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Sirfoldalot

Days Gone Bye!
Staff member
A riot LOUIS -Love the old cartoons, especially Foghorn!

Question: Will a CW-80 also power the 40's and 50's postwar Lionel?
 

Iron Horseman

Well-Known Member
Don't listen to the naysayers; "Can't Work" that's last century's news. I'll go as far as to say "dollar for dollar the modern CW80 is the best transformer ever built for O scale trains"
Hmmm, Well, I actually have one of those. They are only 80 watts, I didn't think that was enough for the new guy. Seems the one I have has a hard time with an SD-40 that came with it in a set.
 

Bruette

Well-Known Member
A riot LOUIS -Love the old cartoons, especially Foghorn!

Question: Will a CW-80 also power the 40's and 50's postwar Lionel?

Bugs is my all-time favorite, but Foghorn is a close second!

The answer to your question is; defiantly maybe. Because of the solid state electronics in the new transformers create an irregular sine wave they can make the older trains overheat, but not always. It depends on the individual train. I don't have any post war Lionel locomotives. All I know is what I have read. I can't explain why some post war trains over heat and others don't, most don't over heat. Again, from what I have read. What most people do is try it, but watch for overheating.

One good thing about the older trains is they have no solid state electronics to damage so older transforms are not a problem. As long as the old transformer is safe to use!

Hmmm, Well, I actually have one of those. They are only 80 watts, I didn't think that was enough for the new guy. Seems the one I have has a hard time with an SD-40 that came with it in a set.

I'm surprised, I can run my Lionel EM-1 with TMCC, pulling 12 die cast 100 ton hoppers and a lighted caboose with a CW-80 on a 17 foot oval with O72 curves and only 2 feeder wires, 180 degrees apart. The sounds function, but I have not tried the TMCC controls. I have a ZW-L and Legacy command station, but they have been put back in the box.

What set did yours come from? Some sets come with the power max 40 watt transformers, they look identical from the front. The power max has no accessory output terminals on the back.

Have you tested the output? They are mass produced and that results in a higher failure rate. Of the dozens of sets I have bought I have only had 1 bad transformer. By the way all I had to do was to cut off the cord off and send the cord to Lionel and they sent me a new transformer. The entire process took less than 2 weeks.

I can't wait to see your train run, video please? :)
 

Sirfoldalot

Days Gone Bye!
Staff member
Thanks for the info, LOUIS, I will have to try and see what happens. I do not have one of the newer trannies - used to have a TW, but foolishly sold it many years ago. All I have now are a couple 1033's.
 

Iron Horseman

Well-Known Member
Bugs is my all-time favorite, but Foghorn is a close second!
Personally I am an Inky fan. Followed by Gossamer, Sam, and Ralph. Oh and of course Pete the Puma. He is following "train tracks". Never cared too much for Foghorn, Speedy Gonzalas, or Daffy Duck when he was not paired with Porky Pig, except of course for the three Wabbit Season episodes.

I'm surprised, I can run my Lionel EM-1 with TMCC, pulling 12 die cast 100 ton hoppers and a lighted caboose with a CW-80 on a 17 foot oval with O72 curves and only 2 feeder wires, 180 degrees apart. The sounds function, but I have not tried the TMCC controls. I have a ZW-L and Legacy command station, but they have been put back in the box.

What set did yours come from?
I have the Northwest Special Freight. As near as I can tell from here (450 miles away from it) that is the 80W.

Have you tested the output?
No I have not. Didn't even think it might be an issue. Just assumed that was normal operating behavior.
 

Bruette

Well-Known Member
Personally I am an Inky fan. Followed by Gossamer, Sam, and Ralph. Oh and of course Pete the Puma. He is following "train tracks". Never cared too much for Foghorn, Speedy Gonzalas, or Daffy Duck when he was not paired with Porky Pig, except of course for the three Wabbit Season episodes.

I have the Northwest Special Freight. As near as I can tell from here (450 miles away from it) that is the 80W.

No I have not. Didn't even think it might be an issue. Just assumed that was normal operating behavior.

Cartoons are personal, they seem to appeal to us on some level other than our normal "logical" level. That is the logic that we each hold in our own way. I'm glad you have your own favorites and I hope you take some time to enjoy them as I do mine. hey bring me great joy from time to time. I like many cartoons from Bugs to Sponge Bob, Even Uncle Grand Pa. :)

Daffy and Porky were a great combination!

According to Lionel's web site your set does come with a CW-80 http://www.lionel.com/products/nort...ventional-canadian-pacific-gp38-7307-6-30047/ Great set by the way!

