Please help. I wired my postwar layout with appropriate lockons for all the track on my 27’x 18’ layout. The power is finally consistant throughout the entire run. Now I ran a fixed voltage line for all my switches and when I tried a few this is what happened: When the fixed voltage plug was placed in the switch and connected to the C line on the ZW,the light went on on the switch; however, when I used the D line throttle for my trains, the switch light responded as well. How do I keep the switches separate from the track power?
First of all, the ZW does not have fixed voltage, The KW does. I did the same thing myself. To solve the problem, I wired all my fixed voltage plugs from switches to the fixed voltage terminal on my KW and on throttle A on KW i wired it to the line that those switches are on, like line A. Then I used my ZW and ran power to track Line A same as i did for throttle A on KW. So basically both throttle A on KW and Throttle A on ZW are wired to the track for track power via the lockon. Then the fixed taps are wired to KW fixed voltage terminal. Just 1 wire. But, do not use throttle A on KW to move your engines, keep it at off position or no throttle. Use the ZW throttle A to power your train engine. This worked for me, it was the only way i could use fixed voltage on my switches and use another transformer that does not have fixed terminals. Hope this helps. I am not sure there is another way, if so i would like to know as well.
The manner of hookup you’ve described should work in the way you want it to.
I wonder if perhaps you have the connections to the ZW reversed, with the U post connected to the center rail. In order for O22 switches to operate properly on fixed voltage, it’s necessary for the U post to be connected to the outer rail.
If the connections are reversed, the switch will often still work, but the voltage will fluctuate with the throttle position on the main track.
First of all, thanks so much for your reply. You mentioned that the ZW doesn’t have fixed voltage. Since there are four separate power areas, if you just used one of the lines, say B or C, and kept the voltage set specifically for switches, accessories, doesn’t that qualify? I believe that is what worked for me initially, 30 plus years ago. I know I used the ZW then, that’s why I am so puzzled now. I will go back though and reread your directives.
Yes. that is exactly how i power my little layout. Outputs B and C are set according to their needs and not touched. Something is amiss in your hookup I beleive, as this is how I power my 022s and it works just as advertized.
But, dont you also have to have track power to those switches you want fixed voltage??..I mean yes, your switches will light up that way, but will not throw, unless you have track power too, I am pretty sure thats how it works…i would have to look at my ZW and KW manuals to be sure.
If the constant voltage plug is doing its job then the two are completely independent.
That plug serves three functions. 1) it disconnects track (center rail) power from the switch machine internals. 2) It provides the constant voltage to the internals 3) It insulates the two so they are independent.
My layout is automated by the switches. a train traveling over a leg on one switch affects a different switch in the layout (by cross connecting the switch control terminals), this way the train follows a very interesting route through all combinations of the switches without intervention. But this doesnt help you with your problem at hand.
One thing to check is the insulation on the actual constant voltage plugs. Make sure the plastic is not broken and that no pieces are broken out of the cone portion. You are using the constant voltage plugs I assume?
And no, you do not need track power on for the switches to operate either from their respective controllers or by the non-derailing feature in the switches.
Well, not completely. They share the outside rails as the return sides of their circuits. That’s why, if the transformer common (U) is not connected to the outside rails, changing the track voltage will also change the “constant” voltage to the turnout.
Yeah, thats what I thought too. Cause i could never get constant voltage on my ZW even if i wired the fixed voltage lines from switches to Terminal D and put it on full throttle. The KW is the way to go. My Z is the same way as ZW. No constant voltage taps. KW is the biggest fixed voltage transformer i believe.
I only have ZWs powering my layout(two of them, to be exact). All of my switches, operating tracks, and accesories run off of constant voltage via the “thumb dials”(b and c terminals) on the ZWs.
I haven’t touched any of these dials in several months-in fact, I have them taped to keep them from moving. Everything works just as if there were factory-set fixed voltage plugs.
I have the U posts of the ZWs tied together, and tied to the outer rail of all of the track on the layout. As I said above, in order to be able to get constant voltage for switches out of a ZW, it MUST be wired this way.