OK, here is what I have found out so far:I have a 6-32930 ZW with two 180 watt power supplies.The power supplies are fine and put out over 19 volts AC. The circuit board in the thing that looks like a ZW has burn spots and needs to be replaced. I went to the Lionel online store on Monday and there it was a 691-PCB1-069 circuit board for $99 BUT it said unavailable?I mailed Lionel through Lionel.com and I am still waiting for a reply? THE VERY NEXT DAY the part was no longer in the Lionel store????I called a local Lionel service center and guess what; even the service center can NOT get the part through the dealer parts list????The person I talked to at the local service center was very nice and said that he would check with the manager of Lionel's customer service (by email) and call me back when he found out what was going on.When he calls I will pass on that information.I fear that Lionel is no longer backing up that product with replacement parts?
I thought Lionel had stated that they would have parts for 3 years after production of an item that had been stopped. Not sure if electronics would fall into that scenario.
Bill T.
I still did not get a reply from Lionel.com? I still have not received a call from the local Lionel service center as to the status of the circuit board that they can't buy from Lionel?
I feel that this is something that CTT would do well to investigate and write an article about the LACK of support from Lionel on the modern ZW. The article could be titled "How To Push Your Lionel train Around The Track By Hand This Christmas" OR "How To Email Lionel And Be Ignored".
Sadly, it does NOT surprise me based on what I have seen from Lionel in the last year or two. If they do not support what you buy then you have to buy another one when yours dies. Makes more money that way!
Roger
Not me I am going to park the modern ZW piece of junk and use my Postwar ZW. Still no reply from Lionel.com or the local Lionel service center. If I want modern anything from now on I will go to MTH in Coloumbia Maryland it is only 12 miles from here where they make the trains. At least this way I can talk to the main service center face to face.
There have been a number of postings on other forums in regards to the Lionel modern ZW frying out on one or another type of electrical shorts. I would think that Lionel would take these transformers in as trade-ins in their new ZW that is scheduled to be released around the first of the year.
call lionel when you do once you get a service opperator insist to talk to technical support ( you do better with those guys) as sometimes they have the parts from a return one and will send it to you where it won't show up in stock.
Life's hard, even harder if your stupid John Wayne
http://rtssite.shutterfly.com/
I emailed Lionel AGAIN through Lionel.com lets see if they reply. I can't wait to waste more money on the the newest version of Lionel's unsupported modern ZW. What I am trying to do now is to buy another 'smoked' ZW from a friend of mine so that I can have the parts I need to fix the circuit board. I have had 3,600 hours of formal electronic training through Bellcore and ATT&T so I am willing to give it a try.
"rtraincollector": From my experience with Lionel, I agree that the guys at the "tech desk" are more sympathetic and knowledgeable that the "customer service" reps. Certainly worth a call.
I can't wait to waste more money on the the newest version of Lionel's unsupported modern ZW
I would think the the new Lionel ZW will take in account the flaws in the current version and be darn near bullet proof, especially since it is in the $700 list price. Not many folks going to plunk down that kind of money for a smoker.
pltbowie I emailed Lionel AGAIN through Lionel.com lets see if they reply. I can't wait to waste more money on the the newest version of Lionel's unsupported modern ZW. What I am trying to do now is to buy another 'smoked' ZW from a friend of mine so that I can have the parts I need to fix the circuit board. I have had 3,600 hours of formal electronic training through Bellcore and ATT&T so I am willing to give it a try.
My personal experince is 100% better to call than email and demand to talk and agree your going to wait to talk to a tech rep. you may be on hold about 15- 30 minutes but your going to get better help, as email your just going to get customer suport rep that from what I understand is like a collage student that really don't know anything about trains and just looks in the website diagrams as you can and did.
Check out this ZW on ebay it needs repairs but might have a good card
but might be the card is bad also person knows nothin about it
http://cgi.ebay.com/Lionel-ZW-Transformer-6-14124-Controller-power-house-/200546951172?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item2eb187a004
it would be a shot in the dark
I am way ahead of you. The seller has already told me that theperson they got it from informed them that it did not work. I may buy it for parts??? I see that on my circuit board a MTP33N 10EG 524 chip is fried on the D-U terminal; finding it is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
I no longer have access to the electrical engineering books I used to have, but that part number looks to me a like a CPU chip. Is it 2-3 inches long and about 3/4 inches wide? If it is, some of the other smaller chips may be toast as well. It may be a 15 volt chip and that may have taken out some nearby chips. Good luck.
No, it is a TMOS power FET 33 amperes 100 volts RDS (on) 0.06 ohm - Motorola, Inc. Once again I agree a lot more chips could be cooked.
OK, I am making some progress. First I found the FET I needed at usource.com Second I ordered the main board chip (cpu) from Lionel. However I have not heard back from the local Lionel service center or Lionel.com about getting the whole circuit board ?????
In reading this topic, it makes me so happy I stayed with conventional opertion and use Lionel KW transformers in pairs. I have three layouts 1 in each of my two offices and one in my attic. On my smallest loop layout with one one sidetrack I use an American Flyer 4B transformer with ease.
pltbowie Not me I am going to park the modern ZW piece of junk and use my Postwar ZW. Still no reply from Lionel.com or the local Lionel service center. If I want modern anything from now on I will go to MTH in Coloumbia Maryland it is only 12 miles from here where they make the trains. At least this way I can talk to the main service center face to face.
