Hello everyone this is my first post. I have a few questions about my Lionel 2034 starter set that I’m about to give to a grandson.
The questions relate to the train at full power just flying off the track. I’m using a 1025 transformer which delivers I believe 16 V to the track. I have attempted to lower the voltage with a paired series of seven diodes which I believe gets it down to around 11 V which is perfect. (I tried a 3 amp diode earlier and thought maybe 10 amp diodes might make a difference but it really doesn’t).
I’m concerned about the diode string heating up too much. I’ve tested it with the instant read cooking thermometer and it looks like it gets up to about 160° at full track power. So I don’t know if there’s a way I can button this up to keep little hands off it? I thought maybe a perforated short section of PVC pipe? Any thoughts. I don’t see how these could fit in the engine compartment—which could provide some air cooling.
I do have a Lionel 1033 transformer and I may just have to use that instead and tell them to connect it to the 11V setting but the fact the little 1025 the set came with fits right in the set box set to me is way cool and I wanted to present it that way.
Photos and video below.
I did a complete tear down and rebuild and dressed the engine up by adding a bell, handrails, and a bell plus a repaint (keeping the original cab numbers). The set minus the engine came to me free from a friend. I found a beat up missing lots of parts engine with no run time and it is a great runner now.
Say hello to “Oscar”!
Ozzie.