Another idea is to do away with the internal breaker and install external breakers, that is, give each output post (A B C and D) its own external breaker, perhaps a 5 amp on each??.
For safety's sake, the internal circuit breaker should remain, and be working properly. Down the road, that transformer will fall into someone else's hands, who will not know that the breaker has been removed. It could even be a family member. That written:
David Johnson wrote:
The Lionel test specs for the ZW transformer is that it should put out 30 amps for 11 to 40 seconds before the breaker trips. It sounds like you are no where near this. So the breaker is probably worn out. There are lots of replacement options.
That is a lot of power for a long time.
The internal ZW circuit breaker is there to protect the transformer, not your trains or layout wiring. Plus, it is fairly easy to accidentally create a circuit that is not protected by the internal breaker. I always put an individual breaker on each "Hot" output, terminals "A" through "D". I like to use Lionel postwar #91 adjustable electromagnetic, manual reset circuit breakers. There are many choices.
If any of your trains have circuit boards, a TVS on each output is a good idea too.
