There is the 12030 Figure-8 set, which along with the track included in your set makes your layout into this: Figure-8s are great because they create a crossing, giving the appearance of a railroad junction, they break up the oval, and the parts to create them are relatively cheap. Lionel has a new 180 watt transformer due out soon that will be a nice upgrade. Transformer Sizing Calculator Smaller feeder wires are used to bridge the small gap from the bus to the track. Lionel Rolling Stock Identification Guide. The customer will still need a step down transformer to get the 220V to 110V. 6 Best Transformer For Ho Trains - LEDS.CC Some great beginner accessories are the #12052 Fastrack Highway Signal set, which is a set of highway signals that blink as the train goes by. The only time you might not get your full moneys worth is during operation of locomotives equipped with Lionels TMCC or MTHs DCS command-control systems. We're sorry. It will require a minimum of 108' of track just to do a basic rectangle before I add any switches, etc. A Passenger consist can easily use more power than the engine. The Lionel Multi-control 1033 is a 90 watt transformer produced from 1948 to 1956. All of the transformers that have more than 90 Watts are in great demand today as more collectors are operating retro-layouts. Add a PW dual motor F3 (4 amps) with 5 lighted cars (another 10 bulbs - 1 amp) and you are cooking (9 amps). If your layout is bigger than 48, you may actually find trains run a bit better with a KW than with a smaller transformer. A lot of people are using the MTH Z1000's who have smaller layouts while others have moved up to the MTH Z4000. Get updates and special offers via email from Trains.com brands! If you're experiencing problems with your wiring due to humidity, for example, you are going to face even greater issues with the trains and tracks themselves. I don't want to buy a lot more track, but then find out the transformer is too weak, if that make sense. As the kit grows and you start putting in turnouts (or the point switching systems) to move your train from one track to another track, you will not only need more than 1 transformer, you will. 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. This is a old school approach for sizing cables & transformers or appliances in the electrical trade, & has never let us down. This means that you will have about.5 volt drop if your train draws 5 amperes. The whistle requires more power than the outfits that don't have it. One rail is positive, the other negative. Sell Your Trains Through an Online Auction Service. The Lionel 1033 is a great choice for small or medium-sized layouts. Besides the train and track, accessories provide a lot of fun and animation to any setup. (10 lights X . You can't count on a lack of compatibility issues for one Legacy locomotive being definitive for all Legacy locomotives, for example. Tech Support for the OGR Forum (NOT FOR TRAINS), PRR fellas!lets build an S2!! On the flip side, the new transformers do not seem to work as well with the prewar whistle tenders.Has anyone else noticed this anomaly? Forgot about light bulbs since I don't got some yet. It is much easier to be ready ahead of time then to have to do some changes afterwards. 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?. 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. 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. Lionel Trains|MTH Train|Lionel Train Sets| HO model Trains| G Scale|Dept 56 Lionel Electric Toy Train Transformer Identification Guide The least expensive power supply you should consider is the Lionel CW80 Transformer; you can buy a new one for about $150 or a used on one eBay for about $60. The CW-80 is a nice little transformer, has accessory output as well,but as you have stated you will outgrow the CW-80 pretty quick. 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. It will require a minimum of 108' of track just to do a basic rectangle before I add any switches, etc. Most power supplies will perform very well for years if used within their limits. the amount of track is not what is important here. Again, an independent power supply and distribution bus is a good idea for your switches. I bet they would be great for running lights and unloading the main transformer. Effort. The higher powered units would not meet todays safety standards as issued by Underwriters Laboratories. Please see our article on Fastrack here for more information. The Lionel 1033 is a great choice for small or medium-sized layouts. You don't want to try to solder even Number 16 gauge wire right to your rails, however. How Many Lights Can I Connect To My Transformer? - LightUp At fifteen volts which is about as much as I can put to it without jumping the track, it pulls an average of 2.5 amps, or 37.5 watts--less than one tenth of the transformer capacity of 400. Interested in southest Pennsylvania railroads; That's about enough to run a single locomotive and perhaps power a few lighted accessories or passenger cars. If you plan to add a second loop for another train in the near future, the 14198 would be a wise investment. These transformers are much cheaper than they were even just a few years ago, but that just makes them a