Which Transformer to Buy?

[Anonymous]

After about 35 years I broke out my old 0-27 Lionel train set for my nine-year-old. He’s totally into it. It was never more than a casual hobby for me although I had a pretty good setup back in the late 60s when I was a kid.

Some of the rolling stock is pretty cool, including an old, very heavy Lionel 2020 steam engine (Penn RR). I am a complete ignoramus about this stuff - I got the good rolling stock from a much older cousin when he lost interest in it. It’s been boxed in decent shape since I discovered girls.

Anyhow, we discovered the transformer is gorked. It’s an old Lionel 1033 90 Watt. Maybe it’s just the power cord, which is pretty scary after all those years, but anyhow, I figure we may as well get a new, moderately priced (inexpensive that is) transformer.

This will not be a huge setup. It will live on top of the ping-pong table; that gives an idea of how large it will be.

So, all you experts out there - any advice on which transformer to get? My son is anxiuous to get this show on the road.

Thanks!

[eZAK]

‘jsinaiko’,

Although I do not no what “gorked” means,
You, or a hobby shop, can repair the 1033 which would be fine for your set up.

If you plan on adding accessories, more trains, & another loop you may want to move up to a used, rebuilt, ZW (about $200).

If on the other hand you plan on expanding in the future and moving towards walk around throttles & the latest electronics, you may want to invest in the TMCC system.
You can get into this for around $250 and it is expandable.
It will also run older trains too.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the quick reply. Gork means “God only really knows;” it’s an ER term meaning it’s pretty bad.

The other possibility is that I have the 1033 hooked up incorrectly. I wired it with one going from the U post and the other from the B post. Was that correct? It didn’t even give a whimper.

Of course it hasn’t been plugged in since LBJ was president so it might have been a bit optimistic to expect it to crank right up!