And again regardless of scale or manufacturer, switch machines of these two types will have similar needs and performance. For many first-time train buyers, once the initial excitement of setting up the train and watching it run has passed, the desire to make it do more usually begins. 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. Big Ed Railroad Tycoon Early issues used a Bakelite case while later releases had a case made out of plastic. Plug one of your transformers into each Fixed in. When you block a person, they can no longer invite you to a private message or post to your profile wall. Wire Gauge Standards for Model Train Layouts - The Spruce Crafts It is important to remember that the real test of the power supply is the load you'll place on it. Traditionally, Lionel trains run on AC but there are exceptions. 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. Handbook of layout wiring | Classic Toy Trains Magazine Mike to the forum. I would check yoour connections and wire size, just to be safe. Lionel Multi-Car Freight Sets + More MTH Halloween! This works for command control layouts too, since those parked trains are still drawing some current. Not unlike the relationship between the locomotive engineer and the fireman. Here are a few: --The Lionel Fastrack Book, by Robert Schleicher. If you need a device that converts from different voltages so it can power another device, then a transformer will fulfill that role perfectly. Actually it was a train show with varied trains of all different eras being run I have mostly MTH trains though and they wouldn't run because the transformer that was running wasn't powerful enough to cycle through my MTH trainsounds. There have been issues with chopped waveform transformers, i.e. Problem with Rail King Protocol Sounds reversing unit, My D-190 Back in Action After Move to to NC, Caboose Identification - late era vintage, Continuing Saga Newtown Hardwrare House WIP. A solid and stranded wire of the same gauge will be the same total diameter. Everyone wanted the two-handled, football-shaped, 275-watt powerhouse that was the ZW. What size Lionel transformer do I need? - Tracks-movie.com A bigger transformer is better and always looks nicer too! properly wired transformer can handle any amount of track. no it isn't. There isn't a one-size-fits-all solution, so you'll need to consider what you want to do and measure your options accordingly. I will make a note here. To participate you must either login or register for an account. Buyers truly want all-original trains that have never been tampered with. The CW-80 Transformer was meant to operate on 120-volt, 60-Hertz power. I'm guessing the MTH Z1000 is around $100 and the other suggestions are much more expensive. They give a true 180 watts and have excellent electronic breakers. 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?. LGB FAQs : Power Lionel introduced a few LionChief Plus 2.0 starter sets in 2022. Ok our layout is 10 x 20 = 200 sq ft x 2 = 400 watts. 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. Lionel developed and perfected its model designs and layouts during the Pre-War Era (1901-1942). Sell Your Trains Through an Online Auction Service. Effort. Enter your e-mail address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by e-mail. The Lionel 1033 is a great choice for small or medium-sized layouts. It has FasTrack connectors on one end and O Gauge track pins on the other. My question is this in order that this doesn't happen again what type of transformer would you recommend? Join Today! 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. LGB throttles 51070, 52120 and 52121 will all work with the 50061 and other LGB transformers. To amplify CTvalley's very valid instructions: A forum community dedicated to model train owners and enthusiasts. This will solve the slowdown problem. The iconic and legendary 270-wattLionel ZW was the biggest and best transformer Lionel made in the postwar era. The Lionel 1033 is a great choice for small or medium-sized layouts. Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh. 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. --I need a station for the train to stop at. All of the transformers that have more than 90 Watts are in great demand today as more collectors are operating retro-layouts. IF the Engineer is the guy that drives the locomotive then theTechnician must be the fireman is this correct? The Lionel ZW has four sets of posts and six controls. It can be a great secondary power supply for lighted buildings, signals, and other accessories. HO gauge is very popular because of its size. If you plan to just run MTH go with their DCS system if you plan to have a number of different engines or the MTH DCS Remote Commander which is limited to running only one engine at a time. If your track joints aren't near perfect or if you should want to split that loop into two blocks, you'll double the voltage drop. 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. The thing that eats current is a lot of light bulbs on the layout. Lest I offend, in another plane of existence I was an electronics tech. These bus wires are often more important than the size of the power supply itself in getting good results. The other type of cars are the Scale cars, which are exact or near-exact replicas of actual freight cars. First, a few general notes about choosing wire. Stop it with your hand to full stall, and it goes up to four amps--sixty watts--trying to pull. 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. Most command systems use a constant AC power supply, and trains are controlled by impulses sent through the rails. But it is important to take a close look at the cars to make sure that they are a good match for your set. Then the K's will do siding and switching yard duty. The larger wire is usually more expensive and more challenging to work with. The multi-conductor wire is also available. By only supplying power to the trains that need it, you can greatly reduce your needs. Amazon.com: Lionel Transformer I'll take this information and run with it to help get me started. Over the years I have collected boxed (mostly liquor boxes) sets from attics.So I have a variety of transformers on hand. This conserves the trains' power supply for their needs and makes troubleshooting much easier. For a classic setup of a single freight train running on a 48 (or smaller) sheet of plywood, a 90-wattLionel 1033 or 1044 is an excellent choice. 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. If you want a station for your trains to stop at, there are both station platforms [#24159] as well as full sized stations [#14257]. Many load and unload freight from specially designed cars as well. American Flyer Trains Basic Operating Information By creating alternate routes, more complex loops, and storage tracks, your trains will suddenly be even more interesting to watch and they will begin providing you the feeling that they are going somewhere and that you are running a small railroad. They do not include a track or power supply, so you will need to buy both separately. The locomotives are battery-powered and made of durable plastic. Because of this, like with lighting and accessories, your power supply and wiring for switch machines do not need to be as robust. As Paul said, the power needed doesn't have anything to do with the distance; but the voltage needed does. 