Will a Lionel Powerhouse Direct Lockon work as a fast acting circuit breaker for a postwar transformer? Right now, I'm just using a fuse but fuse costs can add up.
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They are very fast acting; however, I understand them to be made for protecting the circuitry of the newer TMCC/Legacy type locos. I don't think you can use a PW transformer with the newer locos.
Doug, It will work fine. It will pop off at the first sign of a short while the pw transformer is still thinking about it.
So are you saying that the direct lockon can accept its input from a PW ZW rather the 2 Lionel bricks. I ask because the instructions say you can select one of the two brick voltages depending on the brick you use. The ZW has far different voltage so I wonder how that would effect the breaker reaction.
Thanks,
Ed
They work great but remember they will only work for a command mode loco.
That is, they need at least 12 volts of track voltage for the Lockon's electronics to work. The 180 watt setting will trip at about 7.5 amps.
The Lionel 6-34120 TMCC Direct Lockon is a fast acting electronic circuit breaker designed to protect the track from spikes and shorts cause by derailments.
Originally desigend to be used with Lionel Powerhouse AC supply it will work with any AC transformer providing 15-18 volts.
So if you are using a older transformer to power your TMCC layout you can add a TMCC Direct Lockon between your track and the transformer's Fixed or variable outputs as long as the output voltage is set to 15-18 volts.
You will also need the Power Adaptor Cable 6-12893 if using a transformer for power.
It can also be used to help protect a Powermaster by using it between the Powerhouse (or supply transformer) that powers the Powermaster
I have some of the TMCC Lockons, they work fine with my KW and ZW transformers. Now that I'm running through the MTH TIU, they became redundant.
One thing I learned is that you still have the emergency off working with the cab. It stops all the engines, but the power stays on. Still works for that and with the lockons which have the fast breaker. Lack of the shark tooth waveform, but hey.
Emergency off on the MTH DCS kills all the track voltage as well, it really is an OFF. 
ok if I am using a kw transformer... do I just need the one power adapter cable to connect it ?? or does it also need to be connected to fastrack terminal section too
Well, you need other circuit protection between that transformer and the track, that's one issue.
It depends on the size of the layout how many drops you will need.
ok I've already got all my drops and buss wiring in place.. I am just adding the lockon to the mix...do I just need to connect the lockon to the transformer using the adaptor cable or does it need to be connected to the track and the transformer
The TMCC direct lockon goes between the transformer feed and the track. The output side is connected directly to the track, the input side comes from the transformer. I'd also have a 10A circuit breaker on the output of that transformer, as the KW internal breaker takes forever to sense an overload.
Don't forget a TVS across the track feed for transient protection.
