Lionel 180w bricks are back!

I don't know if there was a change to the latest batch of the 180's compared to the earlier runs? (plug wise) but I simply cut the plug off of my 180's and continue to use them that way. Other members may have other ideas, but this worked for me.

 

Jeff

Check out the auction site of choice.  I purchased two already made cables that interface with the Lionel plug and allow me to connect to my TIU.  Cost me I think $18 bucks for the pair.

Those plugs were designed to plug into Lionel controllers like the ZW-C.  However, you can just as easily snip off the plugs and use the bricks in any system.  You'll just need to ensure they're all "in phase", which is relatively easy to do.

 

David

If you connect things incorrectly you can fry the PowerHouse and the TIU when you turn on the power.

 

Andrew

You could find and use a 6-14194 TMCC TPC Cable Set

That's a standard polarized three-conductor plug. You can pick them up at a real electronics store (not Radio Shack). Don't have the packaging handy, but I'll see if I can find the exact description tomorrow at the club.

Thats what I use, with banana jacks attached to the wire ends. Works great!

I'm not an electrical guy so some "Barney" advice and some photos would be so appreciated. Guessing that the 6-14194 hooks up to the Powerhouse housing on one side and has banana jacks on the other allowing me to plug it into the TIU?  I don't want to "fry" my system and I don't know what having it "in phase" means either - so if some could elaborate this too would be appreciated.  Basically, I planned on using one Powerhouse brick per TIU channel so each has constant 18v power, and also to give me the ability to turn on each brick/TIU channel independently.  I will have 2 main track lines interconnected (So they will both always be on at same time).   Peter

The Lionel 6-14194 TMCC TPC Cable Set has a selection of plugs and cables that can be used to connect other brand transformers to Lionel devices.

 

Using the Y cable in the set, you can connect up to 2 PowerHouse transformers to a TPC, or to another device. To use this with a TIU you would just need to put some banana jacks on the end.

 

If you only wish to connect 1 transformer to your TIU, you could separate the Y cable and make 2 adaptors to connect PowerHouses to TIU's.

 

Here is a picture of the set.

 

 

The receptacle is a standard Molex connector part# 03-09-1032 and the pins are

02-09-2118. then you can make your own wires to connect to the TIU. You may be able to find those Molex connectors and pins elsewhere.

 

If you cut the connectors, you limit your potential resale customers and value.

 

You can watch the Lionel TPC Instructional Video and there Mike Reagan explains which wire is hot and which is common. Start at 6:20.

 

The top post in the triangle\pointed area is not used.

So, sounds like I would need to buy the 6-14194 gizmo (and use the Y cable that actually looks like an X in the photo? which would work well for my 2 interconnected main lines) and then buy another gizmo - that connects to 6-14194 on one side and has banana jacks on other side that I can plug into TIU?  Does anyone have photos of connecting a powerhouse to a TIU?  Thanks. Peter

Lionel Cables

RickO - thanks for link. This is the gizmo recommended further up in this thread by choocholpaul and others and pictured in Nicole's post I think.     Hoping Penn-Pacific, Nicole, AGHRMatt or anyone else comes back to comment on the whole set-up : is there another gizmo that connects the 6-14194 to banana jacks so I can plug into TIU?  And really hoping for photos from someone using this set-up so I can see powerhouse, step by step to TIU. I'm not an electrical guy. While I do understand a lot of this stuff and basic principles, often need "barney" style instruction to "get it."  If it weren't for bad luck I'd have no luck. So want to make sure I do this right before I blow up a lot of expensive equipment.   Thanks all. Peter

PJB, If you don't want to roll your own, you can buy it here

Rick, 

 

Bingo.  The best solution.  Powers my 180 without issue. 

Good morning

 

Can I just connect the 180 bricks direct to TIU? Cutting the plug off the 180's and attaching a banana plug or a common crimp on eye?

 

Clem

Yep, the PH180 has an excellent electronic circuit breaker.  I keep the plugs on mine and make little jumper cables with Molex connectors, but you can lop them off as well.

 

clem k, yes you can! I have 4 units hooked to my TIU. The book that comes with the brick tells you which wire is hot and which it ground. I love these bricks and I run two trains on each track, that's 3 or 4 motors with lighted passenger cars (up to 7 cars on each) on each track. Up the grades and haven't tripped a brick yet.

Dan

Hey dodder (and gunrunnerjiohn if you have this set-up) -  can you post some up close photos of the set-up especially how it connects into the TIU poRts?  Thanks

Here's a quick snap of my patch cord.  The connector is Molex 1396 and the pins are here.  I bought the 2-pin banana on eBay in a lot.

If you don't want to cut off the ends of your 180 brick cord, buy a set of TMCC/TPC connector cables. (around $12, you'll get two ends for two bricks)

Just connect the 180 cord to the cable and the cable to the TIU and you'll be good to go without damaging the 180 cord.

Joe 

Hello John

 

In your photo it looks like three wires at the molex and two wires at the banana plug?

