CAB2 and ZW-L

First, power up the CAB2 base first, then wait 10 to 15 seconds, then power up the ZW-L. Makes sure CAB2 base is transmitting when ZW-L powers on.

Second, you need to understand how an output of a ZW-L is controlled - all 4 outputs work the same, but lets just talk about one output. Here is a "virtual" look at the inside of the ZW-L for one output

As you can see the 18VAC output from the transformer goes through a "valve" controlled by the handle, and a "valve" controlled by the CAB2 Red Knob. Notice the valves are in series. When the ZW-L is powered on, the Red Knob valve is closed, thus 0VAC is output to the Track - it doesn't matter how much the Handle valve is open. You have to open both valves to get output to the track. Normally, in the control environment, you leave the handle set at the max voltage you want, like 18VAC, thus the handle valve would be passing this 18VAC setting to the CAB2 Red Knob valve. You now have to use the CAB2 Red Knob to open its valve to get power to the track.

Third -  a situation that often occurs is that you accidentally slide the Train Brake Slider down from its - position at the top to the + position at the bottom (of the slides range). The more you have the Train Brake Slider down from its full top position, the more you will limit the speed of a legacy loco, and at full down at the + position, the loco will not move.

@MED  Thanks for the detailed reply. I just walked through what you said and still nothing. Speak to me a little about the programming process where you program the CAB2 under the TR function for each ZW-L channel.

Before I got a CAB2, I just had my ZW-L and my new Legacy locomotives. Whenever I would want to run a locomotive, I had the ZW-L rear switches set as 4CH, CONV, RUN. I would place the locomotive on the track with the ZW-L off. Next, I would turn on the ZW-L. I would then use the power handle in conventional mode (Forward, Neutral, Reverse) to operate the locomotive. It worked perfectly every time.

When I got the CAB2, I followed the directions in the manuals for the ZW-L and CAB2 for programming the ZW-L to be controlled by the CAB2. I had the ZW-L rear switches set as 4CH, CMD, PROG. I programmed ZW-L channel A under TR as #90, ZW-L channel B under TR as #91, ZW-L channel C under TR as #92, and ZW-L channel D under TR as #93. The lights on the front of the ZW-L flashed each time I programmed a channel (A through D), indicating that what I did was done correctly according to the manual. Once I finished these steps, I changed the PROG/RUN switch on the back of the ZW-L to RUN and haven't touched it since.

You know how once you address a locomotive via ENG you hear a slight sound that indicates that there is communication? I am not hearing that. There is no action, no life so to speak.

Last week I ended up calling Aaron at Lionel and he walked me through the correct steps and everything worked fine. I should have written everything down as I was speaking with him, but unfortunately I didn't. Aaron is excellent, very knowledgeable, and very patient. I really like speaking with him whenever I need help, but he is not always available so I need to get this straight and write it down until it is burned in my memory.

I resolved the issue. Instead of programming the CAB2 to control each channel on the ZW-L using the TR function, I redid the programming using the ENG function. I got it working now. Problem solved. Thanks for all responses.

Thanks for the update. So your tracks are "Eng 3" "Eng 4" "Eng 5" "Eng 6" as an example?

@DILLI glad you got your problem solved. Did you realize you only assign one ENG#  or one TR# to the ZW-L? This becomes the address of Output A, and internally the ZW-L assigns the next three consecutive numbers to Outputs B,C, and D respectively.

You only do one address assignment sequence to the ZW-L.

So if you assigned TR# 1 to the ZW-L, TR# 1 is Output A, TR# 2 is Output B, TR# 3 is Output C, and TR# 4 is Output D.

In like fashion, if you assigned ENG# 90 to Output A, EGN# 91 is Output B, ENG# 92 is Output C, and ENG# 93 is Output D.

@BobbyD     More or less. I actually started with ENG#90 so that I was not interfering with lower numbers. I remember Aaron from Lionel telling me not to use #1 and #99 because, technically, they were already reserved defaults in the CAB2 system to control all engines simultaneously.

@MED    Yes! Exactly! You are right on. I saw that in the ZW-L manual and it does work that way. I programmed channel A via ENG #90 and channels B, C, and D were subsequently programmed automatically by the ZW-L. Good stuff. I am glad I got it all straightened out. Thanks for such detailed explanations. Your diagram helped me to understand the power flow inside the ZW-L. I never thought of it that way before.