Help with a Lionel Christmas Tree ornament.

Most tree lights are around 3-5 volts.

Ron L,

    Now that is a great idea, if you can make it happen, I want one also!  I take it you purchased the Lionel Ornament at the HallMark Store?  I need to pick up that Lionel Ornament for our Bear Tree on the Train Platform, at the very least.  Our Tree has the mini-lights on it.

PCRR/Dave

Nice thread,I forgot I had this excellent ornament.It runs fine powered direct to my Christmas layout tracks.I used the A post on the transformer at the lowest setting,I am guessing around 5 volts.I have been letting it run for a few minutes this way and no problems.

Pine Creek Railroad posted:

Ron L,

    Now that is a great idea, if you can make it happen, I want one also!  I take it you purchased the Lionel Ornament at the HallMark Store?  I need to pick up that Lionel Ornament for our Bear Tree on the Train Platform, at the very least.  Our Tree has the mini-lights on it.

PCRR/Dave

This one is several years old. You'll probably have to find it on the 'bay or some other secondary market. It has sound and action and is a great little ornament. I put it on my tree every year.

I also have this ornament. Usually it is under the tree near the village. I didn't set it up this year because the wiring on the light strand that I plug it (and all the other electrical ornaments) into looked a bit suspect. That's the problem with the newer LED lights; they won't power the other stuff up.

I don't understand how one could hang this ornament on a tree though. It's pretty heavy. If I remember right, one of my trains runs backwards all the time.

J White

j white posted:

 

I don't understand how one could hang this ornament on a tree though. It's pretty heavy. If I remember right, one of my trains runs backwards all the time.

 

Tree hanging thought:

Depends on the kind of tree you have.  I've hung it on live Frazier Firs before, normally on a large branch near the bottom or in a space anywhere else on the tree that might be a little bare where there is a large branch above it.  I've also dealt with large (and/or heavy) ornaments a few times by using a couple of longer hangars in "series" to reach a heavy branch somewhat above where the space for the ornament is. I'd agree it's probably too much for a tree with smaller branches like a Douglas Fir (which is one of the reasons I have never in my life had a Douglas Fir (not specific to just this ornament) ).

Train going in reverse thought:

As to the train running in reverse, when I first bought mine I thought I had that problem (actually brought it back to the store to check it out - oops! ).  One of the ZW handles moves as a switch so the train can go either way. (I forget if they move together or not, so don't try too hard, but check both handles for a little give - it has at least 2 positions, might have a center "off" too, but I don't remember)

Voltage thoughts:

As to the question of voltage, I'd be really careful.  5 volts may be too much.  It's been many years since a mini light string has been sold with 20-25 bulbs in series to yield 5-6 volts.  Most more recent incandescent sets have more bulbs in each circuit to yield somewhere between 2.5-3.5 volts. I don't have the instruction sheet on front of me, but I'd suspect it says to use it in a string with 2.5-3.5 volt bulbs.

I have no inside information on the design to suggest it will fail the way Dan shows it set it up, but the fact that it ran OK for a few minutes doesn't mean it may not be taking some sort of damage to the circuit (maybe regulator over stress, etc) that may build up over time and lead to failure.

These are meant to be hooked up to a somewhat well known behavior of a Christmas light string.  While it's possible Hallmark had it designed to work even if it was plugged into something more than the instructions say (like an older set with some higher voltage), it's not designed like a model train where the variations in the voltage are part of the design so the train can be controlled.  I wouldn't hook mine directly to a toy train transformer, but I am perhaps overly cautious.

-Dave

Dave has it right. I also use Frazier Firs. They have a lot of stout limbs throughout the tree to hang heavier ornaments from.

The handles on the miniature ZW are connected, when moves so does the other. Center is Off. Move the handle up or down to control the direction of the Blue Comet train on the upper left. The freight on the upper right acts like a bumper car, going forward and back during operation and no matter which way you move the control handles. The train at the bottom doesnot operate. 

When the ornament is first powered up it announces Lionelville, All aboard and plays steam loco sounds.These sounds can also be triggered by pressing the "L" on top of the little ZW.

Thanks for all the feedback and input, guys.  Those of you who own one of these know how unique this ornament is.  I feel lucky to have one and I prize it.

PCRR/Dave,  Unfortunately, I think you'll have quite a challenge trying to find this ornament now.  It is pretty old, I think at least 10-15 years.  I found one a couple years ago for my son, who was lusting after mine.  I think I paid close to $100 for it on Ebay.

Dave45681, Great advice on the voltage.  Thanks.  It may be, however, that Hallmark designed these ornaments to be robust even when attached to the smaller (i.e., higher voltage) sets.  I don't recall seeing any warning on the package that required anything like "install only on strings of 35 or more".  Having said that, your advice for 2.5-3.5v is particularly sound for such a valuable piece.

Until our recent conversion to prelit trees of LEDs, we hung this ornament on our tree every year.  I used green craft wire, doubled it and wrapped it around a heavy branch.  Sometimes that required having an extra long length of green wire to get the ornament into a proper location and position.  Never had it fall.

I'll play it safe and use a separate small transformer and set the voltage as close to 2.5v as I can while the ornament will still operate.  Need to keep this baby operational.

Thanks, again, for all the help.  Have a very Merry Christmas!

Gentlemen,

    If anyone sees this ornament on line some place please let me know, I am now looking for one!  Big Jim thanks much for letting me know that this is an older Lionel/Hallmark ornament, man I do not know how I missed this great piece of Christmas cheer!

PCRR/Dave

Pine Creek Railroad posted:

Gentlemen,

    If anyone sees this ornament on line some place please let me know, I am now looking for one!  ..........

I have absolutely no association (nor experience) whatsoever with this business (just found them now by doing a search), but they seem to have one with a damaged box available.

Lionel Ornament from 2004.

There are a few other moving train items similar to this as well, just not with the Lionel branding and accessories throughout:

Circus Train 2002

Rock Candy 2006

Millennium Express 2000

Steamboat Junction 2013 (only half train, other motion is a boat)

-Dave

Dave45681,

    Thank you sir very much I appreciate the find!  Will order the Lionel Ornament as soon as I get payed again.  Man you guys on this OGR forum are great people.

PCRR/Dave

Hope you find one, Dave.  You'll love it.  I'm sure.  Lots of the classic Lionel pieces in miniature.  Good luck.