A question of transformer capacity? CW80 with Scale PE Berk and lighted pass cars

Sounds like you need to set aside the CW80 for this task. The amount of track along with the amp requirements are likely making the CW80 almost going into a foldback mode to protect itself. Time to bring out the big guns.

What Jeff said. 

The 150 feet is one heck of a large temporary Christmas loop.  Even with the larger transformer, I hope you have more than one drop to the track?  (though you probably would have seen slow downs even before turning the smoke on if you had only one connection to the track)

-Dave

Does the green light on the CW-80 flash in these situations?  If not, wiring/connector issues could be starving the engine of voltage.

No real surprise there, the locomotive is pulling at least a couple of amps, and then there's the lighted passenger cars...  Before LED, each of those is good for about 1/3 amp.  I suspect the CW-80 can handle it, but as stated previously, you probably are losing power by the time the voltage gets to the far side of the track.  I have around 60 feet total in the Christmas loop at my place, and I tweaked each piece of Fastrack for better connections at it went together.  I also run a second drop to the far side of the loop under the track.  I don't notice any issues running, but the passenger cars I'm running are LED equipped.  I only have a locomotive with smoke, and a tiny bit of power for the LED's, total consist good for 1.5 amps at normal speeds.

Thanks, guys, and Happy New Year.

 Jeff, I figured it was the CW80 but just didn't have time to go searching through moving boxes (unopened after a year) to find the KW or ZW I have.  

I know, Dave, it's a rookie mistake but I DO only have one connection to most of this track.  There's one central loop that has its own connection.  What excuse can I make.  It was temporary and done. literally, on Christmas Eve just to have "something" on the platform.

John, I cleaned every piece of track and adjusted the connections for tightness (center and pinching the outside rails as needed, I've been listening to some of what you guys say).  

Stan, I haven't checked for the green light flashing as holiday festivities have interrupted my train time.  I'll do that when I get a chance, hopefully later tonight.

Here's a pic of what is there.  There is also a 15 foot extension that runs down a wall on the right side of the board.  That has three sidings on it.  I think it may be closer to 100 feet of track (read: wine while estimating).  There are also 8 switches (CC).

Thanks, again, guys.  Have a great day.  All suggestions enthusiastically welcomed.