- These are the three components out of the 583 electromagnetic crane. When I purchased it at the swap meet. There were very few wires attached to any of the components and most all the fingers were in poor condition.
- I'm now in the process of trying to get a wiring diagram to wire the three components together in the correct working order.
- I replaced the wires in the magnet and that is working by itself. The crane drive has four wires, two from the brushes and two from the field off the end. One of these wires was attached to the electromagnet. The drive works fine when I bench tested it.
- I replaced the two sets of fingers on the reverse unit with new ones and reattached the wires as I thought they should be. This maybe where my problem, without an accurate wiring diagram?
I finally gave up on the 1946 reverse unit and went with new technology. I installed Dallee #400 "E" unit onto the motor and crane drive of the electromagnetic crane. The customer support at Dallee Electronics said it should work just fine following the direction.
- Red and brown to the two brush tubes
- Orange and yellow to the two field wires.
- Blue and black to (input power) transformer.
I gave it a bench test before installing it in the crane body. Every thing worked out just as they said it would. Even Better!
- I went ahead install the drive and motor back into the crane body as before. I mounted the Dallee "E" unit to the side on the frame, so it would not interfere with the electromagnet wire coming through the grommet in front where the old reverse unit was mounted. When this is all completed it will give this old crane a newer up-dated look.
This is the last picture of the underside and the completed restoration of the 583 electromagnetic crane after I did the the final bench testing. I am going to run the crane off a single 15B AF transformer so I can control the speed of the boom swing and the time I energize the magnet using a two button system.
Making the American Flyer Trolley Switch
I had bought a Lionel San Francisco (point to point) Trolley at our TCA Pizza meet and auction a couple months ago. I wanted to use the trolley in the back ground on the far end between the two outside curves on my American Flyer Layout. (photo on left) I went with the newer Gargraves Phantom 37' flex track with the black center rail. I went an installed the American Flyer green 730 bumper in between the track on the back side of far end of my layout (photo bottom right).
I will be building Trolley Switch from an American Flyer manual 722 track switch. This is the one with the longer switch housing that can be used manually with the throw lever or by using the electric controller. I needed this room to fit the 8 post On-Off-ON slide switch I found at Ace Hardware in town. The slide switch had to have 1/2" inch throw to control the lever arm length. It also had to be open ended to fit the round tube from the lever arm. I will get into this later in the post.
I went ahead and removed the track section along the same line as the manual lever on the track switch. I cut off the coil tube, and removed the wire. I shorten the lever arm and round tube from the lever arm.
I went ahead and removed the track section along the same line as the manual lever on the track switch. I cut off the coil tube, and removed the wire. I shorten the lever arm and round tube from the lever arm.
The slide switch is mounted upside down, with the 8 electrical post pointing up. The slide is facing down and has to be shorten about 1/4" inch for base clearance.
Wiring as follows:
- Power from the transformer to red and black terminals on the switch. Wires from your stop sign signal on you layout to the green and yellow terminals on the switch.
- Wires from the 8 post slide switch: pictured from Right to Left; green and yellow to green and yellow on the bottom side of the track switch; jumper wires black and red on the two center electrical posts; Left: red and black wires to the bottom side of the track switch. Also run black and red wires from the underside of the switch to the light /always on.
- When the switch is completed and wired correctly: (left) Green light-trolley operating on your layout.
- (center) light on- power off to trolley and stop sign signal.
- (right) Red light on, stop sign signal light on, power off to trolley.
This is the completed American Flyer Trolley switch and platform . The platform is Department 56'. I had to raise the platform additional 1/4' inch above the Gargraves track for the Flyer Steam Engines could clear the sign attach to the roof.
You may notice I used a Lionel switch light cover. It has a light inside and activates when the trolley is powered up. The bumper is a cover off a toggle switch that is used to keep out moisture. I also added additional bumpers made from shrink tube (looks like rubber tires bumpers!
I epoxied the man in blue holding the sign to the slide switch. By moving him to any three positions on-off-on. He will turn the trolley on, off and turn the street light on when power is to the trolley switch.
If you look close at Rocky. That what I call him because is head is actually a small pebble or small rock. His right had was missing also. That is made out of the smallest shrink tube, with a cardboard sign added.
Yes, that Lionel trolley looks rather good in its new home running between my two outer loops of my American Flyer Cabinet-top layout. 
