How to phase a Lionel PW ZW and a KW

First, phase the transformers per the video I shared earlier, or through this instruction sheet: http://www.martye.com/TipsandTricks/TipsandTrick2.htm

To have the ZW control the track, take the A terminal and connect it to the center rail of the track. The Common U gets wired to the outside rails (this is all in addition to the phasing wire connected between the U posts of the ZW and KW). If you have a second loop/block of track, the D Terminal of the ZW gets connected to its center rail and the Common U gets connected to the outside rails.

Now that your trains are running, lets get some track side accessories going. Since you have common return wiring with phased transformers, you can opt to forego the contactors for insulated track sections. This is all outlined in this Lionel document here:

http://www.lionelcrossing.com/...onel_145_56_1958.pdf

Again, if this isn't clicking, it can be a great benefit to have someone local stop by and get you started.

http://www.jwtrains.com/tech%20tip_6.htm

PRRF,

  Just use Marty's well spelled out polarity test, it works every time and it's safe.

PCRR/Dave

Sounds like if I do this wrong I could burn down my house. So BMORAN, your saying that I have to soder the wire from the A terminal to the track? OR can I use the regular CTC lockon?

So the main question is if I have to soder? First of all, I don't own a sodering iron. I assume you mean use the lionel lockon and just attach that to the track. Then wire A and the U above that to the lockon and I should be fine. So then I wire the upper right U post on the ZW to the KW's U post? Does it matter which side? Basically the accessories can be controlled off of handle A or B on the KW?

You can use a lockon.

RaritanRiverRailroadFan4 posted:

So the main question is if I have to soder? First of all, I don't own a sodering iron. I assume you mean use the lionel lockon and just attach that to the track. Then wire A and the U above that to the lockon and I should be fine. So then I wire the upper right U post on the ZW to the KW's U post? Does it matter which side? Basically the accessories can be controlled off of handle A or B on the KW?

No need to solder - you can use the Lock-on. If you turn the lockup upside down, you can easily trace that the #1 clip goes to the center rail and turning it right side up, you can trace the #2 clip to the outside rail.

As for connecting the U terminals, it does not matter as on the inside of the transformer, they are all connected together. Be sure your transformers are phased (and remain phased) - don't just blindly connect the U terminals and move on as if they are not phased, you are potentially doubling the output voltages which is not a good thing.

The accessories can then be controlled off of the KW A and B knobs of the transformer. You can also use the C post to get 6v and the D post to get 20v (But those voltage really are generally not applicable to your setup currently). When phased with the ZW on the U ports, do not use the the voltage between C and D to get 14v and rely on the common return grounding scheme (there is an alternate way of phasing to the C port, but again, it is better for your situation to phase to the U port),

One last note, any of the center rail taps for accessories in the Lionel PDF I linked to above, can also go directly to the A or B terminal on the KW so you can adjust the voltage separate from the track.