I'm not asking for specs. Does anyone know in reality how many amps:
1) a Z1000 brick puts out? They seemed to me to put out what my Lionel 180w powerhouse does? It browned out a bit when I ran it's max # of engines before tripping.
2) a Z4000 puts out? Both (two) channels driven simultaneously??
I'm rewiring and configuring my O scale now that I've done it to my G scale. That freed up a MTH Z1000 brick. I then bought another one. I was planning on using four of them through my Tiu.
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Not familiar with the z1000,should put out it's full rating. Brown outs can be from inadequate wiring.
The Lionel brick will put out the full 10 amps at 18 volts continuous. 180 watts
The Z4000 will put out the full 10 amps per channel continuous at 18 volts. The 10 and 14 volt taps are on a separate breaker but share a common.. I think it is 3 or 4 amps don't remember off hand.
Pw type transformers figure 75-80% of the input rating.
Dale H
A Z-1000 is only good for about 5.5 amps at 18 volts.
Some folks say 6 Amps, I haven't measured it.
The Brownout is not from the Brick.
It is a good stiff transformer in that the voltage holds right up till the breaker pops.
I suspect the actual Transformer coils are rated 20% higher than the breaker wattage to achieve this result. BUT, I'm not cutting my bricks open to prove it as the breaker will pop anyway 
Thanks guys.
I mentioned the brown out because I had a very big train with several engines running. I tried to turn the smoke on just for fun. I remember the train slowed significantly and the lights attached to the track dimmed. It did keep going. I called that a brown out.
Hmmm, if I could get protection in there, I would run two Z1000 bricks in parallel??
Joe, with the low voltages at which we operate trains, I have always found that long runs of wire and of track causer voltage drop in excess of what one might expect from ohm's law. That's why I use 14-gauge now. And there are still areas where I find the track voltage, as recorded by a PS2 loco or by a voltmeter, has dropped. Theoretically, putting a voltmeter across a joint or connection should show if there is a loss there. Somewhere in my piles of junk I have a high-wattage 1-ohm resistor with crocodile clips that I used to use to place heavy electrical loads on the track to enable me to track down such points.
Thanks guys.
I mentioned the brown out because I had a very big train with several engines running. I tried to turn the smoke on just for fun. I remember the train slowed significantly and the lights attached to the track dimmed. It did keep going. I called that a brown out.
Hmmm, if I could get protection in there, I would run two Z1000 bricks in parallel??
I'm guessing you have wiring issues, not transformer issues. You probably need more power, but the wiring is the primary reason for what you see.
How can a brick with a six amp breaker run as many engines as one that puts out ten?? Maybe the bigger one trips early?
The Lionel brick just trips without any signs when I run that much equipment. It seemed like the MTH brick didn't want to trip? If the wiring was bad, wouldn't they struggle with either??
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