Well, started REAL railroad school in St Louis, so have been kinda busy. However, my acquistion still continues on trackage and such.
Im looking at ZW transformers online. I asked a seller about earlier and later versions of the postwar ZW’s. He said that most people prefer theones that say 275w on top…but they all were 250w in actuality. ??? Anyone know? He also said that the earlier versions were actually better than the later models?
Opinions/Comments?
Hello Yallean! The Original ZW’s Came out in 1948 & were rated at 250 Watts. In 1950 the Wattage was changed to 275 & stayed that way for the rest of the time they were cataloged until 1966. Lots of folks still like the 250w versions. However, for most the 275 watt version will always be their choice. Take Care.
Here are links to what the Lionel service manual said about the two ZW’s:
http://pictures.olsenstoy.com/searchcd31.htm?itm=671
http://pictures.olsenstoy.com/searchcd31.htm?itm=672
I’ve got one of each, so I can’t claim a preference. However, I do like the idea of a riveted lamination stack as used in the ZW-R (non-riveted stacks may separate).
Whichever you use, continuous output is limited to about 180W.
The older ZW transformers are really nice, the shipping charges may be rather high if buying from ebay. Go to a train show nearby and buy a ZW transformer, that way you can test it and know that it works.
Lee F.
The ZW is a very nice transformer, but there are some other really wonderful postwar options out there - and in great shape too! Depending on your needs, these may fit the bill perfectly and cost less.
Often these units can be had for a lower price per watt simply because they aren’t as well known or popular. These units may not have the same total bulk wattage in a single package, but in terms of price per watt if you obtain two units you can often surpass the wattage of a single ZW for less money. Plus these other units are often in better condition than some of the ZWs that go for higher prices.
The KW (rated at 140 watts output - 70 watts per throttle) often goes for about $80 - $90 at online auctions. Two KWs will provide more continuous wattage (280 watts) than a ZW, and you end up with the same number of throttles. If the binding post voltage don’t match what you need, then use a throttle to set the voltage just like you would with a ZW.
The TW has two independent winding coils with each one being rated at 60 watts continuous output. One of those coils is dedicated to a ton of accessory binding posts. The other one is dedicated to the throttle. A total of 120 useable watts. At on-line auctions these appear to go for below $50. Two of these gives you 240 useable watts, again you pass the useable wattage output of a ZW for less money.
The LW is rated for about 75 watts output in the original specs. It’s a single throttle, but that’s 75 watts for that throttle or for the accessory posts if you don’t use the throttle. It often goes between $35 - $70. Buy three of these and you have more wattage than a ZW and most likely for less money.
The RW is rated at about 70 watts output in the original spects. 70 watts to the throttle, or dedicated to accessories. It often goes for under $40. Again, three of these and you have more wattage than a ZW.
The ZW is a nice transformer, but depending on what your needs are ther