Some help needed with 7863 Magnetic Remote Control Unit

[distortme]

Hi there, like a few posters I've not a train guy but have just bought a 15kg haul of bricks and there was a huge amount of train gear from the 80s. Its all 12V stuff - with a little playing I built an oval track and was able to use 7864 Transformer with 7865 Motor unit and have it spinning around the track. Was very stoked it all worked.

What I also have is two 7863 Magnetic Remote Control Unit and for the life of me I cant see what I can use it for. I don't have any split tracks or bases for this item - just two of everything - the switch that links to the Transformer and the switch unit and cables.

Can anyone help me out here - Ive scoured the web and haven't found anything, but having a ball with all this stuff and would like to see what these do too. I also have two manual boxes like 7863 - these ones just don't have plug holes for power.

I can provide photos if it helps.

I think I also got a deal for this stuff since reading on here the 12V stuff seems reasonably rare.....

[Siegfried]

I don't own a functional one, but I believe that it's so you can buy one of the manual points and upgrade them to a remote one.

[patje]

post perhaps some pictures

[distortme]

I don't own a functional one, but I believe that it's so you can buy one of the manual points and upgrade them to a remote one.

Yeh I have the manual points but not the rails - possibly missing from the haul I got. But it's the electric ones I'm still puzzled on.

[Siegfried]

Yeh I have the manual points but not the rails - possibly missing from the haul I got. But it's the electric ones I'm still puzzled on.

Didn't I answer the question? You take the manual box off, and put the motor box in it's place; look here. Or am I confused?

[distortme]

Didn't I answer the question? You take the manual box off, and put the motor box in it's place; look here. Or am I confused?

Nope I reckon I get it now! You're right - I just need the split lines now to give them something to do :D

Cheers for that.

[Siegfried]

Nope I reckon I get it now! You're right - I just need the split lines now to give them something to do :D

Cheers for that.

Not a prob. I think I have somewhere (from an eBay lot) a motor... but I don't have any tracks. Yet.

[Legoless]

Congratulations on netting yourself some 12v stuff- I think without doubt the most 'fun' Lego train system out of the box there has ever been, and in its day, the quality of it was vastly superior to other toys on offer. That high-quality engineering came at a price of course, that and the need to use mains power, so even if they'd have not introduced 9v, it would have had its day by now, sadly.

[distortme]

Congratulations on netting yourself some 12v stuff- I think without doubt the most 'fun' Lego train system out of the box there has ever been, and in its day, the quality of it was vastly superior to other toys on offer. That high-quality engineering came at a price of course, that and the need to use mains power, so even if they'd have not introduced 9v, it would have had its day by now, sadly.

Yeh it's pretty awesome - was stoked to have it all working even at 30 years old. I really scored with this stuff - transformer, 4 switch boxes, light and sound kit, about 40 electric tracks, one electric motor, one 4.5 battery motor and another 12v engine that doesnt use the track to run. These are from near complete sets in the other 12kg of Lego I got in the buy that I still need to sort through :D Did find hints of sets 7725 and 7740 in there so should be fun.

[peterab]

Yeh it's pretty awesome - was stoked to have it all working even at 30 years old. I really scored with this stuff - transformer, 4 switch boxes, light and sound kit, about 40 electric tracks, one electric motor, one 4.5 battery motor and another 12v engine that doesnt use the track to run. These are from near complete sets in the other 12kg of Lego I got in the buy that I still need to sort through :D Did find hints of sets 7725 and 7740 in there so should be fun.

That's a great score for Australia. These are indeed rare here. Not quite complete 7740's cost around AU$500 here among collectors. Which city are you in? That other 12V will probably have had two bricks with contacts that allow it to use the tracks too (if it's the one I think, like the 4.5V ones). You can probably replace them via Bricklink if you don't find them in the rest of the lot. The most expensive bit to replace of the 7740 tern to be the grey windows on the engine, and the yellow train windows. Other than those there are good cheap replacements for everything else if you are not wildly particular about using the exact bricks from the same era.

In Melbourne you could check out the Mugs list, I'm a member there and a few of us have some 12V stuff so could answer any questions.

In Sydney there is SydLUG and the Sydney L Gauge Group. In Brisbane the BLTC. Cpt. Zuloo here at Eurobricks would probably be able to help you in Canberra, and Lightning Tiger might be able to point you to a trainhead in Adelaide (he's pretty keen on the newer trains I think). Jonwil has contacts with the Perth Adult Lego Society in Perth too I think.

[BillytheKid]

The 7863 is used to make the manual points 7856 in electric ones. Then they're similar to sets 7858 & 7859. Nothing more, nothing less.

[distortme]

That's a great score for Australia. These are indeed rare here. Not quite complete 7740's cost around AU$500 here among collectors. Which city are you in? That other 12V will probably have had two bricks with contacts that allow it to use the tracks too (if it's the one I think, like the 4.5V ones). You can probably replace them via Bricklink if you don't find them in the rest of the lot. The most expensive bit to replace of the 7740 tern to be the grey windows on the engine, and the yellow train windows. Other than those there are good cheap replacements for everything else if you are not wildly particular about using the exact bricks from the same era.

In Melbourne you could check out the Mugs list, I'm a member there and a few of us have some 12V stuff so could answer any questions.

In Sydney there is SydLUG and the Sydney L Gauge Group. In Brisbane the BLTC. Cpt. Zuloo here at Eurobricks would probably be able to help you in Canberra, and Lightning Tiger might be able to point you to a trainhead in Adelaide (he's pretty keen on the newer trains I think). Jonwil has contacts with the Perth Adult Lego Society in Perth too I think.

Thanks for the response. AFOL12V is correct - from the research I've done just need the tracks to go with the points.

I'll have to have a look through the bags for those pieces - still sitting in there at the moment! 7740 for $500 - nice, since the 15kg cost me $200. But not 100% that everything is there for the sets that was able to work out had sets in there. Still a fun haul to go through.

And I'm in Adelaide and know of Lighteningtiger via the Aussie Sales topic.

[Brickthus]

The 7863 point motors can also make level crossing barriers, as in 7866. Use counterweights to keep the load balanced.

They were also used for the decoupler in 7862.

Or any MOC application that requires a 90-degree movement when the switch is pressed, and stays put by itself at other times.

I would advise against keeping power on to these devices because, as solenoids, they could overheat. They are designed for momentary operation. They're not like moving motors, where the coils alternate in absorbing current. I haven't tried variable operation (driving with a variable H-bridge duty cycle) but it would probably overheat them.

The solenoid units can operate with as little as 9 Volts, so they're not entirely 9V-incompatible. However they are not strong enough to change unmodified 9V points. I haven't tested whether they could move modified ones (that a micro motor could move) but it's touch-and-go because even modified 9V points have friction of the electrical contacts, where 12V points have almost no friction.

Mark