Rebuilt ZW Transformer

I don't know about Harrys skills but at York I saw a number of rebuilt ZWs with new cords, rollers and diodes  for $135-$150 and after talking to several people found that some went for as low as $125 but they got scarfed up quick.

Jerry

I saw a ZW that looked fine and had a good cord for $50 on one of the member's tables, I suspect it didn't last too long.  It might have needed new rollers, etc, but it was a really good price.  They have come down a bunch...

I think that $150.00 for a rebuilt ZW is the going rate, if they give you a warranty. We sell them in the store for $150.00 and a 1 year warranty.

Thanks

Pat

www.patstrains.com

I would appreciate if someone posts a pic of a ZW.

thanks,

Here's a hint, Bernard:

If there is any item, practically, in the world that you need to see a photo of, just type in www.google.com , and search for the item. I put in "ZW transformer" and got 748,000 hits. You can then press the word "images" at the left side of the page, and there will be hundreds of images of the item, for your viewing pleasure.

Click this link to see one:

http://www.train-station.com/c...ius7oCFQGe4AodAyEACQ

If you watch the "bay" you will see the price of ZW's have come way down to the $ 100 to $150 range in vg condition.

It's one thing to buy a ZW off of eBay for $100-$150 in "probably works" condition, but it's quite another to buy one from a reputed transformer man who's refurbished it and guarantees it for 1 year at $150.

Exactly *why* have the prices tumbled so far on the ZW?

Also, should a restored/refurbished ZW(R) be worth any more than a similarly restored ZW?

Here's my take on the tumbling prices.

A) The hobby isn't growing.

B) The supply outpaces the demand.

C) Modern transformers on the market.

I bought my ZW 20+ years ago and still have the receipt in the box, $299.95. Those days are gone. 

Umm because they are 60 year old technology which many of us don't trust on modern engines. If you run Postwar or Early modern go for it. But for modern trains i would much rather have modern power with far superior circuit protection. Give me a Z4000 or some powerhouses any day over the classic, but very outdated ZW (And yes I do own one and run postwar with it)

And yes Harry does good work

ZW - King of Postwar

 franktrain

The post war ZW is got to be the best deal out there for powering a large layout. I have been able to pick up 3 in the last year for around 100 dollars, new cords and new rollers.

Unfortunately with the new ZWL release they may be upgraded soon.

The Achilles' heel of the PW-ZW IMO is the circuit breaker and the lack of the bell button.  The basic transformer is pretty solid, but you do need modern circuit protection if you use them on equipment with electronics involved.

Thank you; as I am running postwar trains only, I should be fine with the ZW.

As for the ZW vs the ZW(R)...? Worth paying a few more bucks for the the latter?

I bought a 1033 transformer from him at the Hamburg show about a year ago. When I asked him if the rectifier had been replaced he said he only rebuilds the transformers if they need it. He said it was tested out and was fine. It turned out to need a rectifier. I paid $45 for it and dumped it for $20.

Buyer beware.

The ZW(R) has the solid core and is typically a bit quieter and also may deliver 10-20 watts more at full bore.  Either is a good choice, and you'll probably never notice the difference.

Interesting; thanks for the word of caution. What I'm being presented is a ZW(R) with a new circuit breaker, four new rollers, and a new cord, for $150 with a one-year guarantee. What gives me pause is that the whistle rectifiers are reported as original & not needing replacement. Isn't it standard practice to replace the 55-yr-old whistle rectifiers irrespective of condition when doing a ZW rebuild?

I think most would replace the rectifiers since when they go bad they cause the engines to speed up when you blow the whistle. That was the issue with the 1033 that I bought. It has be recommended to replace the rectifiers with diodes instead since they improve the performance.

If you are in California the shipping costs are going to be expensive. If there is a defect during the one year period you will have to ship it back east.

You might try to get one locally if possible. Get it from a Hobby Shop that is also a Lionel Service Station if you can. Even if you pay a little more for the ZW it might still be less expensive than the price of the transformer plus shipping costs.

From experience, I would not buy any used transformer that I can not test, unless I know the person really well. 

Buying from ebay is like shooting into the dark, you never know what you will get, especially with a transformer. Also shipping will eat you up, new costs for fuel have driven up shipping costs.

I like the post war ZW best, it has a proven track record for performance and reliability. OK, so you need some extra circuit breakers with it, the cost is very low compared to buying a new ZW-L.

Lee Fritz

But the ZWL... is not only eye candy, it has a built in TPC in it. And its HUGE power supply will work for any big layout!

quote:

Isn't it standard practice to replace the 55-yr-old whistle rectifiers irrespective of condition when doing a ZW rebuild?

I've repaired many transformers. I have not run across that many bad rectifiers. I do not replace good ones. If the transformer meets the spec's for the whistle control in the Lionel factory service manual, then I see no point in replacing the rectifier.
That written, the postwar specs may not be good for modern era trains (1970 and on).

Some folks have experimented with replacing original rectifiers with zener diodes, I might try that the next time I rebuild a large transformer.

Here are the factory spec's for postwar transformers: page1  page2

Note that the specs are for a 5d or 5f test bench, which places a defined load on the transformer, you would not get the same readings with a different (or no) load.

With no load, you get almost no voltage from the whistle rectifier, that's what throws some people.  That's also why it tends to have issues with modern locomotives that are drawing very light loads.

There is also a Zener diode mod for the whistle rectifiers that has gotten good reviews, I actually have the Zeners, but I no longer have any PW transformers to try the mod on.

I would rather buy a transformer in person at a train show then pay the shipping charges from ebay. Also you can test the ZW when in person.

Could some of the reason that post war ZW's have fallen in price be due to the new ZW transformers put out by Lionel?

I want a transformer with a proven track record!! The newer ZW's don't seem to have that! The brand new ZW-L is too new to say anything about.

The ZW-C and slightly older ZW, that you can add four power bricks to, from about 10 to 12 years ago have several issues with them.

Lee Fritz

To answer the op question, Yes  $150.00 is probably the going rate for a rebuilt/refurbished post war ZW. Here is how i do them in the cold winter months. New cord with "L" stamped,ribbed side always to top of coil as i believe this was lionel standard procedure, new rollers,diodes,bulbs,top plate emblem, 15 amp auto style breaker ,ive had decals made for the U-A-D posts,replaced posts and nuts when needed,cases cleaned and polished, and all lettering redone. bottom plates stripped,sandblasted,epoxy primed and painted with krylon.  YES , it takes time, but i do it for the love of the hobby and not  profit. All tested,look and work better than new.  Have 4 ready to go[1 "R"] pics avail.  $160.00 shipped with 1 year warrenty. refrences, e-mail in profile, if interested.

That sounds like a great price for a transformer with all that done to it.  As you say, you clearly aren't doing it for the money!

Yes,grj,  i dont make much on them. im retired,spring is spent on the home, summer is for my boating,fall is for my 50/60's pontiacs ond olds & car shows. im in connecticut --winter=  COLD. i hibernate in winter. need to keep my hands busy, so to speak. SO,probably cost me 35.00 parts. dont need the money,keeps me sort of busy,and i enjoy turning trash to gold and wife leaves me alone !!!! life is good,  hahahaha.

Well, if I ever need one, you're my first call.