And of course, individual Fastrack sections are also available. God bless TCA 05-58541 Benefactor Member of theNRA, Member of the American Legion, Retired Boss Hog of Roseyville , KC&D Qualified. Price Received. You can't count on a lack of compatibility issues for one Legacy locomotive being definitive for all Legacy locomotives, for example. This comes primarily from the locomotive(s) but also from lights and other accessories. If they do, follow their recommendations. They're controlled with a simple handheld remote control and run on easy-to-connect plastic track. All Lionel transformer comparisons should start here. What type is your old transformer? With the ever-increasing amount of small electronics in today's sophisticated models, this protection is more important than ever. The 1033 is not the same as the 1044. The iconic and legendary 270-watt Lionel ZW was the biggest and best transformer Lionel made in the postwar era. And of course, Lionel also makes lots of figures to populate your town. Sign-up for email today! This thing has more power then I will ever need. The Lionel ZW is Lionel's most iconic transformer of the 1950s and 1960s, and perhaps one of its most iconic products, period. The circuit breaker should trip with a click and the transformer should go dead. Note that when working with specific products, manufacturers will often recommend a wire size and type. That transformer will only prolly handle 1 engine and depending on how long it is will depend on how many extra feeders you will need around the layout. This is because the demands for power are becoming more than your transformer can handle. For most layouts, and most scales, Number14 stranded wire will work best for your bus. The 110-wattLionel RW is a cheap option, and the 125-watt LW, while a bit more expensive, gives a bit more power. Classic Toy Trains magazine offers information about toy trains operating and collecting, toy train product news and reviews, toy train layout tips, toy train layout designs and track plans, and more. what size lionel transformer do i need. Most two-rail track systems use direct current (DC). The higher powered units would not meet todays safety standards as issued by Underwriters Laboratories. Our community is FREE to join. This tool will allow you calculate the KVA that you need. On a large loop of track you will need to have multiple drops, hook-ups, to the transformer because if you only have one hook up the train will get slower the father away it gets from the transformer. Sell Your Trains Using a Live Auction House. Good choices are the Lionel 32923 Accessory Transformer, or another 80-watt transformer like the one included in your set, #14198. For Lionel power the 45 watts is good for a 4 by 8 as a rule of thumb to compensate poor track you just use more feeders. 40-200 20 Watt DC Transformer - Small DC transformer suitable for powering a single HO diesel or steam locomotive equipped with Proto-Sound 3.0. First, a few general notes about choosing wire. But if you already have a 1034 and dont need a whistle button, go ahead and use it. Can't plug into outlet? Then power every other one with one of your smaller transformers. Ryan developsmodeltrainlayouts for public andprivate display. The two types of cars will connect together just fine, but when side-by-side in a train, they may look a bit odd. The CW-80 Transformer was meant to operate on 120-volt, 60-Hertz power. There was a video by Mike Reagan from Lionel about better smoke output from a chopped wave transformer, but the pure sine wave didn't cause any operational issues. Lionel Postwar 1033 Transformer Watch on Lionel has a new 180 watt transformer due out soon that will be a nice upgrade. I thought you wanted information related to your layout not operations at a trains show. JavaScript is disabled. This set also includes an uncoupling track section, which will disconnect cars from one another at the touch of a button, and a bumper, which keeps cars from rolling off the end of the track. They give a true 180 watts and have excellent electronic breakers. I will make a note here. The smaller of the two is #12028, which turns your oval into this: There is also the larger 12031 plan, which has a couple extra straight track pieces included, creating this: Even better, one or more of the expansion sets can be combined to create even more interesting track layouts. For a passenger train with lighted cars, getting a little more power isnt a bad idea. I didnt mention the 1034 above because its easier to find a 1033. This is a old school approach for sizing cables & transformers or appliances in the electrical trade, & has never let us down. Although all Lionel cars operate on O Gauge track, the bodies of the cars are made in two slightly different sizes. For Lionel power the 45 watts is good for a 4 by 8 as a rule of thumb to compensate poor track you just use more feeders. Sell Your Trains Through an Online Auction Service. * NOTE: We do not recommend loading a transformer above 80% of its KVA rating. DCC is less common in starter sets, but some are available. My question is