The more I read, the more I think....(maybe not so good)
I am using a Post War ZW-275 and am considering expanding with the new ZW package.
Should I or shouldn't I? Simple answer or would be great.
PS...I really trust your expertise. After reading all the posts about the CW-80, I got one and to date, no problems. You were all a great help.
As always, thanks.
Can you provide some more information on why the need to upgrade? I have a PW-ZW, and I love it, and you'll find in pics that there are a lot of others that believe in the same.
1. What are you expanding, and by how much? Why do you think you need to upgrade?
Kurt
Did you max out the power supply output on the 4-ZW channels??? Or just want to do different things?
My ZW runs:
A: Train A
B: Train B
C: Switches, accessories, and UCS. (They don't operate at the same time so you can connect quite a few.)
D: Building and yard lighting.
+ you have an 80w CW.
If you are looking for different building light levels you can branch off a light circuit, and add a rheostat or bridge rectifier series, or use different wattage bulbs.
Can you be more specific???
Sorry I'm drifting off the path...I'm hoping to save you some cash, by not buying something you don't need.
Kurt: 1st of all, thanks for your attention. Presently, I'm running five separate trains. Four off the ZW and one off the CW-80. My accessories are running off the CW-80. What I'd like to do is expand and run two more. I really like the action of having trains running all over the place! Also, with another ZW, I'd have more accessory hook-ups.
As far as cost, I appreciate your concern. Just thought, that instead of buying another older ZW, I'd go with a brand new one. My original question came to mind when I read some of the comments about the new ZW.
Again, thanks.
When cost isn’t a factor I would consider TMCC mainly because I do not have any experience with MTH. What I like is the 400TPC with the power blocks. It is expensive but then again I do run 5 trains on five different tracks and it doesn’t matter which manufacture. Since my mainlines are not large enough to run multiply trains with freight on the same mainline it is a great working solution for me.
After running the route of adding several new transformers for each mainline I just decided to clean the top of the table and run with the TMCC. The result is that I have nothing in view since everything can mount either on the side or below the layout.
The 400 TPX permits me to use two 180-power bricks if I want to so there is never a problem with power. Running any train in conventional mode is easy and to tell you the truth I don’t miss the fancy options when running the MTH engines. I’m not even sure what I am missing since everything I want works such as crew talk, couplers and slow speed control. I suppose you can get them to go slower but if they go any slower they wouldn’t move at all.
In any event I love the set up and I think having the freedom to move around with the Cab 1 is great.
I think the few reports of the new ZW are greatly blown out of proportion. It is a nice power source though I would give the edge to the big MTH transformer because you don’t need the power bricks and I like the meters that are built in. As for the older ZW compared to the newer ZW my thoughts are to buy the newer version if you are running newer trains.
I’m sure that the MTH DSC system would offer just as many advantages but I happen to like the TMCC system because that is what I have. The good news is that I am pretty much set up for any future expansion with my power source. I went the cheap route and in the long run it ended up costing more a lot more money.
A word of caution on the older transformers. I'd stick a 15amp, 32 volt, quick blow fuse inline on the hot side, before it goes to a TIU, AIU or the transformer. I'm having fits with my 4 truck MTH Shay because I did not have a fuse inline, and a derailment was pretty rough electrically on the Shay. Just a thought, Jake
PS. A fuse needs to be put on every hot lead, all 4 post, A through D, between your track, and anything else. If something happens on the track, the first thing that short needs to run in to is the quick blow fuse.
PS. Again. I know PW ZW's have a breaker, but it reacts to slowly to do much good on the new stuff with boards & circuits, etc.
Fred: Thanks for the advice.
The question of fuses and circuit breakers came up recently on another topic. I'll repeat my post here:
Circuit breakers are good things to have. Whatever the weaknesses of postwar circuit breakers, a more important concern is that they do not protect against all overloads. In particular, accidental connections among the output terminals that you would wire to the center rails have no effect on the circuit breaker, which is in the return path, connected to the outside rails. So it is a good idea for safety to add the individual circuit breakers that Lionel left out.
On the other hand, depending on circuit breakers or fuses to protect electronics-intensive modern locomotives is chancy. A short circuit draws current that bypasses the locomotive and is therefore no direct threat. But when the short circuit is cleared, the inductive nature of the transformer may well produce a damaging voltage spike. Short circuits are rarely single events; the short circuit almost always closes and opens many times, creating many opportunities for spikes. The best protection for this is a transient voltage suppressor (TVS).
Both of these ways of adding protection have been discussed here many times before. You should be able to find much more information by searching.
Bob Nelson
Bob, what exactly is a TVS? Can you provide a Radio Shack part number for that? Does Radio Shack carry such an item? Can it be reset or is a fuse type deal where once blown, it's useless? Thanks, Jake
PS. Slip switch is working like a charm! Thanks for sticking with me and having patience!
I'm pretty sure Radio Shack doesn't have them. You have to get one rated for the maximum track voltage you're using. That's the maximum instantaneous voltage, which is 40 percent more than the maximum RMS voltage. (Or about 30 volts for a 21-volt ZW.) The reason is that the TVS limits the voltage to that value; so, if you get the right one, it won't do anything to the normal track voltage; but it will keep any higher voltage from getting on the track, which is exactly what you want. You also have to get a bidirectional TVS, since you are trying to limit excess voltage of either polarity.
You don't have to reset or replace a TVS; although, if the TVS isn't hefty enough or a spike is too big for it, it can be destroyed. But it's not hard to get one that's plenty tough for our purposes.
Search the forum for "TVS" to get detailed advice on voltage ratings, part numbers, and sources.
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