"Scarce" Parts

Contents below on this page   1. Angle (for rheostat bracket) 2. Barrier Terminal Strips, 2 - 8 position 3. Barrier Terminal Strips, 16 position 4. Rheostats 5. Transformer 6. Wire

Overview These comments were written with the Model 206 2-track yard in mind, but most info is applicable to the other designs. The Parts Lists (Sheets D206-7 and D206-8 for the Model 206 control) give part numbers for most of the parts. This page is intended to provide some additional information. The LGB parts, you of course can obtain from any one of the numberous LGB dealers. For the other parts, wherever possible, I specify a Radio Shack part since Radio Shack stores are fairly common (although costs at Radio Shack can be somewhat higher). Some of the other parts, like the rheostats and 16-position terminal blocks, cannot be obtained from Radio Shack. This page will provide some information about those parts. Sources All the sources mentioned below have websites as follows: Carol Cable - now apparently part of general cable ( GeneralCable.com ) Can't find any wire on their website DigiKey.com Graybar Electric Company ( Graybar.com ) - distributor for Carol Cable wire Can't find any wire on their website Mouser.com RadioShack.com

1. Angle (for rheostat bracket)

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The piece of angle you see at left, measures about 1/2 wide on the bottom side, and about 1-3/4" on the vertical side. I found it in the home of my deceased father, and I CANNOT FIND where to get more of it. If you have a SOURCE for this angle, I would appreciate knowing about it. You can use the 1-1/2" x 1-1/2" x 1/16" thick aluminum angle that you can find in the home stores. Ideally you would like to cut the bottom side from 1-1/2" down to about 1/2", so it fits in the available space, and does not cover the wires on the template.

2. Barrier Terminal Strips, 2 position thru 8 position You can get the 2, 4, 6, & 8 position terminal blocks from Radio Shack. To view the specs and prices, go to the Radio Shack website and search on the part number. 2 Position: #274-656 4 Position: #274-658 6 Position: #274-659 8 Position: #274-670 If you look at the end of a Radio Shack terminal block, you can see the word "BEAU" molded into the plastic. So I believe this is the same product that is sold by DigiKey -- see next section.

3. Barrier Terminal Strips, Terminal Blocks, 16 position You can get the 16 position terminal blocks from DigiKey. These go under the names "Beau, Waldom, and Molex. I believe the original mfgr was Beau, because this is molded on the ends. Molex Part #38760-0116 "Connection barrier Strip, 16 position, .375" pitch" Digikey Part #WM5784-ND Mouser Part No: ---
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	Larger Photo (Mfgr Spec Sheet)

4. Rheostats In the early 1990's, these were available under the names Clarostat (Model CR-25) and Ohmite. They appeared virtually identical. I can no longer find the Clarostat brand. Ohmite Part #RHS15RE (or #RHS15R), 15 Ohms resistance, 25 watts max power The "RHS" is the type number The "H" indicates 25 Watts The "15" indicates 15 Ohms The "E" on the end is "RoHS compliant . . . whatever that means Digikey Part #RHS15RE-ND Mouser Part #588-RHS15RE
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	Larger Photo (Mfgr Spec Sheet)
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Rheostat Knobs You can order these from DigiKey and Mouser, but they are surprisingly a lot cheaper at Radio Shack. Hence the parts list gives a Radio Shack Number,

5. Transformer

This transformer supplies the AC control voltage that operates the switch motors on the control unit, the rear track switch, and the lights on the target signal. LGB makes an 18 volt transformer for accessories, which should be adequate. An alternate is a dual-voltage transformer marketed by Radio Shack, #273-1690, that can output either 18 volts AC or 24 volts AC, and is rated for 1000 ma current (1 amp). (User a "Hobby Power Leads Adaptaplug" Part #273-1742 to get the output to two "pigtails".) You would normally want to operate this on the 18 volt setting. The 24 volts setting would give you the option of temporarily "boosting" the voltage if you encountered an "uncooperative" switch motor.

6. Wire Colored wire in 18 gauge solid form is not very common, so finding this stuff can be challenging. Why Colored, Why Solid The wire specified is 18 gauge, COLORED, solid wire. The purpose of the 5 colors is to allow you to easily identify what kind of current a given wire is conducting. You can "cut corners" and use just one color of wire , but then you 'll be continually confused about "which wire connects where", which defeats the whole purpose of having the colored template to show you where the wires go. The reason for specifying SOLID wire (on the Control Unit in particular) is that it stays in the position you bend it to, which should follow the path on the template. Note there is alternate 18 gauge Radio Shack wire you can use for the red/green/black colors, but this does not seem to stay in place as well as the Carol wire with the heavier insulation. Why 18 Gauge The red, yellow, and green wires carry AC control current from the reed switches, which is very small, so a smaller wire could actually be used here. The black and blue wires carry DC track current, which can be high, so these wires should be 18 gauge at the minimum. (Don't forget, the wire gauge/thickness are backwards of what you would expect. In other words, 22 ga. wire is thinner than 18 gauge, and should be used only as alternate for the red/yellow/green AC control currents. And 16 ga. wire is thicker than 18 ga. wire, and would work ok for the blue/black DC track currents.) Finding Wire On DigiKey In the early 1990's, this wire was available under the names Apex and Carol. Apex seems to no longer exist. Carol appears to now be part of General Cable Company. Carol Cable phone number for finding vendor outlets: 888-593-3353. The following are the part numbers for 100 foot rolls. Black: . . . Carol #C2119-12-01 . . . Digi-Key #C2119B-100ND Blue: . . . Carol #C2119-12-07 . . . Digi-Key #C2119L-100ND Gray: . . . Carol #C2119-12-10 . . . Digi-Key #C2119S-100ND Green: . . . Carol #C2119-12-06 . . . Digi-Key #C2119G-100ND Red,: . . . Carol #C2119-12-03 . . . Digi-Key #C2119R-100ND Yellow: . . . Carol #C2119-12-05 . . . Digi-Key #C2119Y-100ND In the Digi-Key numbers, for example C2119B, the B=Black, L=Blue, S=Gray (slate gray). G=Green, R=Red, and Y=Yellow. The "100" in "100ND" at the end denotes a 100' roll. To find this wire on the DigiKey website, search for the phrases "c2119-12" and "HOOK-UP WIRE SOLID 18AWG". As of 3/2007, the first search phrase found more colors, because their descriptions are written inconsistently. Other Sources Mauser and Graybar Electric Company, and local electric supply stores.