These transformers are much cheaper than they were even just a few years ago, but that just makes them a bigger bargain today. While most of the American Flyer products are re-issues using old Gilbert tooling from the 1950s, the O scale equipment is a combination of new designs and reissues. The smallest wire you can work with will be more than sufficient. Our community is FREE to join. Number 26 to 20 wire (depending on the length of your bus) will be sufficient for most applications. And again regardless of scale or manufacturer, switch machines of these two types will have similar needs and performance. They do not include a track or power supply, so you will need to buy both separately. Its a bargain at that price. 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. Lionel CW80's can be found for around $50 at Greenberg and other train shows. 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. Over the years I have collected boxed(mostly liquor boxes) sets from attics.So I have a variety of transformers on hand. Starter set locomotives can pull up to 12 cars easily, and most can handle up to 20, so building a longer train will not harm your engine. Early issues used a Bakelite case while later releases had a case made out of plastic. If you add a lot of track and find that your train slows down as it gets farther from your transformer, you will need to run jumper wires to the opposite side of your track layout. As your needs grow, you can employ a larger transformer of fixed voltage. 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. Atlas and Bachmann have the same transformers with 80 watt outputs as well that get good reviews and would be appropriate for a smaller layout. If you are wiring with a common rail for your blocks, then keeping the common rail the same color all the time while changing the color for the other rail in each block is also an option. My question is.how big of a transformer will I need to power this thing? The 110-wattLionel RW is a cheap option, and the 125-watt LW, while a bit more expensive, gives a bit more power. Do not operate the CW-80 Transformer with a damaged cord, plug, or case. You could have a poor connection that caused the wire to heat up. To amplify CTvalley's very valid instructions: A forum community dedicated to model train owners and enthusiasts. OTTS Founder 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. Both are lighted. 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. Thanks in advance for any information, Mike. One rail is positive, the other negative. 12V DC to 120V AC 60Hz pure sine inverter. 10 Easy Ways to Improve a Christmas Train Display, Wiring a Model Railroad for Block Operation, How to Build and Wire Reverse Loops for Model Trains, How to Choose the Right Transformer for Your Model Trains, Compatibility of Different Model Train Brands, HO Scale Track Plans for Model Train Layouts, buildings, streets, and other scenic accessories. Do not use this device if water is present. (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. Lionel makes two expansion sets for this purpose. 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. http://www.lccuk.org.uk/lccuk Regards Nick Save Reply Quote N Nick12DMC Registered Lionels HO Gauge items are back! Not really a how-to-build-a-layout book, but it is a good general introduction to the hobby full of interesting stuff. I went to mth Z1000, jason's train shop has the best price's I have seen for these. Wow.thanks for all the advice so far, guys!! Starter sets almost always include a power supply along with the track and train. The circuit breaker should trip with a click and the transformer should go dead. It also has an optional bell sound that can be turned on and off. But if you already have a 1034 and dont need a whistle button, go ahead and use it. I thought an ENGINEER was the guy driving the train? Ill try to find a link to it for you. You can also run Lionel TMCC/Legacy Command Engines using the MTH DCS system with the addition of a Lionel command base and an additional cable. For more realistic operation, you need some kind of speed control (throttle) between the 10340 Automatic Reversing Unit and your transformer. Serious or fatal injuries may result. 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. I think the RW is a bit better value, but that could just be timing. A Passenger consist can easily use more power than the engine. If youre looking for Lionel transformer comparisons, youve come to the right place. Big Ed Railroad Tycoon If you have to ask,your needs are a lot more modest than that. 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. This is interesting stuff. If you found this post informative or helpful, please share it! My question is this in order that this doesn't happen again what type of transformer would you recommend? That said, if youre uncomfortable fixing a transformer, I wont look down on you for buying one someone else fixed up. 5 years of Classic Toy Trains at your fingertips! Many load and unload freight from specially designed cars as well. By only supplying power to the trains that need it, you can greatly reduce your needs. Older transformers I had this issue with are RW, 1033, KW, ZW.newer transformers were all made by MTH. 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. Mark. They are fun to have. And that means theyre affordable. Just not quite as much. Sell Your Trains Through an Online Auction Service. Here are a couple examples: As you can see, with a bit of experimentation and imagination, numerous different track layouts can be created. I paid $75 + shipping for mine a year ago. It does not work with O27. You must be signed in to continue. Are you running command or conventional? I have had the same problem. The motor takes electricity through a small wire attached to a metal wheel that rests on the middle rail underneath. Lionel and other train manufacturers have worked hard to make adding to a set easy, affordable, and fun. 