your station is working. Now the passengers won't be afraid.

Wondering how that station could work without a ground connection...

Did the station work as wired?

The instructions show a wire from the outside rails to the #2 terminal on the station. For what, if there are no internal connections, and the paint insulated the terminal from the frame?

Glad you have lights, even if you had to hardwire it yourself.

Larry

I've never used the 115 station in its train-stop configuration with insulated track. I just wanted to power the three lamps. To answer your question, Larry, the station can't work without a ground connection. I don't know what they were thinking with this reproduction but a thick coat of beautiful paint throughout was at the top of the list!  From the factory, the #2 terminal is a "dumb terminal" - it connects to nothing.

-John