Lionel Prewar Wiring Diagrams

[Krokodil]

Hello

 

Help needed.

I am from Austria with extremely limited access to Lionel trains information. I own a vintage Lionel train set from the pre war production. Of course I could not get the original ZW controller in that wonderful bakelite box with 2 levers and buttons to control the trains. According to my information they were never made for 230V power line.

In last summer I could get a new electronic ZW unit without a transformer, and because I love the external design of this unit I took it in the hope that it is working with my old train set. I consulted the compatibility with Lionel support, and they confirmed it. Unfortunately the first test run ended in disaster. The ZW output burned out. ( at least one of the FET is gone). (I fed the unit from external unfiltered DC18V). I have no information about the internal circuitry, so I have no idea, why the overload protection did not work. Anyway without a schematics it is extremely difficult to fix it. The manufacturer will not help me.

So I desided to replace in the original throttle the entire electronics. ( I do not need a wireless control). I already designed and built the power stage with AC PWM up to 20A) ,  the train is running well, I have a problem how to control the whistle. As I understood the relay is some kind of DC relay and requires about 3-5V DC component in the AC track voltage.

Can somebody help me with basic information how those vintage trains were exactly controlled. The tender with whistle  works well when I switch the tracks to DC power.

I would like to sort out the whistle control to show my set in one of the following train shows in our area.

 

Thank you very much! 

Eugen

[TrainLarry]

Here is a page with various motor wiring diagrams; with no reverse unit, and with various reverse units. Although the diagrams are for postwar locos, the wiring of prewar locos is similar.

These diagrams should help you get your locos running.

 

Larry

[ADCX Rob]

Here is the diagram for F-N-R "E" models - shows 2 lights but disregard that connection for 1 or 0 lights. Click on image for large format.

Some locomotives have the connections to the brushes switched with the connections to the field at the E-Unit(it doesn't matter - works the same) by grounding one brush instead of grounding one field wire.

[dlagrua]

On most all Lionel motors you have two elements, the brushes and the field windings. The power feeds through the feed windings to each brush. Depending on the way the power flows through the field it applies the magnetic force that determines the direction that the motor will turn. Lionel typically used "Universal AC motors. If you do an search online for universal AC motors they are mainly hooked up alike.

[pennytrains]

There are some general diagrams here: http://pictures.olsenstoy.com/searchcd1.htm.  They're not internal motor wiring diagrams though.

[Hoffman]

Hello!

I am wondering if there is a some sort of central resource for wiring diagrams of prewar engines.  I have a bunch that the cosmetics are great but the works are shot - gradually going through them and working on the motors.  Much of the wiring is shot or gone.  Diagrams would be great but so far haven't found a good source of them.

Thank you!

Paul