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#Post#: 833--------------------------------------------------
18v Wall pack- Track length question.
By: Firefly Date: December 8, 2014, 7:40 pm
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Hello all,
Glad to be here and very happy to have found this forum.
I just purchased my first Lionel train. It is the 10th
Anniversary Polar Express O guage set. Please don't beat me too
hard for buying a kit but I had to start somewhere. I can tell
already this is going to be a long enjoyable trip for me and
model trains.
This 10th anniversary set came with an 18vDC wall pack. I
did not see a transformer offered with this version.
My question is, how many feet of extra track can I run with this
wall pack if I do not add any extra cars or run add on
accessories?
I did ask the Lionel site and they pretty much copy and pasted
the manual which really didn't answer the track length question,
so I came to the experts.
If I do buy a transformer, (say a CW80 and dump the wall pack),
would I be correct in saying that I will need a new terminal
teck as well? The 18v has an adapter style plug.
Lastly, with a CW80 the literature says it will power up to a
medium track. What is considered a medium track in feet?
Thanks in advance for the help.
#Post#: 835--------------------------------------------------
Re: 18v Wall pack- Track length question.
By: TrainLarry Date: December 8, 2014, 8:36 pm
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Welcome to the forum, and the wonderful hobby of Lionel trains!
Nobody is going to beat you for buying a starter set, that is
what they are for! An easy, one shot start into the hobby.
The set you purchased is known as a LionChief set. It is a
remote controlled set, and all LionChief sets come with the
wallpack for power. A standard transformer is not used on these
sets, as adjustable voltage capability is not needed to adjust
the speed, like in conventional, non-remote locomotives.
The wallpack will not power any external accessories, as it does
not have any terminals to hook anything to, and anyway, the
power output is insufficient to power much more than the set and
maybe a few turnouts (switches). You can add a few more cars if
you wish. You should be able to power the train around a 4x8
foot layout without much problem, possibly a little larger.
If you purchase a CW-80 transformer, you can buy an adapter plug
at a local electronics supply house and solder it to standard
hook up wire, and use the current terminal track, or you can
purchase a regular terminal track.
Transformers are not rated as to how big a layout they can
power, but how much current they can deliver.
Here are some examples of various size FasTrack layouts.
(HTM) http://www.rrtrack.com/html/lionel_fastrack_layouts.html
(HTM) http://www.rrtrack.com/html/lionel_fastrack_layouts.html
Running just a train and a minimum of accessories, most of the
small and medium size layouts could be run with a CW-80
transformer. More accessories or a larger layout would require a
more powerful transformer, such as the ZW, or a separate
transformer just for powering the accessories.
Enjoy your trains!
Larry
#Post#: 836--------------------------------------------------
Re: 18v Wall pack- Track length question.
By: Firefly Date: December 8, 2014, 8:45 pm
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Thanks Larry!
I will invest in a transformer and more track very soon, I'm
getting dizzy.
What does happen if a layout is too big for the power supply?
Does the engine lose speed or does it just not function?
#Post#: 837--------------------------------------------------
Re: 18v Wall pack- Track length question.
By: TrainLarry Date: December 8, 2014, 9:36 pm
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There definitely comes a time when you want to add some variety
to your basic layout, ie. switches, sidings, reverse loops, etc.
Theoretically, with perfect track and perfect connections, with
no voltage losses no matter how small, the wallpack could power
a layout of unlimited physical size. Alas, we do not live in a
perfect world, so there are some losses that add up to limit the
physical size of a layout that any one transformer could
properly power.
Losses occur mostly at the connections between tracks, with
either loose or dirty/corroded connections. Keeping the
connections clean is of utmost importance. With standard
transformers using standard terminal tracks, multiple terminal
tracks are spread out around the layout; perhaps 4 or 6 could be
used. These terminal tracks are all interconnected together with
wires, and this helps distribute the power evenly around the
layout. This procedure is done as a matter of good electrical
practice on anything more than a small, basic layout.
If there is a power loss at a certain spot, or on the whole
layout for some reason, the train would just run slower.
Larry
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