Rw with kw

[Tranz4mr.com]

stuartmit

I Can't understand why Lionel  did not designate  so that all u posts woud be used in the same way. But it seems as if in the smaller transformers they U goes to center rail, and the reverse is true on the ZW and KW. 

All single throttle postwar Lionel transformers U goes to the center rail. All transformers with multiple throttles (ZW/KW/SW) U goes to the outside rail.

I'm not sure why they went that way but it must have to do with the whistle which requires the DC activation signal polarity to be correct.

[stuartmit]

yes   i understand both of your comments.  To me, it would seem more intuitive if one was clock wise, and the other counterclock wise, but that may be impossible, and perhaps if I opened  up the KW, I would see why. I'm just building a plan based on the Senea Falls layout from 2017, and I want the passing sidings on different throttles, so I can slow one train to allow another to get by. I've already pulled or pushed one of the throttles in the wrong direction, which I think I could have avoided  if they both were higher voltage toward the back and lower  toward the front, or the reverse.  When I made the comment previously about  different mounting schemes for the KW,  I didn't realize how the throttles worked.  

[ADCX Rob]

stuartmit

... why the KW throttles work in opposite ways...

Both A & B throttles on the KW increase as you turn clockwise, unlike the R, SW, ZW.

stuartmit

...I understand the SW has 130 watts and the RW puts out 110...

Those are both input ratings. Figure ~70% of that figure for a continuous output rating.

[stuartmit]

Now lets return to the .problem I am trying to solve. I was surprised that my 773 seemedto run better on  the 0-14v circuit of the SW than it did on 0-19v circuit from RW. I understand the SW has130 watts and the RW puts out 110, and I understand that higher  voltage can compensate for lower wattage in some way because it follows  an equation whichI have seen, but  I dont recall. So does the highwattage available in the SW make up for a 5 volt lower voltage when used on the lower variable voltage throttle of the SW?  I ask this because if I remove my KW with the two throttles which operate in opposite and confusing  directions and replace with 2 of the rw's, will I be happy with my Hudson's performance? I am surprised to have observed that my Fairbanks Trainmaster which is dual motored seems to demand less of the transformer than the single motored Hudson

[stuartmit]

I Can't understand why Lionel  did not designate  so that all u posts woud be used in the same way. But it seems as if in the smaller transformers they U goes to center rail, and the reverse is true on the ZW and KW. 

I'm sure  there is a  real design question that I could understand if I played around with  it as to why the KW throttles work in opposite ways, but in any even, that design can have disastrous effects! Scary enough so that I may remove my KW and replace with perhaps 2 of my RW's

  

[ADCX Rob]

stuartmit

...except for the fact that there is no direction control in either variable circuit on the SW...

On the SW, "U" is common. The whistle control is on the "A" post, and should go to the center rail. The "B" post does not have whistle control, & neither A or B have direction control other than throttling down all the way.

[stuartmit]

I Was dissatisfied with the RW hooked up with terminal B supplying track power and switched to using terminal A. Of course that raised the fixed voltage combination to 19 V which I discovered was too much when I noticed I had melted one of the 022 switch lanterns.

I recalled that I had been fooling with an SW when I was first putting down some track, and was surprisingly satisfied with the low voltage variable circuit which goes up to 14 V, as track power.  That variable setting is posts D and U

I then connected the high-voltage range variable to the wire I had run for constant voltage to the 022 switch plugs, and set it at about 15 V output.  This seems to be working better, except for the fact that there is no direction control in either variable circuit on the SW.  but because of the way I operate this block of track, the lack of a direction control button isn't critical. And I can always install my own.

 

 

[stuartmit]

Ok that's an interesting idea.  Thnks! 

[ADCX Rob]

3 RWs is a nice setup.

The KW can be mounted on its side with the base on a board so the top is facing right, and the terminals facing either forward or down, and the dials for both A-U & B-U turn clockwise like the two right hand dials of a ZW. It's more intuitive this way.

[stuartmit]

Would 3 rws be better?  More total wattage, and the kw throttles operate in the reverse of what is intuitive-- you pull down for more voltage and speed;  I find it confusing. Of course, I could mount it turned around, but then the power cord is in the way and the terminals are in front, not a preferred location.

[ADCX Rob]

If 15 volts is enough to run your RW loop, then you are good to go using "D"(15 volts) for the fixed voltage plugs on the switches and "B" as your common.

A-U with "A" as common will give you 19 volts variable for the train, and 19 volts fixed on "D" for the switches.

Remember to consider the amount of power the switches use at rest... 6-8 watts each just for the lights on the switch and controller. The RW is rated for 70-75 watts output.

And yes, stuartmit is correct, the "U" post on the RW does, in fact, go to the center rail, lockon clip 1.

[stuartmit]

Want  three throttles on my layout, So was going to use a KW and an RW. But I want my number 022 switches to work on 16 V constant voltage. I can get that out of the RW. So I am connecting the B post of the RW to the U post of the KW and then will use the U post of the RW on one block of Track for center rail while using the a and B posts of the KW on two other blocks of track Center rails. Does that sound like a proper hook up?