Wiring controller for Flyonel 583A Electromagnetic Crane (6-49819)

Not 100% sure, but try this: 

Good luck!  Let me know if that works. 

Mitch

If this is the Lionel produced version, it needs a diode in the controller for the DC motor. The original crane had an AC motor.

I do not have a picture but can explain how to wire the Crane. Connect two black wires to the terminal under the button on the brass strip, connect one of these to the Base Post (common) on the transformer, connect the other one to the crane. Connect a yellow wire to the terminal under the button in the upper center of your picture and connect the other end to the 15V Post on the transformer. Connect a green wire to the terminal directly under the green button and the other end to the crane. Connect a red wire to the terminal under the red button and the other end to the crane. In the event the boom runs the wrong way just swap the red and green connections on the crane base. The wire colors you use are not important, as long as you can remember in the future what you did.

I recommend not using a track "lockon" for power, that must have been written by a 3 rail person. In two rail if there is a reverse loop it will not work; if using Gilbert turnouts with the "2-train" operation some track segments will only be powered when the turnout points are thrown in that direction.

@Rogerdodger posted:

If this is the Lionel produced version, it needs a diode in the controller for the DC motor. The original crane had an AC motor.

Yes, this is the Lionel version.  Do you know where I would wire-in the diode?  

I do not have the Lionel version, only an original Gilbert. I guess it is logical Lionel would use a DC motor rather than the original style motor. If it uses a single DC motor and it runs on half wave DC then two diodes are needed, one in the red wire and one in the green wire. They need to be facing in opposite directions to reverse the motor.

I had a closer look at the crane this afternoon.  The motor is indeed DC. Also, noticed that there is a capacitor mounted between the terminals on the motor. Didn’t find any diodes, however.  

I am guessing there was one in the original controller. The repro Gilbert style controller just acts electrically like a single pole double throw center off switch. Not enough terminals in it to use a single diode.

Thanks everybody for your input. I think I’m stuck until I can get some pictures of the internals of the controller.  As a plan B there’s a shop a few hours away that still has a new crane in stock.  I may swing by to check it out.