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by **steven1981** on Fri Mar 23, 2012 9:30 am

Any information here that was (is?) in regards to some of the Marbelite E/M signal controllers (like the model M-20 for example)?

by **TacomaJoe** on Fri Mar 23, 2012 11:21 am

Ditto, just got this and will be starting the reverse engineering, lacking any information.

What you see is all I know.

by **steven1981** on Fri Mar 23, 2012 12:04 pm

Congrats on the acquisition, Joe.

That's an early Marbelite signal controller. Probably from the mid to late 1940s. I remember I came across several advertisements that were auctioned on Ebay several years ago that were in regards to the company's earliest signal controllers, and this was one of them that I saw.

If you can't find additional information about it, then you should contact Marbelite. Company is still around, and it'd be wise to talk to Joe LiPari (vice president of Marbelite). He knows his stuff, since he has been with the company for over fourty years.

by **Mike80** on Fri Mar 23, 2012 12:22 pm

Info on Marbelite electromechanical controllers would be helpful :thumbsup:

Nice controller Joe!
Like you said, without any schematics, you will have to reverse engineer it. My GE Novalux Type D is similar in construction to your Marbelite. Lacking any schematics, I traced every wire/switch/contact/etc. in my controller and drew my own schematic. Then I hooked up power and signals, and it works great for a controller that was put into service in the 1940s!

by **SirMarbelot** on Fri Mar 23, 2012 12:27 pm

steven1981 wrote:If you can't find additional information about it, then you should contact Marbelite. Company is still around

Are they? I can't find their website anymore.

by **steven1981** on Fri Mar 23, 2012 12:33 pm

SirMarbelot wrote:Are they? I can't find their website anymore.

Yes, they are still in existence. Below, is the link to the company's website.

http://updated.marbsignal.com/

Marbelite mainly distributes signal equipment. They did, however, create their very first polycarbonate pedestrian signal for the city of New York in recent years. It could be viewed on the website. And that's about it.

As far as E/M signal controllers are concerned, Marbelite discontinued manufacturing E/M signal controller parts several years ago. Everything is quite frankly obsolete (as they say), so I could understand that.
They don't have too many parts left in stock because of that.

by **mikerm** on Fri Mar 23, 2012 11:06 pm

(offtopic)
Interesting, I was looking at that site, and they have a PDF about the Eagle EPAC M50's, they run a presumably modified Linux. Assuming you can get a serial console, you could have some fun!
(/offtopic)

by **2070** on Sat Mar 24, 2012 6:27 am

TacomaJoe wrote:Ditto, just got this and will be starting the reverse engineering, lacking any information.

What you see is all I know.

Any pictures of the connector on the bottom???

That is a nice controller!!

by **TacomaJoe** on Sat Mar 24, 2012 7:06 am

Any pictures of the connector on the bottom???

21 pins, most of which are would be signal circuits. Only two dial contacts so there won't be any offsets, no dial change of course. It will be easy except I see some solid copper wires have been soldered around, so there are some modifications to restore as well.

by **Richardson79** on Sat Mar 24, 2012 8:07 am

The shop may have several Marbelite E/M signal controller schematics in the file cabinets.

I cannot say that's true, because everything is mainly computerized now. Although I'll check. If I find some, I'll scan them.

Dwayne Richardson

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