TW Transformer

[cgtrains]

I have a Lionel TW transformer and I dont know how to hookup all of my switches to it. Can you help? does anybody have the directions for this transformer? I know how to hookup the track to the transformer just need to know what the other post do for me and how to hook up the switches to it. Thanks

[lionelsoni]

http://pictures.olsenstoy.com/searchcd2g.htm

Use A for outside rails, U for center rail, and D for 022 turnouts.

[cgtrains]

Thanks this helps.

[cgtrains]

I tried hooking all of my switches to the D Post and nothing happened. I Have about 6 switches. I was able to get 3 to work hooking up to the F post but could get any others to work. Do you have any suggestions? I'm i doing something wrong? I connected 18 gage wire directly to the post. Thanks for the help.

[ADCX Rob]

cgtrains

I tried hooking all of my switches to the D Post and nothing happened...

 

What catalog # switches?  "D" connected to which switch connection(s)?

Rob

[lionelsoni]

"Use A for outside rails, U for center rail, and D for 022 turnouts."

Are your outside rails connected to the A terminal of your transformer?

Is your center rail connected to the U terminal of your transformer?

Do you in fact have 022 turnouts?

Did you put a "fixed-voltage plug" (711-151) into each turnout and connect that to the D terminal of your transformer?

[cgtrains]

Yes I have full power to my track and the Lockon is connected to a and u.

I do have 022 turnouts for my layout and I have the fixed Voltage plug in the turnouts with 18 gage wire connected to the voltage plug. I was able to connect two turnouts to the F post and those seemed to work and then I connected to the D post and it didnt work. when I went beyond 3 switches on the f post it no longer worked.

 

Thanks for the help.

[lionelsoni]

Are your outside rails connected to the A terminal of your transformer?

Is your center rail connected to the U terminal of your transformer?

Getting this backwards is one way to reduce the voltage to the turnouts.

[bfskinner]

cgtrains

Yes I have full power to my track and the Lockon is connected to a and u.

I do have 022 turnouts for my layout and I have the fixed Voltage plug in the turnouts with 18 gage wire connected to the voltage plug. I was able to connect two turnouts to the F post and those seemed to work and then I connected to the D post and it didnt work. when I went beyond 3 switches on the f post it no longer worked.

cgtrains,

Bob "lionelsoni" Nelson is one of the most helpful members of this forum. Part of the reason is that he is very precise in his choice of words. If he asks a question, you need to answer it with the same precision.

"...the lockon is connected to a and u." does not answer the questions "Are your outside rails connected to the A terminal of your transformer?" and "Is your center rail connected to the U terminal of your transformer?" That's because there is more than one way to connect a lockon, and it can make all the difference with respect to the other connections..

I'm not trying to give you a hard time. I think I understand the way Bob's mind works, and the best thing about it is that it (usually) works quite well -- but to get the benefit of it, you have to play by his rules. OK?

[cgtrains]

BF,

Thanks for the info. I'm new to this stuff and i,m learning how to get this done. to me I know that i have a lockon with to wires going to my transformer. one goes to my a post and one to the U. Like I said i am new so maybe if I new how the lockon worked i could give a better answer. Thanks for your help and I will try and give more detail in the future. Thanks

cgtrains

[cgtrains]

Thanks bob

I will get back to you on this. is there a way I can tell with the lockon? is the left side of the lockon supposed to connected to a or u, and the right side the same thing? Thanks for all your help.

[Chris F]

Confusion regarding proper connecting a lockon to track is so common that my local hobby shop has a piece of track mounted on a board showing all the wrong ways to do it (plus the right way).  Here is a link showing how a lockon should be mounted to the track.  Don't worry if your lockon doesn't have a light and uses clips instead of thumbscrews to attach the wires - yours mounts under the track the same way.

The instructions also show how to connect a modern tranformer, BUT some older transformers - like your TW - connect the opposite way.  Your lockon terminals should be numbered 1 and 2.  Terminal 1 provides power to the center ("hot") rail, while terminal 2 provides power to the outside rail ("common" or "ground").  As Bob noted, you should connect terminal U of the TW transformer to the center rail (terminal 1 of the lockon) and terminal A of the TW transformer to the outside rail (terminal 2 of the lockon).

[cgtrains]

Chris F

Thanks this helps now I understand how this works and I'm going to go check my connection right know to make sure I have it connected right. Again Thanks for this info as this is very help full. I will get back to you.

cgtrains

[lionelsoni]

If you turn a traditional lockon upside-down you can easily see which rail each terminal connects to.  As Chris said, for a "Lionel CTC Lockon", terminal 1, the left terminal, goes to the center rail.  Marx lockons are just the opposite.

For trivia fans, the terminals used on lockons are called "Fahnestock clips".

[cgtrains]

Thanks Bob thats what the problem was. I'm in debt to you. Thanks for all the help. One more question, whats the best way to hook up all the switches? right now I have them all running into a terminal block and then coming out of the terminal block into a wire nut with a power cable or lead to hook a single cable into the transformer rather then 6 or wires. is this ok or is there a better way?

 Thanks again for all the help you are making my kids very happy. 

[lionelsoni]

You're welcome!  The way you've got it is just fine.  Electrically it doesn't matter which way you do it.  Another way is to run the wire from one turnout to another, which can save on the amount of wire you would have had to run.  Since you have a satisfactory arrangement now, I see no reason at all to change it.  Merry Christmas!

[cgtrains]

Thanks Bob tou have a nice christmas as well.

[Chris F]

Now that you have the transformer wiring working, what train are you planning on running?

