Discussion Boards > General Discussion

Did you run your trains today?

(1/10) > >>

pjdog350:
Got up at 6:00 AM to do my care duties for my wife. She went back to bed. I went to the mancave and ran the 675 & 224. Wonder what it is that makes one so calm watching trains go around & round? It’s like watch fish in a fish tank.

These two postwar Lionel engines have almost the same motor and they seem to run real smooth. The 224 is pulling modern passenger cars & the 675 is pulling modern freight cars.

Coffee & Ozone in the morning.

I love toys

pjdog350:
Switched out the MTH Z4000 for a ZW. Ran a 726 & a 675 both with liquid smoke units. Seems like the two post war locomotives where drawing to many amps for the Z4000. They run fine with a ZW?  Guess I should add that both locomotives where on the same track at the same time. Maybe you can’t draw more then 5 amps on w Z4000? I’ve been looking for some information but I’m going up with nothing. The manual that came with the Z4000 does not say anything about the total amp limit?

CNJRR:
I never had a Z4000 but at being a 400 watt transformer I would think that would be no problem.
And for the price you would think it should be.

pjdog350:
A Z4000 has the power but does not like the high amp draw. I’ve done double heading with railking Mikado’s and didn’t draw many amps at all. Less than 3 amps. Z4000 is made for modern MTH motive power. Even there big steamers only have one motor. The diesels have two but they don’t draw hardly anything. 1 amp.

ZW is old school. Z4000 has lots of electronics inside so there are allot of parts to crap out???  I don’t know but I retired my 10 month old Z4000. It will make a great paper weight. I have 2 ZW’s both rebuilt. and a KW rebuilt. For my little railroad I have plenty of transformer. Also have a MTH Z1000 & MTH z750.

starfire700:
100% agreement about the ZW vs MTH Z4000. About all that goes wrong with a ZW is the rollers wear and have to be replaced. A good friend in the Chicago area, years ago, was Ken Koehler, he did ebay under the name "ifixzws". He has passed now, but was the best in his time. Not only did he repair most of my ZW's and Z transformers, but also increased the voltage output on one ZW to 25v, for running Hudsons. Thanks Ken, we miss you.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page