I like reliability, power and choices, so I bought two different transformers to run just my postwar trains. Many years ago I bought a postwar ZW to run my postwar trains, which was pretty good, although in certain situations it did not have quite enough power with certain engine and passenger car combos. With the help of this forum it was determined that my gauge wire was not heavy enough, so I now have 12 gauge wire to the tracks. Also since I have many accessories I felt this also put in a strain on the ZW. I had a 1033 to help with some of the accessories, but it was barely able to keep up. I then decided to purchase a postwar Z transformer to replace the 1033. Since I had a Lionel Z as a kid, I recalled how well it worked with all steamers and passenger cars I could run with it. I then decided to have the option to run the ZW or Z to run my trains as I wanted. Also I have balanced the accessory load between both transformers, so I feel this has made performance even better. I personally feel that getting a ZW will give the power you need now and in the future should you get more power hungry setups. The 1033 might be ok for a small layout, but you may find that you will quickly need more power down the road. (just my opinion)
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