this in order that this doesn't happen again what type of transformer would you recommend? Lionel uses red and black (red always for the center rail, black for the two outer rails) as a standard in its instructions and most 3-Rail O Gauge layouts are probably wired this way. Subscribers, sign in to access exclusive content. Digital command control systems (DCC) uses digital information to control the electrical power to the train. Understanding Electrical Supplies and Controls. I recently read an article/product review in the OGR magazine for the new Lioneltransformerand wassurprisedto learn that not all voltage outputwave-formsare created equal (pure sine wave versus some type of clipped sine wave). If you want to connect ten landscape lights to a magnetic transformer, and the lights use 30 watts each, you would need a 375 watt transformer. The larger transformers could operate up to four trains independently. If this happens, you will need another transformer to share the load. Make your Christmas complete with a Lionel HO Train under your. Mike to the forum. Lionel 1033 90 watt Transformer Postwar from 1950s-60s Whistle, Direction. I have a 3amp, 40watt transformer. Everyone wanted the two-handled, football-shaped, 275-watt powerhouse that was the ZW. It does not work with O27. Doug Murphy 'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers' Henry V. I am a person with a very active inner child. Obviously, for a lot of people, the $700 Lionel ZW-L transformer is overkill. Trainz carries a variety of books that build upon the information listed above. Lest I offend, in another plane of existence I was an electronics tech. From 25 Watts to 275 Watts, a Lionel transformer could be found for every power requirment from simple circles of track to extensive railroads. I've got around 320 ft of track between all of the mainline, sidings, etc and I don't have any problems running my engines anywhere on the layout. The Lionel RW also happens to be a great transformer for Marx or American Flyer trains too, when you connect the track leads to the B and U posts instead of the A and U posts youd normally use for most Lionel setups. Lionel is also introducing a new 180 watt transformer to accompany the 80 watt CW 80. Here at Trainz, we carry all of the products you will need to go from a starter set to a miniature railroad empire. The accessory activation track (#12029) is used to activate Lionel trackside accessories. (Electrical Contractor with dear old Dad for 30 years) Regards Steve. The transformer included with your starter set should be adequate to handle a modest expansion of your train set discussed above. Amperes = VA/Secondary Volts or 40VA/28V = 1.43 amperes. the amount of track is not what is important here. Click here to learn about the Unlimited Membership. Kind Regards Steve, QUOTE: by Dave Has anyone here ever blown a transformer from hauling a double-headed Allegheny coal drag up a 2 percent grade?. While better starter sets usually include a more robust transformer, as a general rule the power pack supplied with your starter set is just thata start. If the voltage drop in the track is more than a small fraction of the transformer voltage, that is, a volt or two, you are going to have trouble running the trains anyway. For a transformer less or equal to 500 kilovolt-amperes, a typical %Z impedance may vary between 2.3% and 5.2% based on the voltage level. I have since wired the new transformer to my layout along with the old ZW. But were talking the trains that are in the absolute best condition and might not have ever run on the track. As cheap as the 1033 is, if youre going to buy a transformer, you might as well pay a few dollars more to get a 1033. Hello All: Another simple way of doing it, Only load the transformer to 75% of it's capacity, or take your total load & multiply by 125% for proper transformer sizing. Sell Your Trains Yourself At Train Shows. Used 1033's for sidings and the switching yard its self. The typ miniature incandecents we use average about 100 ma of current each. If the system's train transformer is run in Europe with a step-down transformer alone (converting only voltage from 230V to 115V AC at a 50 Hz), it may not operate as intended. DCC decoders are one good example where the wire colors are critical. This signifies compatibility with 50 Hertz power. