I am Gomez Addams I now have a ZW

Yep, the light covers are the same size.

Make sure you check the carbon rollers before you use it.

Enjoy one of the best Transformer made, I would leave the binding post as is, might 

damage it.

Tin 

I probably will, but it is so nice to just plug those jacks in.

You could put the banana post in. When you open it up you will see all the U post on one bar. A B C D all have there own separate wire with a connector on it. It would be the same as when you replace the old post, with a new one that has a nut on the inside.The original is riveted on. Open it up and you will see.  

Have Fun!!!

Super O on the Pool table.

Would these work on a zw? http://www.ebay.com/itm/Gold-A...;hash=item231c3ffb8e or these http://www.ebay.com/itm/1pair-...;hash=item4ab9f18047 This would be an interesting project if you use dcs. I do and use the MTH banana jacks with my realtrax and would be interested on modifying the ZW to accept banana jacks. In my opinion it would look better too. 

Look us up on the web or call us. Henningstrains.com (215) 362-2442

 we make a lot of parts we have zw parts.

I bought 4 of these at radio shack and ran  wires from the ZW post to these temporarily at the show over the weekend for our banana plugs.

What you show Liam is even better if you where going to make an adapter box or convert it permanantly.

Liam, those second ones look good.

Glad you like the building flat.

There is alot of info out there and parts to rebuild the ZW. The flat rollers should be an easy fix. Im sure someone can point you to a link.Might as well rebuild the whole thing. Spend an hour on it,will be like new.

I'd probably go for individual banana jacks so that you could just replace the ZW posts 1 to 1, and not have to do major modifications to the rear panel.

I put spade lugs on the ends of the wires that connect to my ZW transformers and #91 circuit breakers.
IMHO, that is a lot simplier than changing over the ZW to binding posts.

I guess resale is a dirty word around here, still I wonder how a binding post conversion would affect resale value.

TMack,

   I reworked my old ZW's and KW's adding Banana plugs, a few year ago.  Some place in the OGR archives are pictures in a thread on how to accomplish it.

It worked out very very well.  Never plan to resell them!

PCRR/Dave

ZW with Banana Plugs

ZW & KW with Banana plugs

Hi,  Spade lugs are actually best for these power connections.  They just need to be the right size for maximum area contact, which equates to minimum contact resistance.  Banana jacks and plugs are actually for signal connections.

Apparently, the folks at MTH didn't agree with you.

Banana plugs and jacks are 100% designed to carry current and are used in the audio world for speakers and not signal.  At last, an area in the forum I do know about!  

As long as the spring leaves on the banana plug are making good contact, they are fine to use to transmit power. Over time, the springs do flatten out, causing high resistance connections. Spade lugs are a better method, as is wrapping the wire around the post and tightening the lug with something other than your fingers. 6-8 inch pounds is a nominal torque limit. 

William,  You are right on!

Fec fan,

   If the male part of the Banana Plug wears, you simply relace the male part,

if you purchase the high quality gold plugs from Radio Shack, chances are they will last a life time.  Mine have been good for many years.  For a long time I believed as you do, until I found out there are different high quality Banana plugs available.

No doubt about it they are not in-expensive.

PCRR/Dave

If you screw the nut out on a banana jack, you will notice that the shaft has a hole in it. You can insert the wire into the hole and then tighten the nut back up. I do that rather than use banana plugs on my realtrax lockons.

The whole point of the banana jack is the ease of use.  My layouts are not so permanent and when building the last two I have had to move things around and make changes,  Just easier to unplug instead of dealing with the nuts. 

If that were true, you wouldn't be here in the forum!

quote:

If you screw the nut out on a banana jack, you will notice that the shaft has a hole in it. You can insert the wire into the hole and then tighten the nut back up. I do that rather than use banana plugs on my realtrax lockons.

I don't want to be priggish, but doesn't that make your "banana jack" a five-way binding post? I have banana jacks that cannot accept any other sort of connection.  Not a big deal if you are buying in person, but if you are buying via email, then using the correct term might make a difference.

I think a 5 way takes:

Banana plug

pin connector

wire - though hole

wire - wrapped around post

spade

??????