I have figured out how to wire up a Crossing Arm using the Accessory Activator Pack, But I cant seem to get my Crossing Arm/Flashing lights to work right. The lights just light up, they do not flash.
Anyone know a trick or piece I am missing to make this work?
Thanks
Mark
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How do you have it wired? Is power coming from the center rail? This will happen if there is not enough voltage to make the flasher work.
Exactly which accessory do you have?
The cross buck lights on the postwar Lionel 262 Highway crossing gate do not flash.
Nor do the lights on any of the Lionel modern era reissues that I have seen.
I had an MTH knock-off with flashing lights. They were controlled by circuitry within the accessory.
They definitely flash.
quote:They definitely flash
Which highway crossing signal do you have?
Lionel has been making them since 1962, reissuing them a number of times in the modern era.
The Postwar ones don't flash. The older Modern era 2162 gates don't flash, and the recently made Modern era one I purchased this summer doesn't flash. Maybe they have a different model that does. That's why I asked for a model number.
As I posted earlier, MTH does (or did) make one that flashes. It has a metal base and cross bucks. It uses bayonet based bulbs (Lionel's uses #19 2-pin based bulbs)
Attached is an explosion diagram for a 2162.
The Lionel web site shows a 6-62162 crossing gate, and the description says that the lights flash. However, the parts listing for this gate looks to be the same as the older 6-2162.
I'll have to check the part number on the box when I get home. I have two modern gates that were purchased 4 or 5 years ago that both flash. I also have a modern banjo signal purchased under six months ago that flashes. They are all Lionel. Also, that is my video with my crossing gate and son's head 
. The gate in the video is actuated using the Fastrack accessory activation pack off a single CW-80.
Finally getting back to working on this project, but the issue is with the older accessories that have 3 Terminals. There are only two wires coming out of the Accessory Activator Track. So, I have tried the two wires on all the possible combinations and can't get the accessory to work right. I am not just using lighted Cross bucks, but Semaphores are 3 terminals as well.
Any thoughts?
You need to isolate a track section by removing the end pieces. Each end of the fastrack. Then you need to remove the jumper underneath the track that connects the common. The last thing you need to do is mimic the pw piece that the original connected to the track with by pulling out your dremel and cutting some one inch sections that are next to one another. For your hookup one goes to ground and each one of the light sections go to the 1 inch ground section you just cut. Need a pic let me know.
If you wouldn't mind, visuals do a lot more for me than words 
I'll take a pic tonight
BDOBSON, that is exactly what the Activator Pack does. No need to cut track. My accessories do not have three terminals on the bottom of them, so I can't give you specifics. However, here is a link with Elliot explaining how to wire the Semaphone to the Activator. Give this a whirl.
Sorry I wasn't to helpful in my emails. I didn't connect in my mind this thread to the emails until right now. Sorry about that.
MMG posted:If you wouldn't mind, visuals do a lot more for me than words
The 154C contactor has a special piece with a break to briefly make the contact for each lamp in the crossing signal.
That is what you have to mimic.
The 154 base has the three terminals. I would reverse the connections for FasTrack and connect accessory hot to the common terminal. Then, I would connect the other two terminals on each break in the outside rail. This is what bdobson was describing. The accessory activator 5" put together still won't have the breaks close enough to create the flashing. You'll need 3 cuts in an outside rail with each remaining post connected to one of the resulting isolated rails. You could sacrifice a five inch section.
The activator pack doesn't work for this accessory. It's a diy to make work with FasTrack.
The 151 semaphore is a pain. Just use some dwarf block signals with the activator pack and accessory power.
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