How to make your Railroad Crossing Lights Flash

[MikeRXR]

Here is my home-made way of making my railroad crossing lights flash.





I hope you enjoy, and yes I know it is a little fast, but it was fun to hook this up.

Mike

[SleazyRider]

Hey, Mike, that was great! I'm new to the RR crossing scene, but recently acquired a bell, crossbuck, and flashing light set which I plan to erect in my backyard. I've been foolin' around with a 555 timer and relay from Radio Shack to make my signals flash, but I like your system better. Perfect timing!

I appreciate your post!

[MikeRXR]

I am glad you may be able to use the information. If you have any questions, let me know.

[Nimhster]

I have a US&S FN-16A D.C. Flasher Relay. Any idea on how to wire it up to my lights?

[AlvinAZ]

Good threads never die. ;)

I have a US&S FN-16A D.C. Flasher Relay.
Any idea on how to wire it up to my lights?

I should look through some of my old stuff and see what I can find. :)

For sure, the left and right lights were hooked in series and the contacts in the FN16a
shunted one side then the other. At mid stroke the lights were dimly lit since their circuit
was never actually broken (open). It was wired like that for contact life. :)

That's why (the old?) crossing lights had an odd looking flash to them. :)

And FN16a's always have a slight limp to them even tho it was the relay re/builder's job
to reduce it to a minimum. While counting the flash rate it'd jump out at you if it had
too-bad of a limp or not. 1-2, 3-4, 5-6

Weird talking about this stuff after all this time. My head is plumb full of this stuff and
figured it'd never be of interest or value to anyone! LOL :)

Alvin in AZ
ditch digger
pole climber
battery waterer
signal painter
crossing tester
broken rail finder
relay slider
Megger gang
signal wireman
CTC coderman
signal maintainer
relay rebuilder
gate mechanism rebuilder
bell fixer
U5 box rebuilder
electric lock rebuilder
And instead of sitting around with my thumbs up my butt I did a lot of track-work as a...
traquero ayudante, ...my favorite part actually :D

[Nimhster]

I um.....don't quite understand.

[AlvinAZ]

Ok, Nickel+metal-hydride-ster, I'll give it my best shot from memory and
what I can find to work with? LOL :)

Page 6
The contacts are not to both be closed at the same time, it's either one side
or the other (take your pick) but in an FN-16a the left hand side is "down" or
"dropped away". So its "N" or "normal" and the other side is "R" or "reverse"...
http://www.ansaldo-sts.com/EN/AnsaldoST ... _Relay.pdf
"DP" relays have the same setup like a DP-25 power switch control relay.
P = "polorized"

For those that are interested but ain't got an FN-16a handy, ;)
check out the front label...
http://www.hornwhistleboard.com/viewtop ... 11&p=25204

{ignore the dots, ascii art + HTML + variable spaced font don't mix }
{if you aren't using the default font it ain't my fault ;}

.... 1N______1H_______1R
..... | ......... | ......... |
(-)__|__XLE__|__XRE__|__(+ battery)

XLE = crossing left bulb element
XRE = crossing right bulb element
___|___ = three wires
... ^ = one connection
I always thought of it as 2 boxes. {shrug}

See it? :)
Before the relay's first-rock, the XRE will be lit and...
when the relay rocks all the way over, the XRE with be "shunted" out and...
the XLE will light.

While the relay is in mid-stroke both bulbs will be dimly lit. :)

To energize the FN-16a put battery on the two rear-most terminals marked
+ - in the Bakelite "plate"...
Page 10
http://www.ansaldo-sts.com/EN/AnsaldoST ... _Relay.pdf

The special oil they mentioned there was whale oil from William F Nye Co. :)

The contacts in one FN-16a can carry enough current for all the 10v 25w
bulbs on a set of "crossing bells" and gate lights too, easy. And do it for
friggin years on end in normal service. The rocking mechanism's pivot pins
and armature would do them in if lightning didn't get 'em first.

Alvin in AZ

[Nimhster]

I'm really not getting what you're trying to point at.

[AlvinAZ]

I have a US&S FN-16A D.C. Flasher Relay.
Any idea on how to wire it up to my lights?

Yes.

Alvin in AZ

[AlvinAZ]

Great description of how the FN-16a works.
They are pretty easy to wire up.
I have a couple of them that I use.

Cool thanks, KLM92. :) (were you into motocross?;)

You got your lights wired so that one side gets "shunted-out" then the other? :)

Ever take the back strap (in this case it's triangular) off and add or subtract the
copper washers to see how the FN-16a would react? Hmmm... I need to find a
picture of an DN-18 "GCR" it has a little coil and three big copper slugs to slow
down the relay's action.

A DN-18 has like a 4+1/2 second "drop away" and like 1+1/2 second "pick-up".
A regular DN-11 -slams-down- when its circuit is opened.

Alvin in AZ