PS1 Features using a Lionel ZW

First , HOW old is your ZW?  

the others (gunrunner john, Matt )  should be able to help you .

Runner,

I am not sure of the exact age, but likely from the 50's! Though, a little bird told me that my wife got me a ZW-L for Christmas.

Lou

You need a bell and horn buttons to operate features on PS-1 .

Guy

My experience is that you can operate every feature a PS1 loco has with a ZW...can be a little tricky thought sometimes depending on the condition of the transformer. 

To use the PFA with a ZW, first you have to make sure that the loco doesn't have the whistle/horn enabled to activate in neutral (Reset Feature 25). When the loco is sitting in neutral, adjust the voltage to less than 10 volts. Doing so will allow the whistle button to activate the bell. Holding the whistle button for three to four seconds will result in a "whoosh" sound. This means that PFA is now active. You can turn the bell now using the whistle button. Cycle the power (to either forward or reverse depending on where you stopped the engine in the Neutral/Forward/Neutral/Reverse cycle) and the next time you enter Neutral, the PFA should play after 2-3 seconds or so.

The one caveat is that depending on the condition of the ZW, that whistle button has a tendency to cycle the power if not used just so. I have used many ZW's with PS1. Sometimes this happens. Sometimes not. 

I can guarantee that the ZW-L will be much easier! I just bought one

Hope this info helps.

A QSI Sidekick II controller, when combined with a postwar ZW, gives easy and reliable control of PS1, QS-1, QS-2 and QS-3000 features. These are no longer made, but occasionally appear on the auction sites. I have used this combination for many years. 

There was also an item called a "Power Programmer" by QSI that was useful for PS1 with older transformers.

Good luck finding an operational one for sale though...  I had one a while back, but I think it died for an unknown reason to me.

-Dave