MTH Z Controllers with Lionel Fasttrack

Classic Toy Trains Forum
1

I am somewhat new to O guage as I started out with Lionels’ Pennsy Flyer set this Christmas. I have since purchased an MTH 2-8-0 locomotive with proto 2. Wow, what a difference. My problem is now I can not access all the features of proto 2 with the CW80 transformer, thus, I am considering getting an MTH Z controller. I guess my question is two part:

  1. Can you use an MTH with Lionel Fasttrack?
  2. Will the Z Controller run Lionel locos?

Thanks from the O guage newbie…

2

Welcome aboard!
The answers are yes and yes. But you still cant do all the special features of PS2 with a standard transformer.

3

OK - Had to take care of a kid problem. You need the DCS system from MTH to get all the goodies from your MTH loco. I have several MTH locos and run them on standard transformers. Cant access all the “stuff” but still enjoy running them with all the bells and whistles.

4

Thanks for the reply. My first question was not as plain as it should have been. I meant to ask, Can I use the MTH controller with fasttrack? Looking at the wire harness makes me wonder. MTH has a somewhat strange track power attachment.

5

that isnt a problem… i am using an MTH z-1000 with traditional Lionel 027 track and Lionel engines… if you know how to cut and strip a wire, you can rewire any piece of track to work… keep the positive wire, the red, on the positive terminal of the fast track, or the clip on with traditional track, and the negative, or black wire, on the negative terminals and there you have it…

But like Paul said, to unlock all the PS2 features you need a control system, either the DCS from MTH or the Command Control system from Lionel because they need some pretty specific wave functions from the control boxes to trigger the feature…

6

i should have mentioned too, in case you dont have experience with stripping wires, you do this while it is not plugged in, and at no point should bare wires touch each other… if you have a soldering iron, you can solder the wires onto the connectors, but you would still want to use electrical tape to cover the exposed portions of wire

7

duamau, welcome to the forum.
You can just wrap a wire (16 or 18 guage) around the MTH transformer posts, and then on the underside of the FasTrack there are metal tabs that are part of the track rails bent down holding it to the roadbed. Just bend them up wrap your wire around it and push it back down, no need for any special connectors.

8

Easiest solution:
Your FasTrack already has a terminal section with wires, so just disconnect them from the CW-80 and connect them to the MTH transformer. Easy-Peasy.

If you press the bell and get a whistle sound, or vice versa, take the wires off of the transformer and switch them.

Jim

9

duamau, I was in nearly exactly your same place just a month or so ago. I’ve got FasTrack and bought an MTH GP-30 PS2. I had a Lionel 1033 but went ahead and bought the MTH Z-1000. My GP-30 has special features like the Freight Yard Sounds, which can still be accessed via a combination of bell/whistle button pushing (1 bell 2 whistles + direction = FYS). I’m looking forward to being able to purchase DCS to make it all easier. I don’t usually have much to say but what I’m telling you is based on what I learned from these guys here and I’ve never been happier with my purchase decision and I feel a lot more comfortable knowing I’m powering my GP-30 with the same brand controller. When you shell out that much money it’s nice to have a sense of security and knowing it will run right.

10

You can run Fastrack with any controller/transformer you want. Just remember that DCS and PS2 like a pure sign wave like the older transformers put out. That is why I use an old ZW (with external fuss) that goes to my DCS on the way to the track lock on. DCS can take banana plugs (Same as CW-80) or stripped wire so it will work with any track. Before I had the DCS I used an MTH"set" transformer to activate PS2 functions. Getting the DCS was a big gulp($$$)…but worth it. Now I have remote control of PS2 loco’s and conventional loco’s.

I easily run PS2, TMCC, and conventional engines all together on the same layout. The only challenge is preventing train collisions! Fortunately the DCS remote has an emergency stop button that kills all power to the track.

JIm H

11

Jim, are you saying the Z-1000 does not output a pure sine wave and thus isn’t as good to use for DCS and/or PS2? I’m wondering why that wouldn’t be advertised or advised to customers purchasing engines with those features or capabilities. I bought my Z-1000 specifically to use with the PS2 features and the possibility of future upgrades to DCS. Am I reading you correctly in understanding you wouldn’t suggest or use a Z-1000 for DCS?

12

Not at all. I do not have a z-1000. I was using the old infared controller to operate PS2 loco’s. I got the ZW about the same time I got DCS so I only use those two together. I do believe my club actually had DCS wired up on a Z1000 with no problems. A quick call to MTH should help you get all straightened out.

Jim H

13

Whew, had me worried!

14

I would call MTH just to make sure!

Jim

15

Hi,

Do you know if it would be possible to run an MTH locomotive with PS3 on Lionel Fasttrack and a CW-80 transformer? In order to get all the features of PS3 would I need an MTH remote and would that work on Fasttrack?

Thanks

16

I don’t think I’d want to run an MTH locomotive with a Lionel CW-80, at least not on a permanent basis. Some folks have reported bad stuff happening when you do that. I’ve run my MTH’s with a CW-80 briefly before I set up the layout with Z-1000’s and honestly I didn’t have any ill effects, but at any rate the Z-1000 is a superior product, in my opinion anyway.