How to hook up wire the old timey 3 rail toy trains 

Thank you. I inherited an old set from my uncle that was just parts and pieces. This helped tremendously.

Thank you for this very simple explanation. I'm well on my way setting up my late fathers Lionel to share with family and friends this Christmas.

Chuckles "Old timey"thanks for the smile,seriously.still chuckling.

Your idea works, but for operating track system on the cheep. Here is one better. turn the track over and jam one wire in between the crack of one outside rail and the other in the center rail. Or to be nice use a thing flat piece of metal like the connectors on your wire there and slid them in that crack of each rail. The MarX connector is that same basic idea. Lionel and American Flyer and K-line, used connectors that clipped on to the rail edge.

Thank you So Much my grandpa died and we found this and today decided to put it together it helped so much

Finally you give me a answer i was lookig for. Tanks

thank you! couldn't figure out my train set but this got it working!

How do you know which terminal on the transformer is hot and which one is common?

Thx this helped a lot

thanks you helped me with my by lionel its from 1970 I'm a kid

It's about time that someone else called these old Lionel trains"toy trains" as that is all they are

Thanks for you help

I see he had the ends labeled and attached the red to the left pole on the transformer … but he didn’t say (and I couldn’t see) which wire got connected to which rail - I think he connected the red to the center rail, but could you clarify?

Do you have to have all three tracks connected to each other?

What kind of wire is it that connects from the transformer to the track? What parts do I need called??

OK So lets say for the sake of argument you attached the wires to track 1 and track 2 not to track 3. Do you always want to attach them to 1 and 2 or does it matter of you attach them to 2 and 3. Does that make sense? Will the train still work as long as you attach them to 1and 2 or 2 and 3?

I have a several old trains like this when I put them on the track they are losing connection between the track and train just curious some things that can help with this?

My dad has one of those engines and transformers and carts but the track got messed and and rusted a long time ago do you know where you could find the track the the 0 gauge train?

Ac Lionel 027.gauge track

Which is the name of the conector in the raíl?

I love this simple tutorial and it was very helpful I’d just like to know if it was possible to wire the Lionel Gatesman to fastrack if that’s possible

I have AC currents it is actually better to be zapped by an ac current than a DC current, AC goes positive negative positive etc, where as a DC is straight positive and can do a lot of damage... simply, you will do more damage with 12 volts DC than 12 volts AC. Now, as for connecting power to the track, you can buy what are called lockons, they snap into the gaps beneath the rails, or, you can do what I did, and solder the wire directly to the bottom of the rails, or as some other people suggested on various sites, get some thin metal that will slide into the gaps, and run wire from that, mind you, when you go to do the middle rail, wrap the rest of it in electrical tape, or you will cause a short lol

A transformer a Toy?

omg how THAT IS THE EXACT SAME TRAIN I WANT TO HOOK UP LOL

Is that a DC only engine,just wondering.

I have an old lonel Safari train set and I can't get it to reverse, do you know why?

What kind of wire? That's where you lost me