2 Train Diagram from KW Instruction Sheet Not Working

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

Hello everyone! I have a problem that I’m hoping someone out there might be able to assist me.

I am trying to build a 2 train layout that is described in the KW transformer instruction sheets. I followed the directions, but when I plug everything in and attempt to run 2 trains, my outside loop is completely dead and the inside loop operates normally.

Has anyone else attempted this layout and had a similiar problem? Any and all advice and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks - Walt

2

I am not familiar with the “KW instruction sheet” of which you speak; however, I do have a possible solution. Do you have power from the power pack to both the inside and outside loops? If not, or if the connection is poor, you may not get power on one or both of the loops. I believe this is most likely where your problem lies, but it could be something different.

3

I’ve never heard of the KW Instruction Sheet, but make sure you have wires feeding power to both loops of track, and that they are in the correct polarity to each other. If you have turnouts that allow you to cross from one loop to the other, they must be insulated from each other. You can’t rely on turnouts alone to feed power from one loop to the other.

4

Thanks for the above two replies and suggestions.

The inner loop is has one lockon with wire in both clips and is connected to the KW on one side. The outer loop is connected to the KW on the other feed and has three lockons, with wire only in the first clip of each. The turnouts have an insulated pin in the center track at all points where the first and second loops meet. These turnouts also have insulated pins on the inside rails so the automatic switching feature works.

Hope this helps explains how the diagram is setup and intended to work.

Thanks - Walt

5

This doesn’t help because you still haven’t explained what the KW Instruction Sheet is. I can find no such item listed anywhere on the Internet. Where did you get it? What scale are you using? From the sound of your last post, I suspect we’re dealing with AC powered, possibly Lionel or American Flyer track here. It sounds to me like something is not connected properly or the transformer is defective. I don’t understand why one loop’s clipon has 3 wires and the other has only 2. In theory, they should be exactly the same. The 3-wire clipon might be your problem. Can you give me some more information about this KW Instruction Sheet, please, such as the name of the manufacturer, a part number, date, or something that I might be able to find through a Google search to know what you’re talking about? Or, better yet, if you have a scanner, e-mail it to me at cacole2@cox.net

6

cacole, I have found my problem. There were not plastic pins in all three positions where the turnouts met between the two loops.

Thanks for your efforts in trying this problem resolved.

7

KW is a Lionel transformer. Wedi01, in the future , you will get better responses to your questions over on the Classic Toy Trains forum.

8

Thanks! Finally figured out I was in wrong forum for this question, so went and posed it in Classic and found an answer in a very short period of time.

Thanks again,
Walt