Mr. pitbowie/no profile,
1. I have issues with modern electronics also, but your posting dates indicate you are trying to get a hold of Lionel during Thanksgiving week AND on Thanksgiving Day. That will not happen. Wait until Monday.
2. Where did you get the information that MTH "makes" their products in Columbia, Md. I have been there. There is no manufacturing facility there.
3. You stirred up a mess on another forum on the same subject, didn't you... yes. We all read the same stuff. Lighten up and call on Monday.
Dennis
Anyone that pays me a paycheck can tell me what to do or say all others I will ignor. BTW I am retired.
If you are retired then why have you not called Lionel?I've had my Modern ZW for over 5 years and had no problems with it.Hope you get this resolved.
As I pointed out before the local Lionel service center has contacted the manager of Lionel's customer service via email He said that that is the way for him to contact the manager to get an answer. I will quote the local Lionel service center owner "they don't like phone calls"; he said he always uses email. So far he has not had a reply to the circuit board question (maybe Monday?). Maybe Lionel is in the transitional stage of interducing the newest ZW??? Maybe they will be selling a newer version of the circuit board once they have them??? Maybe, maybe, maybe. As far as how many postwar transformers that I have reconditoned just go to eBay and look at user pltbowie and read the feedbacks. I did go on a tour once at MTH in Columbia, Maryland but that was right after they built thier huge new factory about eight or so years ago. I am not sure if they still have tours or not; I don't see tours on the web site; I will email them.
Pitbowie, I have to agree with several others on this forum, CALL. My email was responded to 3 days later, and then it was a back and forth email thing.
I have had issues with my Modern ZW, I called, got an RA and it was back in 3 weeks, repaired and have had no other problems. I've had some issues with other things as well.
I called, was on hold 20 minutes, but my problem was addressed, the parts shipped FREE and I was more than completely satisfied.
The techs there are wonderful, knew what was going on and took care of it right then.
In my opinion, emailing is useless. If you're retired, then calling should be no big deal.
BTW, I have also had MTH problems, the tech dept. was great, just faster to pick up the phone.
I am the monster in your head...And I thought you'd learn by now, It seems you haven't yet.I am the venom in your skin --- Breaking Benjamin
, Well here's my two cents about buying new Lionel; I won't do it!
Lionel has left me with a bad taste in my mouth after they would not acknowledge a problem with the O gauge switches # 6-23010 & 6-23011, made about 10 years ago. Lionel said they never heard of any problems with their switches, so now I am using Gargraves track and switches.
Now Lionel is having problems with the new ZW's made in China.
Lee F.
Yes, I get the message I will call. It is 3:30 AM now but later today I will call the local service center first to make sure they have not received a reply. If they can't get a reply from the customer service manager then I will call Lionel.
Lee,Lionel has said there is an issue with some of the ZWs circuit boards. All we had to do was call and they would either send a new circuit board or they would have you ship the ZW back and they would fix it. This was a few years ago, but they acknowledged it and fixed it.As for the switches... if they hadn't heard of others with issues, why would they acknowledge a problem? It could have simply been that you received bad units, it happens.
No one is directly telling you what to do just giving some very good advice to help you solve your problems and it appears your a very impatient person all we're saying is slow down it will come to happen. And if you go back to your old ZW I hope you use fast fuse's and other circuits to avoid any problems to your engines should they jump the track and short out. wouldn't want to see you fry one or more of them. Wish your luck in getting answers.
as for your local dealer probably hasn't heard back from Lionel either as normally takes about a week to hear back from them and with holiday in the middle maybe longer.
I called the local Lionel service center. He has still not heard from Lionel (by email) so he is going to call them right now and then call me back. He has the number of their manager I do not have it. Yes, this is step number one of two steps. I will call Lionel myself later (step two).
I called 1-586-949-4100 and the service rep connected me with Phil one of their technicians. Phil said that Lionel can not get the circuit board. It was supposed to be available in December but now that has been changed to UNKOWN. Phil said that they have mailed out some boards to a circuit board repairman BUT they have not had any luck on getting them repaired (lack of parts available). Phil said that they receive over 100 calls a day about problems with the circuit borads. I tried my best to get Phil to find me one but he said that he just simply does not have any. That's it, end of story, amen, etc.
That is NOT good news! I better get some fuses and TVSs to protect mine and quick!and better start saving up for a new ZW!
Paul, Unfortunately the PCB's for the ZW are long overdue. There are 9 components on the board that have a lead time of 16 months. Boards were due in December 2010, but we are now being told they will not be coming until "sometime in 2011". Unfortunately that is where things are at this point in time. We will be getting more ZW boards in, just do not have a confirmation date of when at this point. I am sorry for the trouble, but that is all the information we have at this point. Thank you, Lionel Talk To Us
Paul,
Unfortunately the PCB's for the ZW are long overdue. There are 9 components on the board that have a lead time of 16 months. Boards were due in December 2010, but we are now being told they will not be coming until "sometime in 2011". Unfortunately that is where things are at this point in time. We will be getting more ZW boards in, just do not have a confirmation date of when at this point. I am sorry for the trouble, but that is all the information we have at this point.
Thank you,
Lionel Talk To Us
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