If I had my trains available (sadly they are being packed for moving) I would try a few other CW-80 transformers to see if any struggle with my EM-1. You know electronics better than I do and we both know there can be differences in things that are massed produced. When you have the chance give your CW-80 a try with the Pere Marquette and Polar Express tender. I like that combination by the way. It's unique and very cool! Who better for Santa to tap for motive power?
 

Bruette

Well-Known Member
So you don't think too much of the Trainmaster Command Control, or Legacy Command #990 systems.

I love both the ZW-L and the Legacy 900. I don't have a TMCC, but from what I have read it's great as well. I have not regretted buying them. I think they are worth twice the price considering how much they can add to a layout. They are also really cool looking toys!

My problem has been free time. When I bought the ZW-L and 990 my health had been improving. A good thing, thank God, but having more good days inspired me to do more outside of the house. Baseball with my grandsons and other activities. I have even been able to return to working albeit part-time. Again thank God for good doctors!

It's so simple to use the 4 CW-80 transformers. They remain my power source for my O gauge layout. I still call my layout O gauge because it is a mixture of traditional and scale trains, or was I should say and will be again, someday.
 

Bruette

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the info, LOUIS, I will have to try and see what happens. I do not have one of the newer trannies - used to have a TW, but foolishly sold it many years ago. All I have now are a couple 1033's.

You are always welcome my friend. Do Like I try to do, don't look back on mistakes, learn and look forward. Tomorrow can always be a better day.

Those 1033 transformers should be more than enough, just make sure they are safe to use. I'd recommend you have a qualified Lionel service center go over them for you. I know their value might not be what it would cost you, but you are preserving a piece of history and they can still serve you well. Kind of like us; sometimes the cost of our medical care seems like it's not worth it, but we are still here and semi-productive, on the good days that is :)
 

Iron Horseman

Well-Known Member
I like many cartoons from Bugs to Sponge Bob, Even Uncle Grand Pa. :)
I don't know what Uncle Grand Pa is. ? I'm pretty specific to the Looney Tunes. All others seem to fall short somehow. I think I am close to having a copy in some format or another of all Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies up to the beginning of the Saturday Morning Bugs Bunny Show (1962? or so) when they stopped making the good cartoons and just rehashed the old.

I've seen a couple episodes of the Angry Beavers in passing that were OK but not enough to get me interested. Most modern cartoons I've seen remind me of 30 minute sitcoms crammed into 7-10 minutes and taken to the absurd extreme allowed by animation. Rug Rats was probably the best one my children watched, but I still can't get myself to tune in an episode. I just pass them right by.

I just missed an auction for a TMCC set for $114. That seems to be about the cheapest way to go. However I can't figure out why there are three different stock numbered "Command Base"s for it: #6-12867 (called a power master), #6-12911 (the stock one in most sets), and #6-14186 (called accessory voltage control). I presume the difference is capacity. Looks like one might be 20 amps with heat sinks sitting on each side.
 

Bruette

Well-Known Member
Uncle Grand Pa is an insane carton from the cartoon network. The first few episodes were funny, but it has declined after that. My grandsons no longer watch it. I enjoy many cartoons with my boys, but the most important thing for me is the morals of the characters. I don't expect Superman morals, but I refuse to let them watch blatantly stupid and lazy characters.

I am not familiar with TMCC systems. I know a bit about how the TMCC equipment works with the Legacy 990. I only got involved with Lionel in 2012. TMCC was replaced by Legacy beginning in 2007.

If I get some free time I will look into it.

MB Klein/Model Train Stuff has the Legacy 990 (6-14295) set for $329.99 https://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Lionel-O-990-Legacy-Command-Set-p/lio-6-14295.htm

You can operate Legacy locomotives with TMCC, but you will not have access to the advanced Legacy controls.

With all the advancements and regular updates I would recommend buying the Legacy system.
 

Iron Horseman

Well-Known Member
I am not familiar with TMCC systems. I know a bit about how the TMCC equipment works with the Legacy 990. I only got involved with Lionel in 2012. TMCC was replaced by Legacy beginning in 2007.

You can operate Legacy locomotives with TMCC, but you will not have access to the advanced Legacy controls.

With all the advancements and regular updates I would recommend buying the Legacy system.
That is good information. I didn't understand how they were related and why there were two things that seemed very similar.
 

Bruette

Well-Known Member
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Marv

Member
Yes I have seen this. I have one.

Yes sir! Lionel true O scale at that!

Long story, but I am an old/newby, landed the polar express RTR set.
Now I would like a switcher, looking at camel back Lional 6-82416), #101 Lionel (0-4-0 Bethlehem Steel) and Lionel Rio Grand switcher 6-849695. I have a real small plan but working on buildings and accessories. Any comments would be much appreciated.
Marv
 




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