Conventional engines

Mike, funny you ask this question.  In the past, I pulled the fixed input and output leads out of the TIU and jumped them together to power the tracks directly from the Z4000 to run a conventional engine.  I forgot to do that the other night to run a Protosound (PS1) engine.  It ran fine.  When I realized what I did (or didn't do), I wondered if a conventional engine would run okay.  However, I didn't try it yet. 

I'm interested is reading what our DCS experts have to say. 

If not, I guess it's ok. I just picked up an older Lionel engine, tender and some cars. I would like to run them on my layout, but if not the guy gave me a bunch of old Lionel track and transformer. I will take photos when I get home.

It works just fine we did this for 20 years on our old modular layout.

Thanks for the information, once I get this new to me old engine cleaned and lubed, I will have to give it a test. The guy said it needed new brushes and they were included but didn't find any in the box!

Assuming you mean by using one of the Z-4K throttles to continuously set/vary the voltage to the track on which you have a conventional engine, then yes, you can do it that way. The Fixed Channel output sends out the same voltage as is being input, so if you lower the voltage on the Z4K throttle in order to run a conventional engine, that's what the Fixed Channel will output.

The TIU Variable Channels allow you to vary the voltage to the track for running conventional engines by using the remote, so you don't have to use the throttles to vary the output voltage to the track. You could set the Z4K to max volts input to a Variable Channel and use the remote to change the output to the voltage you want. 

Richie, I will have to try the variable channel too.  I guess I should be looking this up in Barry’s book.