Lionel and MTH?

[Anonymous]

Are mth and lionel compatable with their track and transformers? I have several pieces of the mth track and a mth transformer. Will lionel trains with railsounds or trainsounds work with the mth transformer and track? Im looking into buying a engine with trainsounds and i was just hoping i would not have to buy a seperate transformer, etc. Thanks Craig

[otftch]

I've had trouble firing the couplers and accessing some of the sounds.I use a DPDT switch to change transformers for each system.
Ed

[csxt30]

Yes, your Railsounds engines will work with an MTH transformer & track. As for firing the couplers, you would be talking running in TMCC, & then you would need the TMCC command base & cab-1. I think if you are talking about just running a Lionel engine equipped with Railsounds & in normal conventional control, you will be fine with an MTH transformer. You will get the whistle sounds & horn or bell sounds & other engine sounds. It might be good to let us know what MTH transformer you have. Others will be along to help you also.
Wishing you the best !!
Thanks,

[Anonymous]

Like John said!

[thatboy37]

when i ha d my lionel ns sd80mac runnig in my other house before i moved. i was using the mth z4000 with the lionel cab-1 controller and base it worked fine. all the bells whistles, tower com what everelse you could name. i could even shut down the engine with these two house hold names combined together with no problem. but after about 30 minutes of running the engine would heat up really good and eventually come to a halt. i could never figure out why it was doing that but after a few conversations with hobbist they told me it would work fine but the mixture of names and the different frequencies is the reason that it would over heat. so it would be best if you went all the same name brands that way you want encounter these problems. hope this helps a little. now im gone trade in my two mth z4000's and get lionel power houses or blocks which ever is the correct name that way i want have these problems when i build my new layout in my new house. if im wrong could or this doesnt sound correct inform or correct that way i dont have these problems in the long run.

[rogruth]

I have run Lionel{post-war & new} , Williams, K-Line And a Beep with a Z4000 and have never had a problem .

[thatboy37]

being you have run all these things with your z4000 na dnot to say he is wrong what do you think is the problem with my sd80macs over heating after about 30 minutes of continous running. help please would like to get this problem resolved before i start laying down track.

[dbaker48]

I have just the opposite, new ZW with 2 bricks, command ctr, and Cab-1. Also have DCS TIU and AIU with 2 remotes. Running both Lionel and MTH. Wish I had the Z4000 xfmr instead.

[thatboy37]

i been told that they want work together but from what i hear from you they work fine together. i'm going to keep my two z4000's and pray that io can get my problem resolved

[jimhaleyscomet]

Some of the newer diesels are sealed so tight (for sound) that they tend to overheat. At our club we try not to run new diesels for more than thirty minutes. Depending on just how hot it gets, it may be just that engine design and not a faulty unit. The engines don't typically grind to a halt after 30 minutes though. The only transformer I have had a problem with is the CW-80 when run with PS2 or TMCC and then it is a command problem not an overheating problem. Otherwise, I have never had a problem running TMCC (Lionel) and PS2 units together. I would not return your Z4000 transformers, they should do fine.

Jim H

[highrailjon]

I power my layout with an MTH Z4000 w/ Realtrax track. I run my PS-1 engines in conventional or my Lionel/ 3rd Rail engines in TMCC mode without any problems.