Trouble with CW-80

If you have another transformer to try, I'd do so. Otherwise, I'd return it to your dealer/place of purchase for a replacement or refund. 

Set the meter to 20 VAC. Anything out of the B terminal?

The meter should be set to A/C.

 

I got a CW like that a few months ago, and Lionel exchanged it.

I don't have another O scale transformer. Marlin HO Digital and Z scale transformers, I have!

 

When you say the B terminal, do you mean the accessories terminal?

 

Thanks Again,

Bill

Your lines going to the track should be the red A terminal and the black U terminal:

 

 

 

Jerry

Bill,

   Put the CW-80 in the circle 7 file where it belongs, and go purchase a decent transformer, a modern Z-1000 min or an old ZW or KW, and quit playing with a junk intro-transformer, they are a waste of time.  If you actually keep it use it for running a bumper street car, or a fire car.  They give those CW-80's away with RTR sets for a reason, they are an entry level power supply.

PCRR/Dave

 

Yes. I just meant to see if anything is working. The track (variable with the red lever) goes to the A and U. The accessories goes to the B and U.

I have several of these and run things with them routinely. It could be a dead one and Lionel will replace it. 

Not sure why Dave feels it necessary to jump in to any and every CW-80 thread with disparaging remarks, and I'm sorry for whatever miserable experience he may have had with one, but I have three of them, had 'em for years and not had any problems whatsoever.  Ever.  There must be thousands like me or Lionel would have discontinued them years ago.

 

If your set is in warranty, see if your dealer will exchange the transformer, or Lionel will.  Despite what Dave says about it, The CW-80 is a solid starter set transformer.

 

Pete

Texas Pete,

   The old ones were dangerous and not well built at all, I have to admit the newer ones are much better, but still an entry level transformer.  I do not mean to offend you Pete, I just know there are way better transformers to upgrade your power station with.

PCRR/Dave

 

I also have an early CW80 - and I have not been very kind or gentle to it. I don't use it to run my main loops since I have some MTH engines but I do use it currently for accessories and a trolley. The variable accessory port is a great feature. Many of the early ones had issues and so they now get a "bad rap" but mine has been a strong performer over the years. 

A big thanks to everyone who replied. 

 

If I fiddle with it, I can actually get it to put out 15v. Of course, by the time I'm ready to run a train, it stops working. But I can't figure out what it is I'm changing.

 

Its DOA. Back it goes.

 

I'll let you know how it turns out.

 

Bill

That's the first I've ever heard this. What is the danger?

Rob,

 I suppose a CW-80 COULD be Dangerous, IF your Wife Threw it at you for buying another Legacy Locomotive. Other than that, I have NEVER had or heard of a Dangerous experience with a CW-80.

 

 I have many CW's and LIKE them a LOT. In MY experience, I have had as many problems/failures with the Z-1000. The Z-1000 is rated at 20 watts more output, but I haven't found anything that I could run on a Z-1000, that I couldn't run on a CW-80.

 

 The CW-80 has a variable voltage accessory output, where the Z-1000 only has a fixed(14 volt, IIRC) voltage accessory output.

 

 The CW-80 has a near zero minimum starting voltage, the Z-1000 starts at a Higher voltage, there are many Locomotives that have gotten bad rap, as Lurchers and Jack Rabbit starters, that wont run slow smoothly, that don't deserve that reputation. The CW-80 is an excellent transformer for testing the True performance of many locomotives.

 

 Early CW-80s did have some issues, but those were solved by 2006, CW-80s produced since then have been proven to be Solid, Reliable performers. Some people, just can't let go of the past.

 

Doug

I bought a Lionel Wabash Bluebird FT w/3 passenger cars, the usual FasTrack oval, powered with a CW 80, which worked well for all of an hour or two. Unfortunately, due to the fact I had been hospitalized and wasn't back on my feet for a while, plus a relocation, etc., I hadn't even opened the set box until after the guarantee had run out. Supposedly the Wabash set was made after the run of bad CW80s, but fixing it will require finding a long-handled triangular screwdriver to open and install a better trip unit, but I have other transformers that have made me forget the ubiquitous piece of history.

 

Oh I am very familiar with the CW-80.

 

It was a rhetorical question.

I cut off the power cable on 2 of them and then they made excellent door stops. James

I've got one from a set I bought in 2003, so I'm guessing it is an "older" one, and the fan runs constantly. As soon as I plug it in, the fan starts. It still works OK, but it does kind of bother me. Currently, I only use it to power lights and accessories. I have another that came with the first run of the Polar Express, and I've had no trouble with it. I'm just using that one to power a trolley.

