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zw vs kw

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  • Member since
    February 2009
  • From: Leavenworth
  • 119 posts
zw vs kw
Posted by mgbbob on Monday, March 23, 2020 11:08 AM

Good morning.  All my train life my small layout was powered by a KW.  It finally died and when I sent it off for repair I invested in a ZW.  I had tranformer envy not having the king.  Yesterday I moved one of my lines with switches back to the KW.  I ran the constant power tap to the switches and I am running that line and my tolley line with the KW.  I still have my outer loop running on the ZW and a TW running my upper loop.  I could move the upper loop to the ZW but the accessory side of the TW makes it nice to have available.   Who knows, I will play with this for a while and see what happens.  Maybe I need another TW.  Takes up a lot less room.

 

  • Member since
    April 2005
  • From: South Carolina
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Posted by rtraincollector on Monday, March 23, 2020 6:43 PM

I have a 12' 16 layout. The first two loops are powered by one ZW. ( A & D ) then on the B post I have my switches hooked to. ( I have 14 of them ) 

Life's hard, even harder if your stupid  John Wayne

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Posted by fifedog on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 6:59 AM

It sounds like you are actually collecting transformers.

What you need is a LW, so that you can bask in the nostalgic electric glow.

IdeaCool

Pssst! Ouch. Cinged my forehead again...

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Austin, TX
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Posted by lionelsoni on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 9:32 AM

Or a 107 or 170.

Bob Nelson

  • Member since
    February 2009
  • From: Leavenworth
  • 119 posts
Posted by mgbbob on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 4:06 PM

I have a problem with my B post.  I looked down this spring and it was not connected.  I removed the stud and left the wire hang.  I don't know if I can get back down in there to resolder it or not.  

  • Member since
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  • From: Kokomo, Indiana
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Posted by emdmike on Wednesday, March 25, 2020 11:47 AM

Back when I had a larger layout, I used the inner dials on my ZW for switch power on one side and building lights on the other.  Then the power was variable and I could dial it in to what was needed to run things.  The outer levers where for train control.  I always found the KW confusing to operate with the levers being opposite of each other in their function.  That might be a processing issue due to being on the autism spectrum.  These days I just an old RW to run my small layout.     Mike the Aspie

Silly NT's, I have Asperger's Syndrome

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    February 2009
  • 44 posts
Posted by bridgeengineer on Wednesday, March 25, 2020 3:05 PM

Back when I was a teenager and before I bought a ZW, I used a KW on my 10'x7' two-track layout.  I used a common ground system and actuated the several #151 semaphores with insulated outer rails.  The problem with the KW was that the only fixed voltages available for common ground use were 6 v. and 20 v.  The 14 v. on the center posts would have been good, but was not usable for the common ground method.  The 20 v. was kind of hard on the solenoids and bulbs.  With the ZW, that problem was solved.  Now, the TW is good in that you can use either 14 v. or 18 v. fixed with a common ground setup. 

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Posted by NNJRailfan on Friday, April 10, 2020 9:55 AM

MGBBOB, are you referring to a KW or ZW?  Replacement posts with screw backs are available cheap on ebay, no soldering required.

On my ZW I use the inner power dials for accessories so I can provide optimal voltage to get them to operate well.  One is set to 14v and the other to 18v and each has a bus line running the length of my layout.

This car stops at ALL railroad crossings!

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Austin, TX
  • 10,096 posts
Posted by lionelsoni on Friday, April 10, 2020 12:09 PM

An 8-32 screw will also replace the T-159 binding post of a KW, Z, or ZW if you don't mind seeing a nut at the base of the post.

Bob Nelson

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