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. The Lionel motor is a collection of four electromagnetic plates with a rotating sweeper arm called a brush. Most command systems use a constant AC power supply, and trains are controlled by impulses sent through the rails. It has FasTrack connectors on one end and O Gauge track pins on the other. I'll take this information and run with it to help get me started. The higher powered units would not meet todays safety standards as issued by Underwriters Laboratories. A bigger transformer is better and always looks nicer too! If the transformer fails, you most likely have a short or overload somewhere in the control circuit. 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. Just connect the jumper wires to the same connections on the back of your transformer as your original connections, and make sure that the wires are not crossed. By continuing to use this site, you indicate you accept these terms. electronically controlled outputs. Ive talked about why here. I have noticed that my old transformers do not work well or not work at all with newer electronic whistle tenders. The Lionel Multi-control 1033 is a 90 watt transformer produced from 1948 to 1956. You should always, always test your transformer for safetybefore you set it up, andunplug it when youre not using it. This would be more than enough for any single train and a few accessories. Lionel Multi-Car Freight Sets + More MTH Halloween! As an example, look at these two cars closely: While both are gondola cars and run on O Gauge track, note how the car on the left is much longer than the one on the right. 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. Transformers are sized by determining the total load required (in amps). What about removing flanges from diesel wheels? When they were manufactured by The American Flyer Manufacturing Company, they were made in Standard Gauge and a version of "O" gauge. This is a old school approach for sizing cables & transformers or appliances in the electrical trade, & has never let us down. 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. I would check yoour connections and wire size, just to be safe. 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. Viola, DCS on alternate power blocks, Max signal, Happiness. I am assuming that your starter set came with either o27, brown ties, or 031, black ties, track and it runs well as is. Not wanting to give up, I experimented with an 80 watt modern Lionel transformer and got great results. They give a true 180 watts and have excellent electronic breakers. I have a basement that offers an 18" concrete ledge that goes around the entire perimeter of the house that lends itself perfectly to a neat layout. For a classic setup of a single freight train running on a 48 (or smaller) sheet of plywood, a 90-watt Lionel 1033 or 1044 is an excellent choice. Why Sign In? its the amount of engines you need to worry about, I'm currently running my entire layout on a single DC power supply that came with an Athearn engine/track set. They are known as HO train sets because they are half the size of O-guage. Multi-conductor wires with many strands of finer wire are more common for telecommunications and electronics. Sell Your Trains To A Train Dealer or a Single Buyer. If you want a station for your trains to stop at, there are both station platforms [#24159] as well as full sized stations [#14257]. This type of transformer is cheap, its reliable, and its easy to find. Buyers truly want all-original trains that have never been tampered with. The Lionel ZW is Lionel's most iconic transformer of the 1950s and 1960s, and perhaps one of its most iconic products, period. I have a post war ZW and a KW and a Z, all three are good transformers, just meant for differant needs. Just get a Lionel #12053 Accessory wire set and enough extra wire to connect from the wire set back to your transformer [speaker wire works well]. For instance, a 100 kilovolt-ampere transformer with 8.32 kilovolts (or less) on the high side has a typical value of 2.6% impedance. 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. It does run on conventional power but not great and no whistle or bell. Scale cars almost always have the number 7 as the second digit in their number [17623, 27241, etc]. 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. And if the power supply does fail, it is best not to repair it on your own. Stop it with your hand to full stall, and it goes up to four amps--sixty watts--trying to pull. Lionel Trains Pocket Price Guide 1901-2022. I have purchased diodes to put into the older transformers to see if this resolves the issue with newer tenders. Understanding Electrical Supplies and Controls. Like tankist stated.It's only running multiple engines that I run into issues. Members enjoy 15% off any purchase in our store. --I wish I had some more cars to put behind the engine. Lionel made a lot of other transformers over the years. In most cases, stranded wire is preferred because the multiple threads provide more conductivity and flexibility. Then the K's will do siding and switching yard duty. God bless TCA 05-58541 Benefactor Member of theNRA, Member of the American Legion, Retired Boss Hog of Roseyville , KC&D Qualified. The multi-conductor wire is also available. I justhave a very basic 027 set (guessin' mid 80's?). The Lionel 1033 can be used for small or medium-sized layouts. I'm guessing the MTH Z1000 is around $100 and the other suggestions are much more expensive. Connecticut Valley Railroad -- A Branch of the New York, New Haven, And Hartford. Get the newest photos, videos, stories, and more from Trains.com brands. If you have the proper wire size and a properly-sized circuit breaker, you should not have any problems using the old transformer. Today Lionel includes the same basic track oval in all starter sets8 36-inch diameter curve sections, 3 10 straight track sections, and 1 10 straight terminal section, which create this layout: Until recently, to add to this layout, you would need to buy separate straight, curved, and other track sections and wing it in creating a larger setup. Will get a Z4000 one day [this summer probably, unless I find a good deal on an older ZW] just to say I have one. The first is the traditional or classic size, which are the cars that match starter sets. Understanding the difference is important in getting the right power supply for your needs.
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