Lionel 180 watt powerhouse

[wrmcclellan]

joncoy,

The 180 W or 135 W Powerhouses are just 18 volt transformers with a circuit breaker. In these days (since Lionel only offers the CW-80 and ZW for powering trains) they are used to either feed a TMCC Powermaster (or TMCC Track Power Controllers) or a new ZW in order for you to control the voltage to the track. There are no handles on the Powerhouses to manually control the track voltage level, you must use the remote control.

Thus the TMCC Powermaster requires the TMCC Command Base and TMCC CAB-1 (the remote control unit) in order to operate as the TMCC Powermaster is equipped with a TMCC receiver for remote control of voltage level to the track using the dial and buttons on the CAB-1 remote..

When used with a new ZW, the ZW has traditional handles so you can manually adjust power to the track. The new ZW can use 1 Powerhouse (when 1 PH is used, jumpers are installed to bridge the PH voltage to each of the 4 outputs on the ZW) up through 4 Powerhouses. Thus the new ZW becomes a 180 W (or 135W) transformer for all 4 outputs or with all 4 Powerhouses it can supply 180W (or 135W) to each of 4 outputs.

Additionally, the new ZW also operates with the TMCC Command Base and CAB-1 so you can remotely control the output voltage levels to the track (or tracks).

There is one other option. The TMCC Lock On allows you to directly attach a Powerhouse to the track (full 18 volts all the time) if you operate ONLY in a TMCC environment with NO conventional locos on the track (they will take off with 18 volts).

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Roy

[laz 57]

JONCOY,
The 180 watt power blocks plug into the new ZW transformers or you can buy a cicut protector, from Lionel that looks like a little shed on the sides of the track. This will protect your engines incase of a short somewhere. If you get the circut protector, all you have to do is take out the four screws from the bottom and plug it in then hook up your wire leads to the track. If you are running it with a Cab1 in TMCC then there is a place for the ground wire. It all is in the instructions and they cost about $30. Hope this helps.
laz57

[Buckeye Riveter]

It plugs into the wall, but I have a surge protector between the 180 "brick" and the wall outlet.

Basically, it takes household current and knocks it down to 18 + volts. Then people use a ZW or a TMCC unit to vary the voltage to the track or engine respectively.

[Anonymous]

Can anyone tell me what the 180 watt Powerhouse does? Does it plug into a transformer or what?