Lionel 195 floodlight, 1033 transformer, and general wiring questions

Connect a street light directly to the 1033 to determine if its the xfmr or not.  If it lights, recheck your wiring to the strip.  You might have an incomplete circuit somewhere.

When I connected the streetlight directly to the 1033, it worked.  When I reconnected the wires to the terminal strips, it didn't. 

Should the wire from the 1033 be directly connected to the streetlights terminal strip?  If so, how? 

@frogvillejunctionrailroad posted:

Should the wire from the 1033 be directly connected to the streetlights terminal strip?  If so, how?

Do you have just one wire connected to the 1033?

Explain, with photos as needed, exactly which posts you are using on the 1033 (A,B,C,U) and where the connection points on the layout are made. Are you using a common ground? Are you using the 1033 common post "A" for common/return?

I have only one wire,connected to the 1033's second post from the left.  That wire,is connected to the terminal strip that lights are connected to.  I have no ground wire connected to the 1033. 

@frogvillejunctionrailroad posted:

I have only one wire,connected to the 1033...

Well, there's your problem. The 1033 is a two-wire transformer.

With "A" as the common/return, "U" is the variable 5-16 volt output, B is the 5 volt fixed post, C is the 16 volt fixed post.

Alternately, "B" can be used as the common/return, with "U" as the variable 0-11 volt output, C as the 11 volt fixed post.

So then, looking straight on at the 1033, which post do I connect the ground wire to, and which post do I connect the wire running to the terminal strip to?  Please tell me in terms of from left to right, i.e., first or second post, etc.  Also, how do I connect the ground wire from the 1033 to my ZW, or wherever else it should be connected to.

Thanks.

Got my answer - A connects to the terminal strip, U connects to ground/common on the ZW.  I'll soon connect the ground wire and see what happens.  Stay tuned.

@frogvillejunctionrailroad posted:

Got my answer - A connects to the terminal strip, U connects to ground/common on the ZW.  I'll soon connect the ground wire and see what happens.  Stay tuned.

Actually, the first post, "U", connects to the terminal strip, the second post, common post "A", connects to ground/common on the ZW("U").

Single train transformers use "A" as common.

Connected ground wire from 1033 to ZW common post.  Tried all common posts across the top row of posts on the ZW.  No change in what lights don't work. 

Could it be I have too many connections on my terminal strips? 

@frogvillejunctionrailroad posted:

Tried all common posts across the top row of posts on the ZW.

All common posts across the top row of posts on the ZW are just that - common. They are all electrically the same.

Connect the ground wire from 1033 "A" post to any ZW "U" common post.

Phase the two transformers as per these instructions. BUT REMEMBER, "A" on the 1033 is common.

@frogvillejunctionrailroad posted:

Could it be I have too many connections on my terminal strips?

No.

Could you show your terminal strip wiring? Unless you have a bus bar type you need to jumper the input and ground screws. screws.

The ground wire runs from post A on the 1033 to a ground post on the ZW.  The other wire runs from the terminal strip to the U post on the 1033. 

Same problem with some lights not working.

The 1033 (ground or U post) and the A post should go to the lights.  It would be easier to use $5 volt ohm meter from Harbor Freight would be helpful to test the transformer and wiring.

Charlie

@frogvillejunctionrailroad posted:

The other wire runs from the terminal strip to the U post on the 1033.

That accounts for only half of the circuit, assuming one wire from each lamp is connected to your terminal strip... let's call that the "hot" side of the lighting circuit as this is controlled by a variable transformer output.  Where are the remaining wires, one more from each lamp, connected to?

@Choo Choo Charlie posted:

The 1033 (ground or U post) and the A post should go to the lights

The 1033 U post is not common, and is not ground... It is directly connected to the throttle, direction, and whistle circuits and you do not want to use this as a common return on a common ground layout.

"A" is the common post on the 1033 and its variants.

So, I have to connect the ground wire from the 1033 A post to the ground post on the ZW, and the terminal strip wire from the terminal strip to the B or C post on the 1033? 

Also, one row on the terminal strip is jumped, one row is not.  Which row should I connect the terminal strip wire to (the one that connects to the 1033)?

@frogvillejunctionrailroad posted:

So, I have to connect the ground wire from the 1033 A post to the ground post on the ZW, and the terminal strip wire from the terminal strip to the B or C post on the 1033?

No idea where you got that from asking where the second wire from each light is connected, so I will say no.  The 1033 "U" post is your "hot" variable voltage for adjust lighting level, assuming one wire from each lamp is connected to your terminal strip from post U. That's half the circuit.

