As long as i provide proper circuit protection why could i not use Lionel ZW's? I would like to have a ZW-L or two but i can't see paying what they are going for. The cheapest ZW-L that i have found was $734.00. Used ones are hard to find and cost as much as a new one. I do have modern trains as well as old ones, Lionel & MTH. Your advice please.
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Well you should be able to use lionels old ZW's, But they have a smooth sign wave which is different from most modern transformers. Modern transformers generally have a chopped signed wave, this apparently helps modern locomotives with things such as smoke output, and what not. But as long as everything is wired correctly you should be able to run all of your modern and older locomotives with the old ZW. (This video may help) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMR25JoCZiU
If you are running conventional, then the chopped sine wave is helpful since the peak voltage is higher than the average AC and apparently the smoke generator applied voltage is higher as a result. If you are running TMCC and setting the output of your transformer at max (that would be 18 VAC) then I do not see any advantage of a chopped sine wave over a pure sine wave.
It is however very important to use a fast electronic breaker with the older ZWs.
yep, if you are using modern trains, I would use a PSX-AC. Fast Blow fuses between the track and transformer, since cost is factor, work, too. Try 4, 5 or 6amp to see what works with your equipment.
There is no problem using a ZW to power modern trains. It will work fine. As others have stated, you will want to include circuit protection in case of a short. The built in circuit breaker on the ZWs is too slow for modern electronics. As for the ZW-L, they can be had for a much cheaper price. In the past few years, I've seen several hobby shops offer 10-15% off sales. If you catch one of those sales, you can save over $70 off the price of a ZW-L. You would just need to be patient for the next sale.
cjack posted:If you are running conventional, then the chopped sine wave is helpful since the peak voltage is higher than the average AC and apparently the smoke generator applied voltage is higher as a result. If you are running TMCC and setting the output of your transformer at max (that would be 18 VAC) then I do not see any advantage of a chopped sine wave over a pure sine wave.
It is however very important to use a fast electronic breaker with the older ZWs.
From the Lionel video i watched the problem with the ZW is that they do not put out the required amps. However Mike Regan said that the trains would run okay but the smoke output would be low and the couplers would not open. Is this right? One thing i forgot to mention, i will be using Legacy and dcs if that makes any difference.
I think it's running conventional trains where the throttle is down somewhat and the voltage is marginal for operating things such as solenoids, etc. The chopped sine wave has a higher peak voltage, while maintaining a relatively low average ac voltage for running a conventional engine at a reasonable speed.
If you can't afford a new ZW-L then the post war ZW with a separate 7 amp breaker and a TVS (transient voltage suppressor) unit should work very good. The TVS units can be found at Mouser electronics or other electronic stores for about $3.00 a piece(if that much) but the protection is well worth the cost! The circuit breaker in the post war ZW is rated at 15 amps and takes almost 4 seconds to trip, so a secondary breaker or fuse is needed.
Another transformer to consider would by the Z-1000 by MTH, has plenty of power for one train even with 2 powered engines.
Lee Fritz
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