Any comments about the ZW-L demonstrated at York?

Comments?

Simply:  The new ZW-L is big and beautiful (i.e., great industrial design).

As is often the case, there are no "easy" conclusions... and alot may depend on what you plan to run with it.

I'll let the electronic wizards of the forum chime in here, but here's something to consider...  By backing off the total watts to 620, I'm thinking Lionel has divided this total power output EVENLY over the 4 control outputs (or channels)... which maxes out around 155w/channel or approximately 8.6 amps at 18 volts.  If you tend to run long passenger consists with older incandescent lighting along with multiple powered-unit locos, that could be problematic... in which case, raw Lionel 180w Powerhouses or an MTH Z4000 would be preferable.

Aside from that scenario, I think it's a great product that Lionel unfortunately backed down on overall power output too easily just to make the agencies that protect us from ourselves happy and get a "UL type" rating (or whatever approval they were seeking).

David

I thought the 4 meters were too small. 

At York I talked to Mike about the ZW-L and he told the each channel can put out 12 amps. And that each channel is automatic in that if a train on channel A is only drawing 6 amps then the remaining 6 amps would be available to the remaining 3 channels. He also told me that if a train derails say on channel A that there would be a short jump in the trains operating on the other 3 channels. To me it appears to be a very nice transformer.

Apparently the one that was being used for the layout is the only one that have and that they had just received it. Mike told me that he was taking it back with him so they could begin to destroy it. He said by destroying they can learn how to fix them.

Paul

By backing off the total watts to 620, I'm thinking Lionel has divided this total power output EVENLY over the 4 control outputs (or channels)...

The ZW-L is 640 watts.  This gives each channel 160 watts.  The first catalog it appeared in stated it would be 720 watts (180 watts per channel).  Its only a reduction of 20 watts per channel (80 watts total). 

I guess if you want a lot of power you can always run 2 180 watt bricks in parallel using a TPC 400.

I can't wait for it to come out.  I've held off buying a new transformer when I heard this was coming.  I am currently using 1 180 watt brick to power my 3 blocks.  I typically run 2 modern steam engines with smoke and some lighted cars all off the one brick.  The 180 doesn't break a sweat.  I don't think the 20 watt reduction per channel should be that big of a deal.

Is it UL approved?  

So are you saying he Older ZwII with the 4 powerhouse 180 W bricks is a more powerful transformer than this recent reintroduction?

It's 620 watts of reserve power.  That's 155 per output.  That's less than a 180 brick, but still plenty of juice for most power scenarios.  It's for conventional operation mostly.  4 variable outputs with built in TPCs and power bricks.  I'd like to check it out, but don't see using it on a Legacy dominated layout.  And I would wait a year or two so they can get the bugs out.    

At the last Cal Stewart meet at Santa Clara the ZW-L was demonstrated. We were told that each channel could output 180 Watts, but not all four at the same time. This was a restriction placed by UL of 620 watts after the ZW-L was designed. This total wattage is controlled by software. So unless all four outputs are fully loaded you can get 180 watts per output.