What is this piece?

[joeb]

My kids received a Lionel Train set last year for Christmas. We just moved and got it out again. I noticed a black plate that has 3 wire terminals. It appears to be some type of pressure/weight contact device. One end has a screw with a spring that allows me to adjust the spring tension. We are wondering where this piece is used and how to connect it?? It does not have a part number on it, only "Lionel". I have searched and searched with no success. It is O guage.

Thanks

Joe

 

[Jim Krause]

You might want to go to the O scale forum, where you will get more responses. Also, can you post a photo?

 

[60103]

Joe that sounds like a 153C contactor. If you have Fasttrack it is no use.
If you have regular O or O27 track, it will operate a trackside accessory like a signal or crossing gate. It goes under one tie and switches when the train goes over it.

 

[joeb]

Ok, looks like the 153C is correct. We did buy a crossing gate and I bet it came with it. Thank you very much for the information!!

Joe

 

[60103]

We got one with the gateman. Then we had to buy the FasTrack special operating section instead.
Lionel used to make a single-throw version (just off-on) of this; I never did get mine working satisfactorily.

 

[Floyd]

A What is it question

I would also like someone to identify the following item which I will describe....Sorry no pictures.
Basically it is piece of lumber 20" Long X 2" Wide which is slightly tapered to approx 1/2" at the top X 3/4" Thick. There is a 1-3/8" groove along the length of the piece. The groove is cut deeper on half of the piece then the other half. On one end is a piece of HO track perminently mounted in the shallower groove. The deeper groove has a piece of brass inbeded in it. The brass piece is grooved down the middle with a sort of pin on the end that butts up to the middle of the piece. On the track mounted side are two wires to hook up to something but to what?
Whew.....Hope this is understandable...Thanks

 

[Jim Krause]

It sounds like a homemade something or other.

 

[60103]

It sounds like the base for a locomotive test track, but missing the rollers. Does it look like there are two contact strips down the groove, hooked up to the rails?
I think the tender would be placed on the rails and the loco on the rollers. Power applied and the loco would run (or not).
I forget the name of the company that made them.