Mike, The size of the transformer is dictated by what you want to run, the more you run the more power you will need. This tool only evaluates common voltages for North America (ie. The 190-wattLionel KWwas the second biggest and second best transformer of the postwar era. converting a 2-rail freight car to 2-rail with Atlas trucks, My Triple Level Layout -FREEBIE UPDATE- 3/2/23, Successful Open House Upstate (NY) Model Railroaders, FS: Lionel MPC and modern traditional size rolling stock. 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. In three-rail systems, the outer rails are both grounded, and the center rail is "hot.". 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. First, a few general notes about choosing wire. The Lionel motor is a collection of four electromagnetic plates with a rotating sweeper arm called a brush. 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'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. Sign up for new product releases, promotions, and more. Solid wire is preferable as it is much easier to solder to the rails. This would be more than enough for any single train and a few accessories. Dave: That certainly qualifies, don't forget the anti-gun lobbyist with the picket sign's. If you plan to add a second loop for another train in the near future, the 14198 would be a wise investment. 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. 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. This comes primarily from the locomotive(s) but also from lights and other accessories. 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? What type is your old transformer? Today, with some luck, you can get one for closer to $100. Its a bargain at that price. 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 larger transformers could operate up to four trains independently. I justhave a very basic 027 set (guessin' mid 80's?). 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. I recently read an article/product review in the OGR magazine for the new Lioneltransformerand wassurprisedto learn that not all voltage outputwave-formsare created equal (pure sine wave versus some type of clipped sine wave). Extending the Reach of Your Power The Lionel Multi-control 1033 is a 90 watt transformer produced from 1948 to 1956. Effort. Electric Trains make great power supplies, depending on usage, on a DCS controlled layout. Here are a few: --The Lionel Fastrack Book, by Robert Schleicher. 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. Now, I am going to make a suggesstion that you use a larger diameter curve for your corners. Here are some simple definitions for these electrical terms: Most power supplies will be labeled as to the scales they are meant to handle. --The O Gauge Railroading Primer, by Christopher Ritchie. It was one of Lionel's more venerable postwar products, lasting on the market for 18 years from 1948 to 1966. Not really a how-to-build-a-layout book, but it is a good general introduction to the hobby full of interesting stuff. They run on three rail track. --I need a station for the train to stop at. 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. Get updates and special offers via email from Trains.com brands! 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. What size Lionel transformer do I need? to run conventional you will need Legacy plus a Powermaster and Powermaster Bridge or Legacy and a TPC 300/400. 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. Although all Lionel cars operate on O Gauge track, the bodies of the cars are made in two slightly different sizes. 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. Controlled Magnetics has the manufacturing experience, knowledge, and facilities to repair a wide variety of electrical power transformers. And of course, individual Fastrack sections are also available. 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. Transformers are sized by determining the total load required (in amps). All Lionel transformer comparisons should start here. Right now I am running 8 motors on one KW [the new one I found] and got the old one for reserve. He directs production at Lionel, the premier model train manufacturer, and he istheformer president of theConrail HistoricalSociety. Lionel CW80's can be found for around $50 at Greenberg and other train shows. All Lionel transformer comparisons should start here. Most power supplies will perform very well for years if used within their limits. The 1044 is just a 1033 in a . electronically controlled outputs. "O" Gauge is what Lionel is today, along with "O27". 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. Does Lionel still make standard gauge trains? no it isn't. Lots of good information for building any size O Gauge layout. 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. DCC is less common in starter sets, but some are available. Lest I offend, in another plane of existence I was an electronics tech. As your needs grow, you can employ a larger transformer of fixed voltage. 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. It would be advantageous if OGR magazine would put an article together comparing the major manufacturers transformers output waveform compatibility/ incompatibilitywith the various manufacturer's locomotives - Atlas O, Weaver, 3rd Rail, MTH , Lionel etc and conventional , DCS , TMCC, Legacy command control. The iconic and legendary 270-wattLionel ZW was the biggest and best transformer Lionel made in the postwar era. 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. LGB throttles 51070, 52120 and 52121 will all work with the 50061 and other LGB transformers. RemembertheVeterans. Our community is FREE to join. The higher powered units would not meet todays safety standards as issued by Underwriters Laboratories. Multi-conductor wires with many strands of finer wire are more common for telecommunications and electronics. The Lionel Track & Power catalog is BACK with the latest information for more ways to make your layout even bigger, better and more powerful! If you have a very long run, you may want to consider Number 12 wire. There are a few standards when it comes to the color-coding. The Lionel 1033 can be used for small or medium-sized layouts. Some DCC systems also recommend solid wire for certain applications. A 10 amp breaker and 16 gauge wire would be appropriate for an old ZW. If you have the proper wire size and a properly-sized circuit breaker, you should not have any problems using the old transformer. Some of the variables are obvious, others not so much. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. 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. Pretty much suffered the same fate, too. Like command control, these trains still require a constant voltage to the rails. The first Lionel electric trains were powered by wet-cell batteries, which were, of course, dangerous. I think the RW is a bit better value, but that could just be timing. This is interesting stuff. The thing that eats current is a lot of light bulbs on the layout. From 25 Watts to 275 Watts, a Lionel transformer could be found for every power requirment from simple circles of track to extensive railroads. ransformers were issued by Lionel thoughout the Post War period. 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. If the transformer fails, you most likely have a short or overload somewhere in the control circuit. You may never use all the amps, but it's usually cheaper to grow into a power supply than to continually upgrade. 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. Alternating current (AC) is the preferred power for most O Gauge three-rail trains as well as some two-rail systems in smaller scales. Not unlike the relationship between the locomotive engineer and the fireman. I'm sure I'll need more help along the way, so I'll be checking back in with more silly questions! For safety reasons, the batteries were soon replaced by a 110 volt transformer. Number 22 solid wire works best on most scales. 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 Stop it with your hand to full stall, and it goes up to four amps--sixty watts--trying to pull. As time goes on you can add higher wattage bricks one by one. The Lionel ZW has four sets of posts and six controls. They give a true 180 watts and have excellent electronic breakers. 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. CW80 Transformer. The chances are that little power supply isn't going to keep the train running over a full mile, however. Checklist Transformer Size Calculator When sizing a transformer, you need to know the kilovolt-amps (KVA) that your machine requires. A small set that came with track, transformer, etc. (Use buss/feeder lines to distribute power.) If you add feeders to the track at the farthest point (remember to get the same wire to the same rails) you will not slow down at the farthest point. Hello All: Another simple way of doing it, Only load the transformer to 75% of it's capacity, or take your total load & multiply by 125% for proper transformer sizing. 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. There are many advantages in repairing or reconditioning your transformers. To participate you must either login or register for an account. Safety first. 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. Ryan Kunkle is a nationally recognized professional model train expert and writer with over 25 years of experience. 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 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. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. 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.
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