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 Lionel makes two expansion sets for this purpose. These systems still require a power supply but it only needs to supply a constant voltage to the rails. The Lionel ZW has four sets of posts and six controls. I have since wired the new transformer to my layout along with the old ZW. 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). (8 lights X 20 watts = 160 watts). 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. Mike, The size of the transformer is dictated by what you want to run, the more you run the more power you will need. The iconic and legendary 270-watt Lionel ZW was the biggest and best transformer Lionel made in the postwar era. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Get updates and special offers via email from Trains.com brands! M3103. These small power supplies are designed to supply a few amps of power. I suggest that you proactively lay an 10-2 AWG NM cable (or at least 12-2) along the track and tap into it as needed to keep the voltage up. Transformer Calculator KVA Calculator Full Load Amps Calculator A Passenger consist can easily use more power than the engine. When they were manufactured by The American Flyer Manufacturing Company, they were made in Standard Gauge and a version of "O" gauge. Although it will not have any impact on the performance of the wire within, choosing multiple colors of wire, and standardizing on a specific color for each function, will go a long way in making your wiring easier to install and easier to detect flaws later on. Lionel Model Railroad and Train Transformers for sale | eBay Needless to say the "Spring into Spring" train show very nearly became unsprung! What do I need to do that with? If you want a spur track to store an extra car or two, Lionel makes another expansion set [#12044] that does just that: Note that this set includes one switch which is the track section that makes the track diverge onto two separate routes. 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. 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. The article you suggest would be a daunting task, as you'd have to gather virtually every known locomotive and transformer! Does Lionel still make standard gauge trains? Thanks! If you found this post informative or helpful, please share it! Willoughby, Ohio - the home of the CP & E RR. Transformer sizing for new systems I had 3 lionel cw80's and two quit working. How Many Lights Can I Connect To My Transformer? - LightUp 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. The higher powered units would not meet todays safety standards as issued by Underwriters Laboratories. I don't want to buy a lot more track, but then find out the transformer is too weak, if that make sense. If you have a starter set and have had thoughts like this, youre not alone. As your needs grow, you can employ a larger transformer of fixed voltage. This is a old school approach for sizing cables & transformers or appliances in the electrical trade, & has never let us down. Lionels HO Gauge items are back! Good choices are the Lionel 32923 Accessory Transformer, or another 80-watt transformer like the one included in your set, #14198. This is why my wife loves me so. What about removing flanges from diesel wheels? We feature Lionel, American Flyer, MTH, Atlas O, Williams Trains, K-Line, Weaver Models, and more. Ryan Kunkle is a nationally recognized professional model train expert and writer with over 25 years of experience. Daniel Defense firearms, parts and accessories, http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=9670, http://www.modeltrainforum.com/album.php?u=2334, 14X16 Switching style [url]http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=8241, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkMHvbckuBLo3pJN1FGE1Gg. My current layout uses about 28 sections of track (Lionel o-27). My question is.how big of a transformer will I need to power this thing? 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. Today, with some luck, you can get one for closer to $100. Lionel makes a seemingly infinite number of cars to in a variety of colors, types, and road names. A. 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. The good news is, Lionel made a lot of good transformers over the years. And of course, Lionel also makes lots of figures to populate your town. He directs production at Lionel, the premier model train manufacturer, and he istheformer president of theConrail HistoricalSociety. PDF Lionel CW-80 Transformer Owner's Manual - thomconte.com Lionel made these for years and kept them in production under a different model number well into the 1970s because it was a reliable, dependable design and had enough power for a typical starter set while leaving some room to grow. how much track can a transformer handle? | Model Train Forum 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. I'm not sure I completely understand your question. If you are using only LEDs for lighting, you could get away with even less. 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 Yourself On eBay. And if the power supply does fail, it is best not to repair it on your own. Multi-conductor wires with many strands of finer wire are more common for telecommunications and electronics. Like tankist stated.It's only running multiple engines that I run into issues. From 25 Watts to 275 Watts, a Lionel transformer could be found for every power requirment from simple circles of track to extensive railroads. Thus an appliance with a 15-ampere plug (the usual kind with parallel blades) must draw no more than 12 amperes. DCC decoders are one good example where the wire colors are critical. Lionel Trains: Value, History and What Collectors Should Know Antique Train Sets - FAQs for Lionel Collectors Club of America As your layout grows beyond the basic oval of track that comes with most starter sets, a good power distribution network is essential to getting consistent performance from your train all the way around. QUOTE: by Skyray "Typical engineer--you need a technician. is always one of the first questions asked when someone starts to build a model railroad. You don't want to try to solder even Number 16 gauge wire right to your rails, however. The Lionel 1033 can be used for small or medium-sized layouts. We use a ZW 275 and a KW on this, so 405 watts. The transformer included with your starter set should be adequate to handle a modest expansion of your train set discussed above.
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