MTH Z-4000 Transformer having issues with Lionel engines Bell and Wst/Hrn functions

[ANDREW AMANTE]

ANDREW AMANTE

Factory fresh, new, MTH Z-4000 Transformer having issues with Lionel engines/tenders Bell and Wst/Hrn functions.

I recently purchased a new MTH Z-4000.  Upon testing it on my trains I found the following problem. Has anyone had the same experience or know the solution?

Problem: Lionel engines involved: 38649, 38312, 28696.   The bell works at 11Volts or below and the WST/HRN works at 15 Volts and below.  They do not work above these Voltages.   MTH and Williams work fine at any voltage! 

Note: MTH tech people never experienced this and are checking into it.  They will get back to me and I will update.   

 

I there no other persons out there that have had this problem with bell and wst/hrn on the Z-4000 and lionel engines????

[dbeaghley]

I also had a similar problem.  I have older lionel passenger cars hooked up to a mth engine.  With the mthz400 the engine bell  goes off or the engine does not run correctly.  Hook up a mth z100 transformer and everything works fine.

[phillyreading]

The best thing to do is use a new Lionel transformer with the new Lionel engines as MTH and Lionel have electronics differences in the transformers. Lionel might have what is called "chopped wave" and MTH may have "pure wave". I can't explain how the 2 transformer types work but have seen the terms many times.

I don't have any current Lionel engines, all my Lionel engines are over 12 years old. I have some Williams(pre-Bachmann) and MTH engines and have no problem using a post war ZW or an MTH Z-1000 with my MTH and Williams engines.

[ANDREW AMANTE]

Factory fresh, new, MTH Z-4000 Transformer having issues with Lionel engines/tenders Bell and Wst/Hrn functions.

I recently purchased a new MTH Z-4000.  Upon testing it on my trains I found the following problem. Has anyone had the same experience or know the solution?

Problem: Lionel engines involved: 38649, 38312, 28696.   The bell works at 11Volts or below and the WST/HRN works at 15 Volts and below.  They do not work above these Voltages.   MTH and Williams work fine at any voltage! 

Note: MTH tech people never experienced this and are checking into it.  They will get back to me and I will update.