(Electrical Contractor with dear old Dad for 30 years) Regards Steve. 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. I have a basement that offers an 18" concrete ledge that goes around theentire perimeter of the house that lends itself perfectly to a neat layout. If you need a device that converts from different voltages so it can power another device, then a transformer will fulfill that role perfectly. I covered the more common ones, but if you have another vintage Lionel transformer of more than 75 watts and its in good condition, theres no reason not to use it. Both are lighted. Below weve listed these transformers in numerical order in the Numerical Index. These systems still require a power supply but it only needs to supply a constant voltage to the rails. A while back, approximately 2 weeks ago while running two very lengthy loops of fast track an old transformer nearly fried (50 years old) one of my wires that I was running to my Fastrac. It is also a good idea to run your accessories off of a separate power supply and wire grid from the trains themselves. As you can see, a lot of great helpers here. And both of them give more wattage per handle than a KW or ZW. 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? 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. A Veteran, whether active duty, retired, national guard, or reserve, is someone who, at one point in his or her life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America" for an amount of "up to and including my life.". Transformers are sized by determining the total load required (in amps). I have since wired the new transformer to my layout along with the old ZW. These sets use a remote control which talks directly to a receiver in the locomotive. The good news is, Lionel made a lot of good transformers over the years. 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. (Use buss/feeder lines to distribute power.) Now, I diconnected that old dinosaur and connected two separate smaller ones which weren't powerful enough to run my Amtrack MTH trains. Sell Your Trains Through an Online Auction Service. electronically controlled outputs. 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. Does Lionel still make standard gauge trains? Replies and comments they make will be collapsed/hidden by default. 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. He directs production at Lionel, the premier model train manufacturer, and he istheformer president of theConrail HistoricalSociety. 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. Most people start with a pre-packaged train set. Accessories often interact with the train, such as a crossing gate that lowers as the train passes. Improve ready-to-run freight cars with a little paint. If they do, follow their recommendations. 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. I got a lot of lightweight transformers that came with starter sets over the years. Plug one of your transformers into each Fixed in. This has the added advantage that Lionel TMCC (command control) will operate correctly. You may never use all the amps, but it's usually cheaper to grow into a power supply than to continually upgrade. Note that when working with specific products, manufacturers will often recommend a wire size and type. To participate you must either login or register for an account. Lionel is also introducing a new 180 watt transformer to accompany the 80 watt CW 80. Safety first. Because the runs are short and power demands so low, this fine wire poses no safety threat. That was before all the technician assemby work was outsourced overseas and they left the poor engineers to fend for themselves. Retrofitting a subway line into existing benchwork - and are subway sets still being made? I thought you wanted information related to your layout not operations at a trains show. Although I am an electrical engineer, I just add stuff until the transformer gets too warm and then I branch off and add another. Twin coil machines have a higher current draw when in motion but are also much faster-acting than the motorized versions. Its a good transformer. The 1033 is not the same as the 1044. 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. 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. This conserves the trains' power supply for their needs and makes troubleshooting much easier. 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. Service/Tested $55.00 1 bid $14.06 shipping 1d 6h LIONEL TYPE (KW) TRAINMASTER TRANSFORMER FOR PARTS OR RESTORATION $17.05 4 bids $19.95 shipping 9h 23m For safety reasons, the batteries were soon replaced by a 110 volt transformer. 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 your layout is bigger than 48, you may actually find trains run a bit better with a KW than with a smaller transformer. Ryan Kunkle is a nationally recognized professional model train expert and writer with over 25 years of experience. Mark. Fortunately, there is an easy way to tell these cars apart, and the key is the numbers Lionel assigns to them. There have been issues with chopped waveform transformers, i.e. "O" Gauge is what Lionel is today, along with "O27". All Lionel transformer comparisons should start here. But Lionel now produces four Track Expansion Sets, which expand this basic loop into something more exciting. Add a PW dual motor F3 (4 amps) with 5 lighted cars (another 10 bulbs - 1 amp) and you are cooking (9 amps). The transformer included with your starter set should be adequate to handle a modest expansion of your train set discussed above. Get updates and special offers via email from Trains.com brands! The iconic and legendary 270-wattLionel ZW was the biggest and best transformer Lionel made in the postwar era. If the transformer fails, you most likely have a short or overload somewhere in the control circuit. It's expensive, but the same factors that drove KW prices down are also driving ZW prices down. If the second digit is 9, it could be either, so be careful when considering one of them. They give a true 180 watts and have excellent electronic breakers. --I need a station for the train to stop at. 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. Lionel Trains|MTH Train|Lionel Train Sets| HO model Trains| G Scale|Dept 56 Apparently there is a difference between old conventional and new conventional power. The other type of cars are the Scale cars, which are exact or near-exact replicas of actual freight cars. A lot of people are using the MTH Z1000's who have smaller layouts while others have moved up to the MTH Z4000. http://www.lccuk.org.uk/lccuk Regards Nick Save Reply Quote N Nick12DMC Registered 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. Ive talked more about the KW here. By continuing to use this site, you indicate you accept these terms. Some of the variables are obvious, others not so much. You could have a poor connection that caused the wire to heat up. Within that range, it is generally recommended to go for the most robust power supply possible. How to open tamper resistant outlets, Xxcopy vs Xcopy: Command line copy utilities, Where to connect the red wire to a light switch, Brains 25 cents: The story behind the meme. Like command control, these trains still require a constant voltage to the rails. A new ZW will run you in the neighborhood of $450.00 or a little less depending on your dealership. Dave, the nice thing about Lionel transformers is you can run them until the bimetallic breaker pops and then you let it cool and you are back in action (after shutting a few things down)! It is 5" long. You should always, always test your transformer for safetybefore you set it up, andunplug it when youre not using it. 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. All of the transformers that have more than 90 Watts are in great demand today as more collectors are operating retro-layouts. I justhave a very basic 027 set (guessin' mid 80's?). The 1044 is just a 1033 in a different case. Not really a how-to-build-a-layout book, but it is a good general introduction to the hobby full of interesting stuff. This means that you will have about.5 volt drop if your train draws 5 amperes. It also has an optional bell sound that can be turned on and off. 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. They are fun to have. Buyers truly want all-original trains that have never been tampered with. Well Mike what I am about to suggest may be a little pricy or at least it was for me but I have managed to buy a new Lionel ZW. Heavier insulation not only adds to the cost of the wire but also makes it harder to bend. 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. When running a mixed bag train show with new and old trains of mixed types such as Loinel and MTH which is better? You can't count on a lack of compatibility issues for one Legacy locomotive being definitive for all Legacy locomotives, for example. 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 This tool will allow you calculate the KVA that you need. Power the odd blocks with the other transformer. I have one R transformer from which I run everything - but only 1 train at a time and a few accessories for a layout in a space about 24 by 10 ft.