I'm asking because each of your six O22 turnouts has two lamps that are lit all the time, one on the turnout and one on the controller.  Based on a Postwar listing, the switch lamp is rated at 0.15 Amps at 18V, while the controller lamp is rated at 0.25 Amps at 18V.  Both lamps would draw about 7.2 Watts at 18V, so your six switches would draw about 43 Watts continuously.  I suspect the power requirement would be less at 14V (14/18 x 43, or about 34 Watts??), but that's still more than half of the 60 Watt continous output rating of the TW.  You should be okay running a small modern locomotive with a freight set, but using an older Postwar engine or lighted passenger cars could cause the circuit breaker to trip.

If you experience this problem, the easiest way to solve it is to remove one or more swicth lamps.  There are LED lamps available to reduce power draw.  BTW, power draw to throw the switch, though high, is momentary and doesn't usually cause the TW's circuit breaker to trip.

[PostwarMan07]

So the TW transformer has two separate transformers within itself? One for constant and the other for variable?

[Chris F]

PostwarMan07

So the TW transformer has two separate transformers within itself? One for constant and the other for variable?

Yes, almost.  The TW contains two coil assemblies, each rated at about 90 Watts input/60 Watts output.  Each is protected by a 5 Amp circuit breaker.

The U-A variable voltage and D-A 14V fixed voltage are supplied by one coil assembly.

The other coil provides 14V fixed voltage from terminals E and F.  However, because this power does not use A as common, it cannot be used to power O22 turnouts, or any accessories activated by an insulated track (e.g., crossing gate).  Work-arounds for the accessories could include a pressure contactor or 12VAC relay.

[lionelsoni]

I'm afraid that's not the way I read the schematic, Chris.  I see terminal D as a tap on the accessory transformer.  E and F (unlabeled on the 1953 version) are also on that transformer.  Although they provide 14 volts between them, they can be used with the common terminal, A.  E then provides 12 volts and F provides 26.  The E-A combination is not protected by the accessory circuit breaker.

The service manual says, "For best power utilization, current for the track should be drawn from the variable voltage coil with post 'A' being connected to the outside rails.  This will permit current for 022 switches and other track components or accessories having a common ground with the track to be drawn from the 'D' post  Current for lights or independently operated accessories should be taken from the 14-volt circuit of the fixed voltage coil through the pair of unlettered terminals [E and F after 1953]."

So, powering the turnouts from D does not reduce the current available from U for the train.

[ADCX Rob]

Chris F

PostwarMan07

So the TW transformer has two separate transformers within itself? One for constant and the other for variable?

Yes, almost.  The TW contains two coil assemblies, each rated at about 90 Watts input/60 Watts output.  Each is protected by a 5 Amp circuit breaker.

The U-A variable voltage and D-A 14V fixed voltage are supplied by one coil assembly.

A is common.  U-A uses the variable coil.  D-A uses the fixed windings.  D,E, & F all use the fixed windings at 14, 12, & 26 volts respectively to "A". 

C-A will give you 18 volts fixed, but off the variable windings.  C-U will give you 11-0 volts variable - that's right - in reverse of throttle markings - with no whistle/direction control, from the variable windings.

Chris F

The other coil provides 14V fixed voltage from terminals E and F.  However, because this power does not use A as common, it cannot be used to power O22 turnouts, or any accessories activated by an insulated track (e.g., crossing gate).  Work-arounds for the accessories could include a pressure contactor or 12VAC relay.

 

Using "A" as common. there are several combinations that will allow you to run/operate O22 turnouts(D to fixed voltage plug), or any accessories activated by an insulated tracks (e.g., crossing gate) at 12, 14, or 26(a little high for most accessories...) volts..

Rob

[cgtrains]

Chris F,

Thanks I plan on running a virginan engine from the 50's that my father has handed down to me. I will also be running a few accesiories that have some lights. I should be ok.

[lionelsoni]

Rob, generally right; but 26, not 24, volts from F-A and 11-0, not 18-0, from C-U.

Cqtrains, the bottom line is that you have the full 60 watts available for your train.

[ADCX Rob]

lionelsoni

Rob, generally right; but 26, not 24, volts from F-A and 11-0, not 18-0, from C-U.

Cqtrains, the bottom line is that you have the full 60 watts available for your train.

 

YUP corrections made above...

Rob

[Chris F]

Bob and Rob, thanks for correcting the confusion I may have caused.  I did indeed mis-read the schematic.  I even have a TW packed away somewhere - I guess it's past time I started using it!

[cgtrains]

Thanks Everyone I nhave the train running right now just a couple of switches that I need to take a look at as they dont seem to be getting the same power as the rest. Also how easy is it to but a new cord on the trasformer as I think that I have a short in it near the plug head? Thanks again.

[lionelsoni]

Are you sure it's a short circuit?  That would be fairly spectacular and maybe trip a house circuit breaker.  If it just stops working when you move the cord, that's an open circuit.  If it's indeed right at the plug, consider just replacing the plug.  You can probably find a decent replacement at any home-improvement store.  Some of them can even be installed without any tools.

[cgtrains]

Thanks Bob,

yes I have to bend the cord near the head in order to get power to the transformer. would it be easier to just replace the whole thing rather then the head. its the orginaial cord from the 50's cant beleive that it lasted this long. Thanks again

[lionelsoni]

If it's still supple, there's no reason to replace it; and it's a lot easier to replace just the plug.  I'm using an 80-year-old type T with an original cord that will likely outlast me.

The original plug on your TW would not be polarized, while the replacement probably will be.  If you don't care, it doesn't matter electrically which way you put it on.  But, if the cord has what they call an "identified conductor", you might want to connect that conductor to the fat blade.  The way it is "identified" is by molding a very subtle ridge into the outside edge of the insulation.  If the ridge is there, you may be able to feel it by rubbing your thumb lightly across the cord.  Another approach to take is to file or grind the fat blade so that the plug is unpolarized like the original.  The blades of most plugs are not wider along their full length but just at the tip.