what size lionel transformer do i need what size lionel transformer do i need

A bigger transformer is better and always looks nicer too! This drawing illustrates all of the key functionality of a Lionel KW transformer. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. All members here are welcome to drop in and visit. Serving these devices with their own dedicated supply will not only allow you to supply them with a proper constant voltage, but it will also free your main power supply to handle the load of the train itself. The fraction of your transformer's power lost in the track will therefore be well under 10 percent, since it is proportional to the voltage drop. I use to use one KW for 70 feet of main line, sidings and switching yard entry track. Right now I am running 8 motors on one KW [the new one I found] and got the old one for reserve. It is important to remember that the real test of the power supply is the load you'll place on it. Willoughby, Ohio - the home of the CP & E RR. 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. Most feeders will be only a few inches long so the smaller diameter wire will not be a problem. White and black are common selections. Then power every other one with one of your smaller transformers. 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. Do not operate the CW-80 Transformer with a damaged cord, plug, or case. He directs production at Lionel, the premier model train manufacturer, and he istheformer president of theConrail HistoricalSociety. 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. 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. 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. 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. Buyers truly want all-original trains that have never been tampered with. 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. The polarities can be reversed to change the direction of the train. 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. 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. 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. The smallest wire you can work with will be more than sufficient. It has FasTrack connectors on one end and O Gauge track pins on the other. The Lionel 1033 is a great choice for small or medium-sized layouts. If the second digit is 9, it could be either, so be careful when considering one of them. If you like fixing things, fixing an old transformer is rewarding. One rail is positive, the other negative. There have been issues with chopped waveform transformers, i.e. You don't want to try to solder even Number 16 gauge wire right to your rails, however. Outdoor railroads are, of course, an exception! If the transformer fails, you most likely have a short or overload somewhere in the control circuit. As your layout grows so, too, will its power demand. When you block a person, they can no longer invite you to a private message or post to your profile wall. Make your Christmas complete with a Lionel HO Train under your. Electric Trains make great power supplies, depending on usage, on a DCS controlled layout. Again, if you have a very long run between switches, going a little larger is less likely to cause problems with voltage loss. Frankly, its hard to go wrong with either of these transformers, especially at todays prices. Different wiring projects call for different standards. TRANSFORMERS ransformers were issued by Lionel thoughout the Post War period. 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. Like all electronic products, you want to make sure your power supplies are rated by the appropriate body for your country (UL for example). Today, with some luck, you can get one for closer to $100. 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. In three-rail systems, the outer rails are both grounded, and the center rail is "hot.". Keep the power supplies in an area where they get plenty of air circulation to prevent overheating. Are you running command or conventional? Pretty much suffered the same fate, too. no it isn't. Solid wire is preferable as it is much easier to solder to the rails. Price Received. 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. The KW has constant voltage outputs for accessories, the ZW don't have that feature just four handles for supplying power to four tracks or accessories if you like, both have whistle & direction feature. 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. The wire can also be purchased as solid or stranded. I paid $75 + shipping for mine a year ago. A lot of people are using the MTH Z1000's who have smaller layouts while others have moved up to the MTH Z4000. Tech Support for the OGR Forum (NOT FOR TRAINS), PRR fellas!lets build an S2!! Just not quite as much. Lionel Ready-to-Play is a large sized train that's made to be affordable and easy-to-use for both kids and adults alike. This is why my wife loves me so. The good news is, Lionel made a lot of good transformers over the years. Like command control, these trains still require a constant voltage to the rails. the amount of track is not what is important here. Take the hint. Lionel CW80's can be found for around $50 at Greenberg and other train shows. What size Lionel transformer do I need? Lots of good information for building any size O Gauge layout. The Lionel ZW is Lionel's most iconic transformer of the 1950s and 1960s, and perhaps one of its most iconic products, period. If you're looking to only have one loop with multiple sidings then you'll only need 1 source of power for the whole layout. Stop it with your hand to full stall, and it goes up to four amps--sixty watts--trying to pull. As your needs grow, you can employ a larger transformer of fixed voltage. Sell Your Trains To A Train Dealer or a Single Buyer. Some DCC systems also recommend solid wire for certain applications. It was one of Lionel's more venerable postwar products, lasting on the market for 18 years from 1948 to 1966. They give a true 180 watts and have excellent electronic breakers. 