Wiring layout for houses,accessories

[Anonymous]

I  have a zw with 4 variable out puts to use for lighting your houses,track signals,track platforms and stations.Do you keep all your houses on one circut or do you separate them into local sceanic areas. Do you try to keep some circuts on fixed voltage or do you use variable. I am trying to determine what would be the better affect when you are viewing it to an audiance.....Felix  

[palallin]

Do yourself a favor and pick up a couple of cheap, low wattage transformers to power your lights, etc.  Save the ZW's power for trains.

[Roger Bielen]

Agreeing with palallin, a ZW is generally too valuable to use as an accessory transformer unless you have no problem getting them.  For my layout I found an industrial type transformer, open frame, that has an output of 12V, from one of the electronic supply houses.  It is rated in Amps and provides more capacity than I'll ever need.  I use it for all my lighting and accessories that a variable voltage isn't needed.  For those accessories that I like to have variable voltage I use my old "S" type transformer, 60 years old and still putting out without problems.

For areas/items I want less than 12V I've made voltage reduction boards, i.e. I've some adapted lights that are 3V and a few areas I use LED's.

Old transformers can usually be found at reasonable cost on the internet or train show.

[Anonymous]

Hi palallin I have the luxury of having this transformer that I do not need to use for this purpose. I am running my equipment on a z-4000 plus I have a z 1000 if I need it. My next step is to power up my dcs system when I find all my track in workable order.....Felix

[phillyreading]

Felix,

You can run some accessories off the Z4000, the ZW-275 watt or 250 watt is a lot more power than what you may need for lighting houses unless you have about 50 or more houses to light.  Another source of power is old DC transformers for lighting as most incandescent lamps will work with DC. I am using an old Marx race car transformer for some of my lights in my houses, also using two Micronta Regulated 12 volt DC power supplies with a built-in circuit breaker as I got these real cheap at a yard sale.

For most of my lights I am using GE Mazda lights(old Christmas lights, 1940's or 50's) for my houses with miniture light bases, using transformer voltage for these as I don't like using 120 volts on the layout if something goes wrong.   The old Mazda lights had seven lights to a set in series, so 120 divided by 7 is 17.143 volts, so I feel safe using a 12 volt(actual power is 14.5 volts DC) power supply for the lights.  I have about 8 or 9 lights on a 12 volt power supply and that seems bright enuff for me.

I am using blue rope lights around the ceiling and black lights in the ceiling fixtures to simulate night time conditions.

Lee F.

[Joe Hohmann]

I use 2 new Lionel accessory transformers, about $27. each. You can dial-up the brightness you want. These, and the items to be powered, are connected to barrier strips. Joe

[dwiemer]

Although it may not be what you need, as if you have extra transformers, fine.  But for others, you may want to look at the low volt transformers that are used for landscape lighting.  Personally, I have far too many older transformers and some DC that I will be using.  Saving the ZW and KW for the trains.

Dennis