Brown / black / red         

 

Clem k

CT McCormick hardware has them ready made under the part number PH-TIU. I got some a couple years ago at I think about $9-10 each, the prices have gone up since then. They are very similar to the ones gunrunnerjohn made above only you don't have to make them. Powerhouse connector on one end and banana plugs on the other end.

I think that the 'brown wire' that you see is just a shadow. There should only be 2 wires into the Molex connector. 

The "brown" wire is indeed a shadow.

 

Some good information here ...

 

https://ogrforum.com/t...26#30009354200104026

What does that even mean?  "Make sure they're all in phase." ??? 

When you run independent, electrically isolated loops that are connected with cross-overs... you need to ensure trains can pass from one loop to another OK.  This requires that the neutral/ground wire of all AC bricks goes to the outside rail(s) of each loop respectively and the hot wire goes to the center rail of each loop respectively.  If you flip/flop the hot vs. neutral/ground wires of any brick, then a train passing from one loop to another will short-circuit when passing thru the cross-over.

Hope that helps.

David

Not really sure I follow. Common always connected to outer rail and hot always to center rail. Are you saying (for instance) if you hypothetically straightened the ovals into straight tracks, the common power drops on all connected lines would all either be on the left outer rail or the right outer rail?  

Its more like aligning the AC wave pulses.

 http://rmdtoytrains.org/TipsTe...g%20Transformers.pdf

http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_2/chpt_9/4.html

http://youtu.be/iASQfnE6pCk

 

While we are talking about transformers, please remember one other important safety tip.

 

If you join two transformers in parallel, please ensure that both are plugged into the outlet/power-strip, before you turn on the power.  Never allow one to be plugged in and powered with the other unplugged. If you do this, the plug prongs on the un-plugged one may be live and you could receive an electric shock should you touch them. 

Great advice from Nicole. 

       
       

No... It's got nothing to do with inside or outside outer rails.  More about ensuring that all +'s are connected the same way, and all -'s are connected the same way. Also helps to have all bricks plugged into the same power strip with all plugs aligned the same way.  I don't recall if the bricks have polarized plugs.  But even if they do, Lionel's very first batch were wired backwards at the factory.  So that's also something to watch for.

It's really not a complicated concept... Just something to be aware of when connecting multiple bricks to loops that are connected.  For that matter, the same holds true when connecting multiple bricks within the same loop that has multiple power districts.

David

 

This statement should be made a sticky in the electrical forum. The voltage coming off that plug would be in the 120v range, not the 18v range.

 

 

Thank you for the safety reminder, Nicole.

 

J White

 

If don't want to make the cable, yourself you can buy the cable from CTTrains.  They have a photo of the cable on their website and how it is attached to the TIU.   You see the cable here:  PH-TIU.  I have also seen someone else list the cable on Ebay.

 

 

I'd like to understand this issue a bit better.  On my test track, I currently run one 180 PH into a TPC400 using the single cable from the cable set.  I then connect the TPC to the TIU.  On my operating layout, I plan to run two 180 PH into the TPC400 using the Y cable, then hook up the TIU in passive mode.  However, I only want to run one 180 PH unless the extra power is needed from the second one, say for multiple K-Line Streamlighting passenger cars with multiple engines.

 

Apparently, having two 180 PHs attached to the TPC400 with the Y cable and one of the TPCs turned off is bad.  Why?

 

Will I have the same problem if I unplug one of the 180 PHs from the Y cable to just have one PH power the TPC? 

 

Any guidance would be appreciated.

 

Ron

 

PS:  I am aware there are a lot of people on this forum who disagree with running this much power to the track.  Many will say reduce power required by replacing the Streamlighting with LEDs, or other options.  Maybe someday, but not now.  My mainline will be long enough for at least two separate trains and I want the option of additional power to the track.

Thanks but this is giving me a huge headache.  To recalibrate:   I wanted to hook up one PH to each TIU port for each main line. To do this, I now know I need an intermediary cord for each PH. One side of this cord would accommodate the PH housing, the other has a banana jack to plug into TIU. But I now also know that I need to "phase" the Powerhouse bricks. But they don't allow you to run a wire between common or ground poles on the units themselves they don't have the typical transformer black and red poles sticking out. So I can (somehow??) run them all to a single terminal strip. But that means I can forget about the intermediate banana jack cords  and I can forget about running one PH to each TIU port.  Any "Barney" advice on how to accomplish my goal, sensitive to the "phasing" issue?    

It's time for a diagram or video tutorial.  Words are only confusing you.  I'm in the midst of a Comcast cable outage, so I only have Internet access right now via my iPhone... which is a royal PITA for typing.

Do yourself a favor and check ericstrains.com.  Quite awhile ago I recall him doing a video that touched on this very topic...  bricks and TIU's for DCS.

That should clear things up for you.

David

PJB,

 

I apologize for hijacking your thread. I thought your question had been answered.

 

Ron