Help for a true beginner


C

charger73fan

New Member
Hello,

I pulled out my dad's old Lionel HO scale stuff (all about 50 years old I think) to see if I could get it running for Christmas. I HAVE NO EXPERIENCE WITH MODEL TRAINS - PERIOD. Here's my problem - I've hooked up the power pack to the track and no matter what order or position I put the wires in or if the lever is facing "forward" or "reverse", the locomotive always runs backwards - once I got it to run forwards, but there was no rhyme or reason to why and I was not able to duplicate the feat. The locomotive says S-2 Turbo on the underside and there is a stainless metal switch on the top (no idea what that does!?!) Any help would be greatly appreciated and thanks for listening....
 
It's been a long time since I had a Lionel train but I remember some of the locomotives had the direction control lever as a silver colored switch that came out of the boiler. Try that switch and see if moving it in the opposite directon changes the direction of the train.
 
Switch has never had any effect, regardless of the wiring scheme. 2 pics are posted (I think I did it right?!). Please let me know if you have any more input. Thanks again!!!
 
That switch coming out of the boiler sure looks like what I remember as a reversing lever. The way the transformer is wired to the track shouldn't have any effect on whether or not the engine will only run in reverse. I suspect the contacts on the switch may be corroded after all those years of storage. Stop by a Radio SHeck and get a can of Contact Cleand and Lubricant. Spray a short burst in the hole with the lever using the red spray tube that comes with the can. Work the lever back and forth rapidly about 10 times. Now try it on the track and see if the engine will run in different directions depending in the lever position.
 
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