 I've also got an older BW80, that I use to run everything on our Christmas layout. It takes up more space, but it has been around for 14 years and I've never had a problem.

 

Dave - No problem.  Not offended at all, was just curious.  Also, would like to know how they are dangerous, especially since I've never seen a reference to fire or an electric shock on any of the three-rail forums I visit.  And perhaps a better choice of words might have been "I... ...believe there are way better transformers to upgrade your power station with."

 

I got my first CW-80 in 2008 so I have no direct experience with early production versions.  I've been running my little garage 4x10 on three of them and an LW for several years without any problems.

 

Best wishes for a most excellent new year.

 

Pete

The fan is supposed to run constantly. It's the ones that don't that will stop working if there is not enough airflow.

Pete,

   Maybe I am jut getting old, but the one that burnt up right on my wooden power station made a believer out of me, especially when the 2nd one new out of the box

did not function correctly at all, from that time on, if they came in a set that Harry Neil sold to us, we gave them away.  I have a picture of the last one we used for the street cars line some place, I will try to find it.  The early ones did actually burn up if you let them on for an extended time.  Now the smallest transformers we own/operate are the KW's.   Rob sorry buddy I will never trust them again, the past maybe history but I learn from my experiences, and even though I understand they were up graded, I still do not trust them enough to use them for actually running my trains.

PCRR/Dave

 

I've done this fix too by making the plastic button slightly shorter to restore the tactile "clicking" feel & operation. It was just too tight a fit, keeping the button pressed pressed down, in my case the direction button, but I've heard reports of any of the three "stuck".

Yes, the buttons are probably the issue. But they don't seem to be stuck. When I fool around with them I can get the acc output to work. Which also gets the track power to work. At least for a little while.

 

Bill

When the CW-80 first came out there were several that malfunctioned almost right away, but the second generation CW-80 and newer ones should work well.

I think Lionel quit replacing the original CW-80's, but check with them and see.

 

For me the CW-80 don't fit my power needs, plus I have some MTH PS-2 engines that won't work with the CW-80. I have tried the CW-80 at a friend's house and all I got was frustration as the MTH engine acts like it wants to move but will not and randomly goes through the engine sounds on my MTH steam engine with PS-2. 

 

Lee Fritz

Really? Weird. I had it a few years before the fan started running all the time.

Hilarious - I just had one die on me this morning.  I was breaking in a prewar set and the green light starting blinking, the fan was on and it was dead.  Now, no fan, no power, just that useless, steady, green light.  These things are junk. I've seen others go bad.  I reconnected an old 1033 transformer and power was restored.

Well, they are quiet for a while when new(some are noisy new), and then many start making bearing noise. You can lubricate the fan shaft if you can get to it, and it will be quiet again.

Some of the fans make noise, some are quiet. You probably never heard it until it started making noise. The noisy ones could be quieted by rearranging how the parts are inside...maybe lube, but I think one of mine just needed repositioning.

 

Some info here...

 

http://www.trainfacts.com/trainfacts/?p=34

 

They have a robust transformer in them. I think Dale M. said it will do 8 amps or more.

If you do the following, Trainz.com will replace the defective CW-80 with a new one.

 

1. Unplug the unit.

 

2. Make sure you do step 1.

 

Don't laugh - it's been done by many and is very dangerous if you do step 3 before step 1 and 2!

 

3. Cut the power cord as close to the transformer as you can.

 

4. Pull the Orange handle off of the unit.

 

5. Call Trainz.com (866-234-1800) and tell them that you have a defective CW-80.

 

6.  They will create a case number with all of your information and instruct you to send the cord and handle in to them.

 

7. Once the cord and handle are received they will ship you a brand new CW-80 transformer.

 

8. Do not send the transformer in.

 

9. Recycle the rest of the defunct transformer.

 

I hope this helps!

Hi! I have used 8 of these cw80 transformers on my home layout, 13'x23' for the last 7 years or so with NO problems whatsoever! Now my MTH streetcars didn't like them, so I run these off of a kw transformer, all the rest of my trains behave! These include lionel, mth, willams, again, they work great for me!

Have fun! Uncle Al

Train shop exchanged the transformer for a new one. Yes, we checked it for operation before I left the store.

 

I have not had time to try it out yet. But I'll let you know how it goes.

 

Thanks again for everyone's replies.

 

Bill

To be fair, I should follow up and say my CW80 works fine.  It was a short in the wiring in the engine that shut everything down.  Problem fixed.