Now, the other half, common/ground/return, must be connected to the "A" post of the 1033. This connection can be made anywhere on the layout if you have phased the ZW and 1033 as per these instructions. ... at any #2 lockon clip, any ZW "U" post, or the 1033 common/ground/return "A" post(they are all electrically the same after proper phasing). That completes the circuit, and gives you 5-16 volts to regulate the brightness of your lights.

You might have a terminal strip of sorts that you haven't made clear what it is or what is connected to it, but there is no magic involved here - terminal strips, barrier bars, etc., are just convenient places to connect several wires to power so you aren't trying to stack 9-10 wires onto a binding post at the transformer.

It looks like you may be complicating this for yourself by using terminal strips and including the ZW in the circuit. To boil this down to the bare minimum... all you need is one wire from each light to the hot "U" post of the 1033, and one wire from each light to the common "A" post to get 5-16 vols to your lights.

I'll post photos of the 1033 and the terminal strip. 

And then maybe we can make some progress.   

Each streetlight has 2 wires.  One wire is connected a terminal strip for ground,  the second wire is attached to a terminal strip for lights.  That second terminal strip is connected to the 1033 on its B post.  Is that the way to do it? A ground wire runs from the A post on the 1033 to a ground post on the ZW. 

All 6 streetlights are wired this way.  Only 2 of 6 streetlights work.  Why are only 2 streetlights working when all 6 are connected exactly the same way?

The simplest connections - start with this:

Each streetlight has 2 wires.

One wire is connected a terminal strip for ground(1033 "A" post).

The second wire is attached to a terminal strip for lights(sic).  That second terminal strip has to be connected to the 1033 "U" post for 5-16 volts(variable) or 1033 post C for 16 volts(fixed)

If you use "B" with common "A", that's only 5 volts and some accessories won't light at that low setting.

Rob, on the terminal strip for lights, do I connect the wire to the first post on the jumped row, or on the row that is not jumped? 

There is no way any of us could possibly know that.

The circuit HAS to be complete to work.  The popular way to work with terminal strips is to have, in your case, 2... one for "hot" and one for "ground".  ALL terminals on the ground strip must be connected to each other and to the "A" post,  ALL terminals on the hot strip must be connected to each other and to the "U" post. One wire from each light to each strip.

Here is a Lionel diagram showing 6 terminal strips - but the two large ones are really just one large & connected ground point, the other 4 are for different voltage settings/needs.

Rob, connections from terminal strips to ZW and 1033 are correct.  However...

Could the problem be with the 195 floodlight and the streetlights themselves?  I used 18 gauge wire on the 195 and the streetlights.  The 195 and the streetlights are ancient, but the odd thing is the 195 and the streetlights worked when I tested them.  I tested them by touching one wire to the center rail of my track (O gauge), and the other wire to one of the outer rails.  I'm puzzled as to why the 195 and the streetlights work when tested, but not when connected to the terminal strips.  Any thoughts?  I'll post pictures of the 1033 and the terminal strip lights are connected to tomorrow morning. 

Here are two pictures:  one of the 1033, one of the terminal strip lights are connected to.  Another terminal strip has the ground wires from the streetlights.

The green wire is ground, the white wire goes to the "lights" terminal strip.

The white wire furtherest on the left is connected to the 1033.

You still have it backwards. "A" is common/ground.

Where does the "hot" green "U" wire go, and where are the other half of the "lights" wires connected?

Rob, I have the ground wire connected to the first post on the left on the 1033. That is A.  Correct?  I have the hot wire connected to the second post from the left, which is U.  Correct?

Rob, the green wire is ground, the white wire is hot/lights.  The green wire is connected to a U post on the ZW, the white wire is connected to the terminal strip.

Where are the other half of the "lights" wires connected?

Each streetlight is individually wired this way, white "hot" wire to hot "lights" terminal strip and green "ground" wire to green/ground terminal strip. 

I found a 1033 instruction sheet.  Now I understand the order of the posts from left to right:  U, A, B, C. 

The green/ground terminal strip is connected to a U post on the ZW.

@frogvillejunctionrailroad posted:

...the order of the posts from left to right:  U, A, B, C.

The posts are labeled very clearly on the transformer...

Swap the green wire to the common "A" and the white wire to the "hot"  "U" post and you are connected correctly.

Also, to confirm a complete circuit, move the 1033 green wire(post "A") to the ground terminal strip where half of your lights wires are connected instead of the ZW. If this circuit is controlling lights only, there is no need to have it phased to the ZW.

This will give you 5-16 volts variable to adjust your lights to your preference.