bigger bargain today. Understanding the difference is important in getting the right power supply for your needs. This would be more than enough for any single train and a few accessories. I had 3 lionel cw80's and two quit working. www.spankybird.shutterfly.com, God bless TCA 05-58541 Benefactor Member of theNRA, Member of the American Legion, Retired Boss Hog of Roseyville , KC&D Qualified. When you block a person, they can no longer invite you to a private message or post to your profile wall. TRANSFORMERS ransformers were issued by Lionel thoughout the Post War period. I'll take this information and run with it to help get me started. If youre comfortable doing some work yourself, you can buy a fixer-upper, and my informational links will tell you more about fixing one yourself. They do not include a track or power supply, so you will need to buy both separately. The iconic and legendary 270-watt Lionel ZW was the biggest and best transformer Lionel made in the postwar era. Reverse the above if planning to run mostly Lionel and go with the Lionel command system, either the full Legacy system or the upcoming CAB-1L and just add a Track Power Controller and a cable to run most MTH engines in conventional with the Lionel systems. Like command control, these trains still require a constant voltage to the rails. If you fried a wire going to the track it may not be a transformer problem. If they do, follow their recommendations. CW80 Transformer. Some DCC systems also recommend solid wire for certain applications. It is also a good idea to run your accessories off of a separate power supply and wire grid from the trains themselves. The first Lionel electric trains were powered by wet-cell batteries, which were, of course, dangerous. He directs production at Lionel, the premier model train manufacturer, and he istheformer president of theConrail HistoricalSociety. Lots of good information for building any size O Gauge layout. Get the Classic Toy Trains newsletter delivered to your inbox twice a month, WELCOME TO THE FORUM Mike!! Use this index to see additional details about the individual transformers issued by Lionel during the post-war period. We use a ZW 275 and a KW on this, so 405 watts. Ive talked about why here. Like tankist stated.It's only running multiple engines that I run into issues. To my knowledge, you should have no compatibility issues with a pure sine wave track feed with any major brand locomotive. --Toy Train Collecting and Operating, by John Grams. To build on the point you are running MTH trains and therefore will probably go DCS eventually: I would break the track into blocks of about 5 feet in length. This is why my wife loves me so. The CW-80 Transformer was meant to operate on 120-volt, 60-Hertz power. As Paul said, the power needed doesn't have anything to do with the distance; but the voltage needed does. You should take care, however, to replace worn cords and wires. [:)]. Pretty much suffered the same fate, too. So, if you want to connect eight landscape lights to an electronic transformer, and the lights use 20 watts each, you would need a 160 watt transformer. There are also numerous static accessories that do not operate but add visual interest to your layout, such as the #24219 girder bridge. This wire is very fine and can be found in many color combinations. (Use buss/feeder lines to distribute power.) If this happens, you will need another transformer to share the load. Most recommend the TPCs over the powermasters The CW 80 will work to begin with. This tool will allow you calculate the KVA that you need. Regardless of your scale, all model railroad switch machines fall into one of two categories, a slow-motion electric motor or a "twin coil" relay. In three-rail systems, the outer rails are both grounded, and the center rail is "hot.". Like all electronic products, you want to make sure your power supplies are rated by the appropriate body for your country (UL for example). Fortunately, in the early 21st century it is easier to expand your starter set than ever before. Transformer Size Calculator - Electram The power supply that comes with these sets is usually a very small wall pack plug-in that cannot be easily expanded. Classic cars have a 5 or 6 as their second digit [25051, 16686, etc]. As your needs grow, you can employ a larger transformer of fixed voltage. The multi-conductor wire is also available. Here are a couple examples: As you can see, with a bit of experimentation and imagination, numerous different track layouts can be created. Scale cars almost always have the number 7 as the second digit in their number [17623, 27241, etc]. But a 12-gauge solid wire is one strand, while a 12-gauge stranded wire may be made up of more than a dozen much smaller individual strands spun together. God bless TCA 05-58541 Benefactor Member of theNRA, Member of the American Legion, Retired Boss Hog of Roseyville , KC&D Qualified. JavaScript is disabled. Some of the variables are obvious, others not so much. Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh. An Essential Guide for Toy Train Enthusiasts! what size lionel transformer do i need. Whatever colors and pattern you choose, just make sure to keep a good notebook handy to reference later. Turn on the throttle, then short the A and U posts (in the case of Lionel) or variable and base posts (in the case of Flyer) with a screwdriver or a piece of wire for a maximum of five seconds. If the transformer fails, you most likely have a short or overload somewhere in the control circuit. Lionels HO Gauge items are back! A bigger transformer is better and always looks nicer too! Which Lionel transformer do I need? - The Silicon Underground You have pretty much pointed up the major problem, everything is different. Unless I'm all wet it sounded like there are somecompatibilityissues with certain locomotives versus manufacturer's transformer output wave forms. Our community is FREE to join. Beginners Ask Trains New trains; old transformers. These bus wires are often more important than the size of the power supply itself in getting good results. 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. IF the Engineer is the guy that drives the locomotive then theTechnician must be the fireman is this correct? The best of the best Lionel trains are very valuable. If youre looking for Lionel transformer comparisons, youve come to the right place. RemembertheVeterans. This diagram shows all of the controls and the pinout for the Lionel RW transformer. Why Sign In? Heavier insulation not only adds to the cost of the wire but also makes it harder to bend. June 5, 2022; cleveland open chess 2021; mexican martial arts xilam This conserves the trains' power supply for their needs and makes troubleshooting much easier. Price Received. DCC decoders are one good example where the wire colors are critical. Our transformer sizing calculator allows you to obtain the minimum single or three-phase transformer size required based on the load you need to power. When running a mixed bag train show with new and old trains of mixed types such as Loinel and MTH which is better? Dang, this math makes my head hurt. My question is.how big of a transformer will I need to power this thing? Great for learning all you will ever want to know about Lionels track system. LGB FAQs : Power Lionel, LLC continued to manufacture and market trains and accessories in O scale under the Lionel brand and S gauge under the American Flyer brand. Lionel 1033 Transformer Renovation Part I Peter Fenzel 306 subscribers Subscribe 11K views 3 years ago Lionel 1033 Transformer gets cleaned up, a new power cord, a new whistle rectifier. Tales From Harmon Shops, WTB: LIONEL AUTRORACKS SPECIFICALLY SOUTHERN,GRAND TRUNK,BNSF,FERROMEX. Frankly, its hard to go wrong with either of these transformers, especially at todays prices. Are you running command or conventional? However, if you begin adding more than 1 or 2 cars, be sure to get some extra track, or your longer train will be chasing its tail very quickly. The new Lionel ZW-L is getting a lot of good reviews and is a very powerful transformer for most layouts. What does a Lionel transformer do? Not really a how-to-build-a-layout book, but it is a good general introduction to the hobby full of interesting stuff. 4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars (15) Ages: 14 years and up. Classic Toy Trains 5-Year Collection 2015-2019 DVD-ROM. Actually the choice of transformer is secondary to the choice of control systems since you can operate O gauge trains with most any good modern transformer. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. HO gauge is very popular because of its size. This will spread the load of your lighted passenger consist across the two transformers. Connecticut Valley Railroad -- A Branch of the New York, New Haven, And Hartford. Ill try to find a link to it for you. It was one of Lionel's more venerable postwar products, lasting on the market for 18 years from 1948 to 1966. Wire gauges are coded by their size. This thing has more power then I will ever need. Of course, the answer to that question depends on many things. If youre buying a transformer, youll be able to easily find one that a professional refurbished and upgraded with the links I provide below. Sell Your Trains Yourself On eBay. While those locomotives and their sound systems are designed to operate using conventional transformers like your ZW, digital controllers are needed to activate additional features like special sound effects and coupler activation. This signifies compatibility with 50 Hertz power. Twin coil machines have a higher current draw when in motion but are also much faster-acting than the motorized versions. Steve's rule of thumb for derating is very close to and in the same spirit as the NEC rule that an appliance may not draw more than 80 percent of the current rating of the outlet. 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 Ryan Kunkle is a nationally recognized professional model train expert and writer with over 25 years of experience. If you are using only LEDs for lighting, you could get away with even less. Not wanting to give up, I experimented with an 80 watt modern Lionel transformer and got great results. As your needs grow, you can employ a larger transformer of fixed voltage. How do you choose the right power supply for your model trains? 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. 