what size lionel transformer do i need

In the middle range, Lionel made a lot of other transformers. If you have the proper wire size and a properly-sized circuit breaker, you should not have any problems using the old transformer. Power the odd blocks with the other transformer. 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. Fortunately, in the early 21st century it is easier to expand your starter set than ever before. Unless I'm all wet it sounded like there are somecompatibilityissues with certain locomotives versus manufacturer's transformer output wave forms. Get updates and special offers via email from Trains.com brands! Outdoor railroads are, of course, an exception! Lionel Trains|MTH Train|Lionel Train Sets| HO model Trains| G Scale|Dept 56 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. Adding more freight or passenger cars [also known as rolling stock] to your set is another way to quickly expand your railroad. And even when Lionel trains run on AC, they sometimes do some DC trickery. American Flyer Trains were made in several gauges. The customer will still need a step down transformer to get the 220V to 110V. I'll take this information and run with it to help get me started. 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. Are you looking for a product or serviceif so, then read this BEFORE you post! Length of track or type of track doesn't (or shouldn't) matter. Like all electronic products, you want to make sure your power supplies are rated by the appropriate body for your country (UL for example). Its a bargain at that price. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, which supports our community. This conserves the trains' power supply for their needs and makes troubleshooting much easier. It is 5" long. Like command control, these trains still require a constant voltage to the rails. A 10 amp breaker and 16 gauge wire would be appropriate for an old ZW. editors report that most of the wiring issues they address involve basic principles of electricity - the stuff that Ben Franklin played with when he flew his kite. Lionel CW80's can be found for around $50 at Greenberg and other train shows. Expanding the basic oval from the set is the quickest way to add more interest to your trains. Safety first. 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 Electric Trains make great power supplies, depending on usage, on a DCS controlled layout. Reverse the above if planning to run mostly Lionel and go with the Lionel command system, either the full Legacy system or the upcoming CAB-1L and just add a Track Power Controller and a cable to run most MTH engines in conventional with the Lionel systems. Sell Your Trains Yourself At Train Shows. 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. 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. 40-200 20 Watt DC Transformer - Small DC transformer suitable for powering a single HO diesel or steam locomotive equipped with Proto-Sound 3.0. The next evolution in model train control is radio- or bluetooth-controlled trains. The 1044 is just a 1033 in a different case. DCS Power Supplies | MTH ELECTRIC TRAINS As you can see, a lot of great helpers here. 5 years of Classic Toy Trains at your fingertips! Just like with your track bus and feeders, running an accessory bus of slightly heavier wire to connect to each light or accessory with a smaller feeder is a good plan. Amperes = VA/Secondary Volts or 40VA/28V = 1.43 amperes. Viola, DCS on alternate power blocks, Max signal, Happiness. Get the Classic Toy Trains newsletter delivered to your inbox twice a month, WELCOME TO THE FORUM Mike!! That said, if youre uncomfortable fixing a transformer, I wont look down on you for buying one someone else fixed up. I think the RW is a bit better value, but that could just be timing. 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. Make your Christmas complete with a Lionel HO Train under your. Lionel trains value varies depending on design, materials, and era. 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. 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. Ive talked more about the KW here. --I need a station for the train to stop at. 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.". If you have a very long run, you may want to consider Number 12 wire. 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. I use to use one KW for 70 feet of main line, sidings and switching yard entry track. Not wanting to give up, I experimented with an 80 watt modern Lionel transformer and got great results. I thought you wanted information related to your layout not operations at a trains show. Below weve listed these transformers in numerical order in the Numerical Index. 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. Serious or fatal injuries may result. If you are using only LEDs for lighting, you could get away with even less. Model train transformer- 6 steps to understanding how they work Starter sets almost always include a power supply along with the track and train. 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). If you were to get a ZW 275 you need external short protection. Twin coil machines have a higher current draw when in motion but are also much faster-acting than the motorized versions. Controlled Magnetics has the manufacturing experience, knowledge, and facilities to repair a wide variety of electrical power transformers. 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. How Many Lights Can I Connect To My Transformer? - LightUp Of course, if you happen to have enough Number12 wire left over from a home renovation project to install all the buses on your small layout, it won't do any harm. (Use buss/feeder lines to distribute power.) For most layouts, and most scales, Number14 stranded wire will work best for your bus. Stop it with your hand to full stall, and it goes up to four amps--sixty watts--trying to pull. 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. You have pretty much pointed up the major problem, everything is different. The least expensive power supply you should consider is the Lionel CW80 Transformer; you can buy a new one for about $150 or a used on one eBay for about $60. Lionel 1033 90 watt Transformer Postwar from 1950s-60s Whistle, Direction. This diagram shows all of the controls and the pinout for the Lionel RW transformer. If you have to ask,your needs are a lot more modest than that. There have been issues with chopped waveform transformers, i.e. Of all the questions fielded by the staff of Classic Toy Trains, inquiries regarding layout wiring top the list.While you might expect numerous questions regarding complex techniques or new technologies, CTT. As time goes on you can add higher wattage bricks one by one. Here at Trainz, we carry all of the products you will need to go from a starter set to a miniature railroad empire. 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. Get DIY project ideas and easy-to-follow crafts to help you spruce up your space. Get the newest photos, videos, stories, and more from Trains.com brands. My question is.how big of a transformer will I need to power this thing? Theres nothing inherently wrong with them, though I would shy away from the smaller transformers that are less than 75 watts, including the modern CW-40. These bus wires are often more important than the size of the power supply itself in getting good results. Multi-conductor wires with many strands of finer wire are more common for telecommunications and electronics. Most two-rail track systems use direct current (DC). Lionel Electric Toy Train Transformer Identification Guide Never Enough Room, Time or Money for all the Trains! Lionel makes two expansion sets for this purpose. 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. You should always, always test your transformer for safetybefore you set it up, andunplug it when youre not using it. Thanks in advance for any information, Mike. 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. Transformer Sizing Calculator 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. 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.

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what size lionel transformer do i need