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.". As you progress with your layout there are a lot of people here who will help you with any questions you have. These bus wires are often more important than the size of the power supply itself in getting good results. 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 going to run anything more that what came with the set then you should probably upgrade to something a little bigger. There are many advantages in repairing or reconditioning your transformers. It is much easier to be ready ahead of time then to have to do some changes afterwards. Finally, you'll never receive email notifications about content they create or likes they designate for your content. That was before all the technician assemby work was outsourced overseas and they left the poor engineers to fend for themselves. 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. The 1044 is just a 1033 in a different case. I'm sure I'll need more help along the way, so I'll be checking back in with more silly questions! I'll take this information and run with it to help get me started. I got a lot of lightweight transformers that came with starter sets over the years. [:)]. If you want a transformer with power to spare go get a ZW! 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 use this device if water is present. Lionel makes two expansion sets for this purpose. 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. If you have to ask,your needs are a lot more modest than that. A large number of the Lionel Collectors Club UK use this set up to good effect. When you get DCS, keep the blocks and run the 2 sets off 2 Fixed channels out. Some systems will use bluetooth technology enabling you to control the trains with your tablet or cell phone. The transformer, when operated at the lower frequency, may . The choice of a control system is somewhat, but not necessarily, dependent on which manufacturers engines you prefer or have the most of. 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). 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. 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. Part of the Lionel line since the 1930s, the gateman today is offered not only with a regular railroad-type figure, but also in versions with Santa Claus and a nutcracker figure for the Christmas season. The Best Technical and Innovative Podcasts you should Listen, Essay Writing Service: The Best Solution for Busy Students, 6 The Best Alternatives for WhatsApp for Android, The Best Solar Street Light Manufacturers Across the World, Ultimate packing list while travelling with your dog. You should always, always test your transformer for safetybefore you set it up, andunplug it when youre not using it. Here are some simple definitions for these electrical terms: Most power supplies will be labeled as to the scales they are meant to handle. However, in the future if you continue in the hobby and your roster expands you may acquire motive power which requires larger curves than what came with your set. Here at Trainz, we carry all of the products you will need to go from a starter set to a miniature railroad empire. And that means theyre affordable. 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. Which Lionel transformer do I need? you ask? 40-500 50 Watt AC Transformer - 50 Watt AC transformer suitable for . Lionel Postwar 1033 Transformer Watch on You should take care, however, to replace worn cords and wires. Price Received. Subscribers, sign in to access exclusive content. If you found this post informative or helpful, please share it! Accessories often interact with the train, such as a crossing gate that lowers as the train passes. 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. You can use bus and feeder wires to more evenly distribute the power over your track. Lots of good tips for building a layout from two of the most experienced people in the hobby. Most power supplies will perform very well for years if used within their limits. First, a few general notes about choosing wire. Now, I am going to make a suggesstion that you use a larger diameter curve for your corners. Make sure you are getting the right type of power supply for your layout. Besides the train and track, accessories provide a lot of fun and animation to any setup. 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. I've read that it is good practice to add feeders every 10 sections of track or sothat seems like a lot but I suppose that beats having "dead" spots in the track. Connecticut Valley Railroad -- A Branch of the New York, New Haven, And Hartford. I have noticed that my old transformers do not work well or not work at all with newer electronic whistle tenders. If you make a complete loop of 100 feet with good track joints, you'll have something like .1 ohm from the transformer to the farthest point, using the rule of thumb that most track is something like 16 AWG wire (.004 ohms per foot) and that there are two 50 foot tracks feeding the farthest point from two directions. 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. I'm not sure I completely understand your question. Alternating current (AC) is the preferred power for most O Gauge three-rail trains as well as some two-rail systems in smaller scales. Controlled Magnetics has the manufacturing experience, knowledge, and facilities to repair a wide variety of electrical power transformers. 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. $2799. It also has an optional bell sound that can be turned on and off. A 10 amp breaker and 16 gauge wire would be appropriate for an old ZW.