O/027 Wiring Question

Stay with the 16 gauge wire, it is heavier than the 18 gauge wire. Always use the heaviest gauge wire you can. Solid or stranded should make no difference if it is the same gauge wire.

What transformer are you using? It may be that the circuit breaker is stuck open. Can you open it up and test it with a voltmeter or bulb?

Larry

One thing you might check is the polarity on all those lock-ons. The inside rail clip goes to AC-hot and the two outside rails go to AC ground. I have gotten those wires on multiple lock-ons crossed up before.

It would help to better describe your symptom of "burn out transformers... Are you tripping a breaker, is there literal smoke/flames, or just trains do't go or what...

Both transformers lost enough voltage that the trains would not move at all.  I don't remember the output, but I know it was less than 10 V.

I don't know where the circuit breaker is on either transformer, so I am attempting to attach pictures.  A frozen circuit breaker makes sense to me, since the 1053 was last used in 1982, and the 80w is an ebay purchase of unknown history.

If someone can point out the circuit breaker in my pictures, I can test, or have someone more electrically inclined test for me.

Many thanks.

Dale

• 
• The circuit breaker is the small, black, rectangular item in the top, center of the picture.
• If you have an ohmmeter, set it to the lowest range. With the transformer unplugged, connect it to the 2 wires connected to the circuit breaker. The reading should be zero, or close to it.

Larry

You probably have way too much track powered by way too little transformer.  A modern-day Lionel ZW-L or an MTH Z-4000, or something comparable, may be more to your liking.

"Something Comparable".  For professional use only, don't try this at home by yourself! 

I started out my O Gauge adventure by powering a KW from the 110v takeoff on my welder...

Sounds like you have a short somewhere. Make sure all the center rail (power) wires are connected together and all the outer rails (common) wires are connected together. If they are mixed you will get a short. Another possibility with old track is that one of the center rail insulators is damaged, causing the center rail (power) to short to ground (the ties and outer rails).  

Thanks for the responses.  I am taking my transformers to a friend who is electrically inclined and can solder well sometime this week.  Meanwhile I bought rail pliers for the 027 section to crimp the rails correctly around the pins.  I have checked polarity on the 027 section and they are all correct.

I purchased some more lockons for the O gauge section and am in the process of installing them, which I hope to complete today.  Will test every couple of connectors with my new-to-me transformer, so I don't fry another one.  The O gauge track is in much better condition than the 027 from 1957.

BTW, is anyone on the forum near me?  I'm in Sparks, NV.

Dale