MTH Z4000 Transformer

Frank, I don’t own one but I have only heard praise for the Z4000.

Thank you

Look at the serial number of the Z4000 you want to buy first. The first four digits tell you the month & year it was made. The only one you may want to avoid is the very first run which begins with serial number 0398. As I understand these have different boards and are not repairable if they fail.

FWIW, I have one of the original 0398 Z4000's, and 25 years later it still works like a champ!

H1000, Thank you for the information

I bought 2 of them, brand-new, about 5 years ago, and have been very happy with them. One word of caution: the circuit breakers on the 2 variable outputs are anything but fast acting; nowhere close to what you get on a Lionel 180-watt brick. I contacted MTH tech support about this right after I bought the transformers and was told this is normal operation, so if you want fast-acting circuit protection, plan on adding it. The breakers on the fixed outputs, however, are lightning-fast.

The Z4000 are good transformers and I recently repaired 4 of them, the old serial # 0398 has leakage, but can be repaired also you can change the transformer to the newer rev boards as per MTH. I sold a 0398 to my brother and he loves it! also MTH stocks the older and new boards!

Alan

@Frank M. posted:

Hello, I am in the market for a Z4000 transformer.  I have heard there has been a number of issues with the product; any suggesting on what I should be looking for; older version, New Old Stock or a more recent version?

Thank you,

Frank M.

While the Z4000 is a great transformer the Lionel ZW-L is my go too, 4 programmable channels and will power most anything thrown at it. On my Christmas layout it runs 7 sets of trains. Two six car subway trains with lighting in all cars, one SD 80 MAC pulling 6 bilevel passenger cars and one SD 90 MAC pulling 6 bilevel cars as well. With one scale Hudson pulling 6 heavyweight cars and 2 scale GG-1s pulling passenger cars.  And last but not least 1 baby 2 pulmor motor GG-1 and one postwar steam engine.

Gentlemen

Are both Z4000 and ZW L sine wave transformers? If this is a stupid question please forgive my lack of electrical knowledge.

I run three Z4000s on my two layouts. The oldest one is serial number 0398....., purchased around 2000. The second is 1198....., also purchased around 2000. The third is more recent with serial number 0718....., purchased around 2019. Never any problems or repair on any of them so far. They run all of my model locomotives (MTH, Lionel, Atlas O, K-Line, Weaver) conventionally without any issues.

MELGAR

The Z4000 has a simulated pure Sine Wave that is almost perfect, the ZW-L is a modified sine (Shark-fin wave).

My dad tried a ZW-L out but didn't like the extra motor buzzing caused by the modified sine wave in AC motors so we went back to the Z4000. Plus the Z4000 has a simple remote control system (40-4001) that can control both variable outputs of up to three Z4000 transformers.  When we run conventional, this is the remote Dad & I prefer. The Z4K remote system has been discontinued for a while now but they can still be found on the second-hand market.

@H1000 posted:

The Z4000 has a simulated pure Sine Wave that is almost perfect, the ZW-L is a modified sine (Shark-fin wave).

If the voltage rises as a sine wave and falls as a "shark's fin," there is an abrupt reversal in the rate-of-change of voltage at the transition, rather than the smooth continuous reversal with a sine wave. Also, the rate of voltage decrease during the "shark's fin" would be larger than with a sine wave. As you found, I would expect an AC motor to operate more smoothly with a sine wave.

MELGAR

Thank you