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. --The O Gauge Railroading Primer, by Christopher Ritchie. Sign-up for email today! But if you already have a 1034 and dont need a whistle button, go ahead and use it. Make sure you are getting the right type of power supply for your layout. There are many advantages in repairing or reconditioning your transformers. All Lionel transformer comparisons should start here. If you like, tell us more about yourself. What size Lionel transformer do I need? - Tracks-movie.com The wire can also be purchased as solid or stranded. If you want a station for your trains to stop at, there are both station platforms [#24159] as well as full sized stations [#14257]. Used a 1033 for accessories and lights. It is best to use at least two different colors for your track wiring (one for each rail). Number 22 solid wire works best on most scales. It can run four tracks at one time, so you layout can grow. Buyers truly want all-original trains that have never been tampered with. 12V DC to 120V AC 60Hz pure sine inverter. White and black are common selections. First, a few general notes about choosing wire. Wire Gauge Standards for Model Train Layouts - The Spruce Crafts To participate you must either login or register for an account. The 1044 is just a 1033 in a . If you found this post informative or helpful, please share it! Just not quite as much. Choosing the Right Transformer for Your Model Trains - The Spruce Crafts Amazon.com: Lionel O Gauge Transformer Amazon.com: Lionel Transformer Ryan developsmodeltrainlayouts for public andprivate display. HO trains are very durable and are made with high quality parts and pieces to ensure the longevity of the Lionel train brand! They run on O Gauge track, but they are not exact O Scale cars. For a 300W set up this will cost you about 100. While it is tempting to go with the biggest wire possible to guarantee excess capacity, there are drawbacks to putting in more than you need. Lionel 1033 Transformer Renovation Part I - YouTube Lionel and other train manufacturers have worked hard to make adding to a set easy, affordable, and fun. Traditionally, Lionel trains run on AC but there are exceptions. This has the added advantage that Lionel TMCC (command control) will operate correctly. Effort. If you need a device that converts from different voltages so it can power another device, then a transformer will fulfill that role perfectly. There is no reason why your Lionel ZWs and Flyer big ones cant be used to run AC-powered trains of any vintage new or old. I have a post war ZW and a KW and a Z, all three are good transformers, just meant for differant needs. Transformer capacity is rated in KVA (kilo-volt-amperes). The old transformer is not really the problem, the problem is the supply wire, particularly under heavyload (or derailment without the benefit of a quicker breaker). It also has an optional bell sound that can be turned on and off. They're controlled with a simple handheld remote control and run on easy-to-connect plastic track. Another classic is the Automatic Gateman. Smaller layouts (a typical 4 foot by 8 foot being a good example) can usually get by with Number16 since the length of the run from the power supply to the track is never more than a few feet. Multi-conductor wires with many strands of finer wire are more common for telecommunications and electronics. Improve ready-to-run freight cars with a little paint. (8 lights X 20 watts = 160 watts). 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. They are reasonably durable and were popular in their day, which means there are still a lot of them floating around so they tend to be inexpensive. electronically controlled outputs. 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. Lionel makes two expansion sets for this purpose. Lionel Multi-Car Freight Sets + More MTH Halloween! By continuing to use this site, you indicate you accept these terms. Many manufacturers assemble cases with special screws to prevent access to the inside and accidental shock. With the ever-increasing amount of small electronics in today's sophisticated models, this protection is more important than ever. But after a little while, you will likely want your train to do more, and youll start thinking along these lines: --It sure would be neat if it did more than run in a circle. Ryan developsmodeltrainlayouts for public andprivate display. The same is true for other electronic projects around your layout and inside buildings, train cars, and even locomotives. If your going to run anything more that what came with the set then you should probably upgrade to something a little bigger. It does not work with O27. Apparently there is a difference between old conventional and new conventional power. Note that when working with specific products, manufacturers will often recommend a wire size and type. Model Train Scales & Gauges: The Lionel Trains Guide The Lionel ZW has four sets of posts and six controls. For a classic setup of a single freight train running on a 48 sheet of plywood, a 90 watt Lionel 1033 or 1042 is an excellent choice.
5 Scientist Who Contributed In Electromagnetic Theory,
How Do You Type Clapping Hands On A Keyboard,
Lyon Auction Kissimmee Florida 2021,
Wizards Of Waverly Place Locations,
Santino Richard Carolla,
Articles W