I must be loosing it. Many years ago I ran a small layout with O22 switches and fixed voltage, but cannot recall the way I had it wired. I'm helping my grandson set up his layout and we are powering with a KW transformer. I have four O22 switch tracks with their fixed voltage plugs connected.
The track power is terminal A to the outside rails, terminal U to the center rail. Which terminal should I use to supply fixed voltage to the switch tracks ?
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The track power is supposed to be terminal "U" to the outside rails(lockon clip 2), terminal "A" to the center rail(lockon clip 1).
That leaves you with "D" to the switches at 20 volts, which will snap them very nicely, but will melt the lanterns at that high setting.
Instead, connect the switch power to "B" and adjust to the lowest setting that provides good switch action.
I haven't wired these switches in a while, but I think the wires to the track are as follows: terminal U is the ground and goes to the outside rail, and terminal A would be the power and go to the center rail. Then, the fixed voltage plug would be power and go to terminal B, C or D in the ZW transformer. You apply the power to the switch by using the throttle for terminal B, C or D. The train is controlled by throttle for terminal A.
ADCX Rob posted:The track power is supposed to be terminal "U" to the outside rails(lockon clip 2), terminal "A" to the center rail(lockon clip 1).
That leaves you with "D" to the switches at 20 volts, which will snap them very nicely, but will melt the lanterns at that high setting.
Instead, connect the switch power to "B" and adjust to the lowest setting that provides good switch action.
I agree with Rob, who I think explained the wiring better than me.
Thanks guys. I knew I had the track wiring wrong. I'll fix it in the morrow.
Dan said "KW" and Arnold is talking about a ZW.
Lionel wiring diagram recommends the D post, with a 10 ohm, 25 watt adjustable resistor.
Chuck Sartor posted:... a 10 ohm, 25 watt adjustable resistor.
Which is a good alternative, and just about describes Lionel's rheostats!
The reason it needs to be adjustable is of course because the resistance must be adjusted to meet the current draw of the number of switches in the circuit. The drawback is that by the time you have 3 or 4 pairs of 022 switches, just the bulbs in the switches & controllers exceed the current capacity of the resistor or rheostat.
ADCX Rob posted:Chuck Sartor posted:... a 10 ohm, 25 watt adjustable resistor.
Which is a good alternative, and just about describes Lionel's rheostats!
The reason it needs to be adjustable is of course because the resistance must be adjusted to meet the current draw of the number of switches in the circuit. The drawback is that by the time you have 3 or 4 pairs of 022 switches, just the bulbs in the switches & controllers exceed the current capacity of the resistor or rheostat.
Which begs the question; Why couldn't the incandescent bulbs be replaced with LEDs ?
Dan Padova posted:Why couldn't the incandescent bulbs be replaced with LEDs ?
They can.
Reference page attached
About your Power Supply
Well my grandson and I corrected my mistake of the other day. Switch tracks are now operating with fixed voltage ! He's happy and so is Poppi. I used to tell the younger guys, on the job, that I have forgotten more information than you guys think you know. I think I was right ! It's been so long since I had a Lionel layout that some of this stuff, which was second nature to me then is a re-learning curve now.....LOL
I am adding two 022 switches to a layout expansion. They work fine when drawing power from the track.
I want to use the fixed voltage plug so the switches draw power directly from a ZW transformer. I plugged in the fixed voltage plug into each switch and connected a wire from each fixed voltage plug to the "A" terminal of the ZW. I then turned up the throttle and got nothing.
What did I do wrong?
Is there an additional wire connection that I need to make to the "U" or Common terminal of he ZW and the switch or fixed voltage plug?
Arnold
The outside rail must have a path to the U terminal of the corresponding ZW that the O22 fixed voltage plug is tied to. This is usually achieved through the common ground wiring pf phased terminals where all the commons of all the transformers are tied together. Very simplistically:
The blue wire above is not required for the O22 to work, but it is what makes the trains go 'round. Also, I didn't diagram out the O22C - its wiring remains standard to the three posts on the switch machine.
Thank you bmoran4, problem solved.
Arnold
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