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, which supports our community. If you fried a wire going to the track it may not be a transformer problem. Classification/marker lights on the PRR steam engine, For Sale: Lionel 6-11127 Legacy Southern Pacific GS-4 Daylight, Lionel Bethlehem Steel slag car and ATLAS NYC Baggage car, Lionel O 2333790 TrainWorld & RBP Trains Chris Raines -Exclusive - Katy LEGACY ES44AC #2021, Converting MTH Rail king GS-4 PROTO 2 to ERR Cruise Commander, The Harpers Ferry Layout II - Backdrop panels completed. Because the runs are short and power demands so low, this fine wire poses no safety threat. Ryan Kunkle is a nationally recognized professional model train expert and writer with over 25 years of experience. QUOTE: by Skyray "Typical engineer--you need a technician. You can use bus and feeder wires to more evenly distribute the power over your track. June 5, 2022; cleveland open chess 2021; mexican martial arts xilam Beginners Ask Trains New trains; old transformers. I have purchased diodes to put into the older transformers to see if this resolves the issue with newer tenders. Enter your e-mail address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by e-mail. Likewise, if you only want to run one train at a time, you can keep other trains on the track by wiring with blocks, and turning off trains that are not in use. Of course, the answer to that question depends on many things. Doug, there's definitely room for the liberal arts approach to the hobby--I have a journalism degree; how I became a computer technician was pretty much an accident. If mixing both non-command as well as command engines, both by the way will run without any thing other than the appropriate transformer, it really depends on the budget. The choice of a control system is somewhat, but not necessarily, dependent on which manufacturers engines you prefer or have the most of. (NEW/LIKE NEW), running TMCC And DCS engines with DCS handheld, terrible crash in Greece, multiple fatalities, Its.Public Delivery Track ..NEWSpecial run corner, Improving Appearance of 0-gauge Tubular Track. Access to this requires an OGR Forum Supporting Membership. Connecticut Valley Railroad -- A Branch of the New York, New Haven, And Hartford. The Lionel ZW has four sets of posts and six controls. This has the added advantage that Lionel TMCC (command control) will operate correctly. The Lionel 1033 is a great choice for small or medium-sized layouts. Transformers are designed to fail if a short in the secondary or control side occurs. Effort. You can also minimize voltage drop at the rail joints by soldering the rails together. And both of them give more wattage per handle than a KW or ZW. I have a post war ZW and a KW and a Z, all three are good transformers, just meant for differant needs. Different wiring projects call for different standards. Do not connect this product to any other power supply. But Lionel now produces four Track Expansion Sets, which expand this basic loop into something more exciting. UpBright 18V AC/DC Adapter Compatible with Lionel O Gauge Fastrack 10" Remote Control Terminal Straight LionChief System Track 6-1923100 HKYF45-180230T-US DC18V 2300mA 18VDC Power Supply Cord Charger. editors report that most of the wiring issues they address involve basic principles of electricity - the stuff that Ben Franklin played with when he flew his kite. Many will still run on the track in your starter set, but because they are scale sized, the bodies of these cars may be slightly wider and longer than those in your set. VerticalScope Inc., 111 Peter Street, Suite 600, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2H1, Canada. Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh. HO trains are very durable and are made with high quality parts and pieces to ensure the longevity of the Lionel train brand! And even when Lionel trains run on AC, they sometimes do some DC trickery. If your going to run anything more that what came with the set then you should probably upgrade to something a little bigger. A: According to Lionel's head of customer service, on the underside of their CW80 transformers, starting in late 2009, the vendor applied a sticker that states "QC50" on it. If you like, tell us more about yourself. A starter set is the best way to start with the train hobby. Now, I am going to make a suggesstion that you use a larger diameter curve for your corners. You have pretty much pointed up the major problem, everything is different. I know my train club had an issue with conventional locomotives not running properly on a layout with DCS and TMCC and apparently solved it by replacing a Lionel transformer with an MRC transformer that puts out a pure sine wave. (8 lights X 20 watts = 160 watts). EXPLORE FasTrack 10" Straight Track 4-Pack 6-12032 $ 21.99 FasTrack Grade Crossing with Flashers 6-12052 $ 99.99 FasTrack O36 Curved Track 4-Pack 6-12033 $ 21.99 Legacy AMC-2 Motor Controller You don't really need a diagram -- you want to pick your interval (some would recommend as often as 3'), drill a hole down through your base, and connect a wire to a bus which runs beneath the layout and connects to your transformer (obviously, you need two wires, one for each powered rail). All Lionel transformer comparisons should start here. What about removing flanges from diesel wheels? If the second digit is 9, it could be either, so be careful when considering one of them. So far, I haven't seen any way to do this except to take amp measurements or just wing it and see how hot your transformer gets. I think the RW is a bit better value, but that could just be timing. Get the newest photos, videos, stories, and more from Trains.com brands. This is why my wife loves me so. Make sure you are getting the right type of power supply for your layout. Ive talked about why here. What does a Lionel transformer do? You must be signed in to continue. Like command control, these trains still require a constant voltage to the rails. The 190-wattLionel KWwas the second biggest and second best transformer of the postwar era. Lots of good information for building any size O Gauge layout. They are fun to have. The transformer, when operated at the lower frequency, may . The new Lionel ZW-L is getting a lot of good reviews and is a very powerful transformer for most layouts. This diagram shows all of the controls and the pinout for the Lionel RW transformer. --The O Gauge Railroading Primer, by Christopher Ritchie. Theres nothing inherently wrong with them, though I would shy away from the smaller transformers that are less than 75 watts, including the modern CW-40. 