I have a layout which I have constructed with 1950's approach to wiring. I use some relays to turn off trains as signals change from green to red in reponse to electtically insulated control rails which activate the relays. I have a 1033, RW and a ZW phased together to control different areas of the layout. I have my track divided into blocks with toggle switches and I also have gargraves track which allows many areas where one running rail is not live so as to allow using it as an electically insulated rail for the relay control described above. However I have not painstakingly made sure the isolated rail is always the inner or outer rail, and there are areas where both are live. all very old school;.
Is There a hand held throttle approach which would easily be installed? Remember I do not have perfectly continuous ground in one or the other rrunning rail, and my power is interrupted with blocks. Turnout motors are NJ INTL or similar dual coil and relays are 12 volt ac which run off the C or D ring of the ZW, and I do not rectify the AC current, which is probably not too smart, b ut that is where I am at!
Whaddaya say, besides the fact that I will deteriorate my relays, (tho cant see any ill effects yet).
What you are asking for and how your layout is designed I doubt that you would be successful. Sounds like you are not contemplating true command control such as Lionel's TMCC or MTH's DCS but just the ability to control conventional trains away from the transformers using a hand controller. I believe that the MTH large Z-4000 transformer use to have a hand controller that would control the power output, not sure if that function is still available.
Bill T.
TMCC or TMCC Legacy.
One wire - from the Command Base or Legacy Base, to one "U" terminal of your ZW, and the whole layout is now command controlled and ready for TMCC engines and equipment.
HOWEVER, if you just want to control trains with handheld remotes, you are also good to go with just a single CAB-1 remote, and then a PM-1 PowerMaster for each throttle(handle of 1033, RW, or ZW) you want to control. Up to 9 PM-1's can be on any one layout, and you can add them at any time as you wish. The PM-1 is installed between your transformer(set to full power) and the track power connection. This is TMCC "Conventional" control, and the layout will work exactly as before, with train control transferred to the remote. You can have as many remotes as you wish, and they can each control every track as desired.
Rob
I recently installed a Powermaster on the layout at my parents, and have been pleased with it. As Rob said, it allows me to run conventional locos using the Cab-1remote rather than the handle on the transformer to control track voltage. Lionel sells their 180 watt bricks to use with the Powermaster, but you can also power it off a regular transformer (requires a special cable). It was an easy install. I ran the power from our ZW to the Powermaster thru a toggle switch, so I have the option to use either traditional transformer control or the Cab-1 to run my trains.
The one knock on the Powermaster is that it puts out a very irregular-looking AC sine wave. This means that your e-units will be MUCH louder than under conventional transformer control. On the other hand, lamps will burn brighter than before at lower voltage, and steamers will smoke better at lower speeds. Locos with can motors now have significantly lower minimum speed, too. Also, the Powermaster does not provide much (any?) extra voltage when the Horn button is depressed, meaning that old whistle motors do not work as well at low speeds. Altogether, I am happy with it; switching is so much easier and more enjoyable, and with my setup, I don't have to use it when I don't want to.
If you do a bit of shopping on eBay, you can get the older 135W PowerMaster and the matching 135W PowerHouse transformers pretty cheap. This may be the least painful way to get started with the project. Add a CAB-1 remote, and you're all set. :)
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