4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars (15) Ages: 14 years and up. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Again, an independent power supply and distribution bus is a good idea for your switches. This is different from the stranded wire in that the different individual wires, each with their color-coded insulation, is placed inside a secondary insulation wrap. If the transformer fails, you most likely have a short or overload somewhere in the control circuit. Hello, I'm new to this site, and completely new to toy trains also - so please pardon my ignorance! It's expensive, but the same factors that drove KW prices down are also driving ZW prices down. At an average 14 volts - this is 9x14 = 126 watts - the ZW is getting quite warm and I have not run an accessory or another train yet! I got a lot of lightweight transformers that came with starter sets over the years. I would check yoour connections and wire size, just to be safe. Don't just discard your starter set pack, though. This type of transformer is cheap, its reliable, and its easy to find. Are you running command or conventional? I've had light 'arguments' with fellow hobbyists claiming most of their fellows are predominantly technically - oriented vs. what I would consider is a more liberal artsy approach - any way it's a great balance. Also, you must have a built-in circuit breaker to prevent a short circuit from causing permanent damage to the power supply or the trains. 24v, 120v, 208v, 240v, 480v, and 600v). HO gauge is very popular because of its size. Used a 1033 for accessories and lights. It has FasTrack connectors on one end and O Gauge track pins on the other. Do not use this device if water is present. Dave: That certainly qualifies, don't forget the anti-gun lobbyist with the picket sign's. Anyway if it takes me 100 years to finish this thing one thing is for sure I will not have to worry about powering anything and everything. The locomotives are battery-powered and made of durable plastic. Any of the below transformers from M.T.H. As the train goes by, the door to the shed opens and a figure pops out, and once the train has passed the figure re-enters the building and the door shuts. It was a symbiotic relationship, the engineer designed it and the tech built it, then they both troubleshot it. There are also numerous static accessories that do not operate but add visual interest to your layout, such as the #24219 girder bridge. Ryan developsmodeltrainlayouts for public andprivate display. What size Lionel transformer do I need? Adding more freight or passenger cars [also known as rolling stock] to your set is another way to quickly expand your railroad. They give a great deal of power in a single handled transformer, and if you run trains along with another person, it can be more convenient for you to both have a smaller transformer than for two people to huddle around a larger KW or ZW transformer and share its handles. The KW used to be really expensive, but since Lionel started making big transformers again, you can get a KW for what a 1033 used to cost, which makes it a very nice bargain today on a rugged and powerful transformer with an impressive presence. 5 years of Classic Toy Trains at your fingertips! If you like fixing things, fixing an old transformer is rewarding. With multiple switches, lights, power supplies and more all concentrated in a small space, color coding and neatness pay off. He directs production at Lionel, the premier model train manufacturer, and he istheformer president of theConrail HistoricalSociety. Here are some simple definitions for these electrical terms: Most power supplies will be labeled as to the scales they are meant to handle. Why Sign In? That it not to say that there are not engineering formulae to calculate the current draw and thus the wattage, but far and away the easiest method is to measure it. no it isn't. A solid and stranded wire of the same gauge will be the same total diameter. To determine the required transformer VA, multiply the secondary voltage by the required amperes: For example, VA=Volts x Amperes or 28V x 1.2 amperes = 33.6 VA. To determine the maximum transformer current, divide the transformer VA by transformer secondary voltage. Safety first. To participate you must either login or register for an account. This is interesting stuff.