Taking a step backwards; or am I?

All I can offer you to consider, sir, is that I have used this bank of old ZW's since I first built the layout in 1995 - and these you see here specifically, all along, to run 10 trains and 1 trolley, which includes three being run conventionally. A friend hooked-up the TMCC remote system (see "bricks" on bottom shelf) to them, so that I have that choice when I put those engines on tracks. I believe I paid in a range of $175 - $225 for them, and I bought two extra ZW's for back-up which I keep stored on a shelf under the layout front.

FrankM

P.S. I did note on one occasion that if I ran two passenger trains (apparently, I needed to include the number of lights within the coaches when figuring the total demand) on the same track that the ZW conked out. I was advised that I had to consider the number of switch lights and Rotary Beacons that were also drawing from the same lever on the ZW powering the two passenger trains on the same track/ZW handle. Solution? I only run one passenger train per track, per ZW.

You ask a great question, but what made me want to respond now is the fact that you prefer running conventionally, as I do. A good ZW that has been refurbished by a pro is an investment in quality running. Whether you need other transformers to handle some of the load (only using the ZW for train running or for 2 trains and some accessories) depends on your power needs. For a smaller layout, a ZW is fine. I've got a 25 by 5 foot-long layout powered with a KW (only 190 watts) that runs 3 trains with the help of 4 small transformers handling lights, operating accessories, etc. I've got a ZW I haven't hooked up yet because I'm going to do a thorough job on the inside - easy stuff like replacing rollers, checking solder points, replacing the brittle cord, etc. Conventional does not come with all the provisos that modern electronics bring to the train table...

Even with the ZW carefully gone over, and only running conventional trains, I suggest that you employ external circuit breakers, one on each "channel" that is in use, on the "A", "B", "C" and "D" terminals.

1 - the original internal breaker have a high trip threshold
2 - the original internal breaker are thermal, and take a long time to trip
3 - As built, there is only one internal breaker, on the common side. It is very possible to accidentally create circuits using only the "A", "B", "C", and "D" terminals. Such a circuit would be completely unprotected.

I like to use adjustable electromagnetic breakers. They trip instantly, and can be adjusted just above what your trains require for maximum protection.

If you have any trains with boards (electronics), also add some TVS devices.

Cannot comment on the price.

A well-serviced ZW is absolutely a solid choice for providing power to your layout.  Once refurbished a bit, it will likely run another 50 years before needing its next service - there's just not much that can go wrong with it.  $240 is a reasonable price from a LHS, assuming it comes with some sort of warranty on the work that was performed.

If you have a choice, one of the later "ZW (R)" models would be preferable due to various improvements Lionel made when they "(R)"evised it.  Ask the LHS about this.

JTrains posted:

A well-serviced ZW is absolutely a solid choice for providing power to your layout.  Once refurbished a bit, it will likely run another 50 years before needing its next service - there's just not much that can go wrong with it.  $240 is a reasonable price from a LHS, assuming it comes with some sort of warranty on the work that was performed.

If you have a choice, one of the later "ZW (R)" models would be preferable due to various improvements Lionel made when they "(R)"evised it.  Ask the LHS about this.

1 year unconditional warranty... After that tech says that it is something he can always fix and repair. Modern circuit boards not so much. 

I cannot dispute the great convenience of having someone you trust (backed with a warranty) sell you a ZW - they are a great transformer. If that is your inclination, go for it, and follow the advice given here to add external breakers and TVS protection if you have engines with electronics inside. I don't think you'll have any regrets a year from now - the $ won't matter by then, and your transformer will likely still be working fine.

I will say this, I see ZWs for sale at every train show, many of them priced in the $120-$160 range. You could potentially buy two of them for the same money as you are buying one. The caveat of course, is who do you turn to if something goes wrong? I would guess that would be your friend at the LHS. Or....

You have admitted to a lack of understanding of electronics, but if you are at least mechanically inclined and have some soldering skills, I would submit that there are plenty of You Tube videos, published articles, and help available here that  could take you through changing the rollers and the power cord and adding a couple of diodes for small money, without your ever having to be knowledgeable in electronics. The downside to that approach is that other "things" can occur that might make you wish you hadn't gone that route, things like handle problems, terminal studs/nuts coming loose, a loud buzzing core, and of course troubleshooting somebody else's botched repair work (always a bad one, that!)

I suspect your mind is already made up (purchase the refurbished one) and you really want to see how good/bad of a deal you're getting, and I certainly understand that decision. I don't think anyone is taking you to the cleaners 

I will say this, I see ZWs for sale at every train show, many of them priced in the $120-$160 range. You could potentially buy two of them for the same money as you are buying one. The caveat of course, is who do you turn to if something goes wrong? I would guess that would be your friend at the LHS. Or....

True. But those transformers are usually as-is.

 I would submit that there are plenty of You Tube videos, published articles, and help available here that  could take you through changing the rollers and the power cord and adding a couple of diodes for small money, without your ever having to be knowledgeable in electronics.

All true.

I have not watched any of those videos. My concern would be over how complete and explicit the instructions are. A person with a good understanding of what's going on inside the transformer, and who has experience is going to know what to look for, and how things should look when they are done.

Because of this, for a long time I would not comment on transformer repair questions, and am still hesitant to do so.

It's one thing to mess up the repair of a locomotive, because with super rare exception, nobody gets hurt.
With a transformer, carrying 115 volts inside that case, someone could receive a nasty shock or worse.
I don't think zapping someone is going to help the hobby grow

So, if you are comfortable around 115V electricity, and confident in your abilities to make the repair, look at the video and go for it.
If not, have someone trustworthy do it.

After all, A man has got to know his limitations - Dirty Harry.

Given what you say about your skill level with electronics, I would advise you to buy the refurbished ZW from your trusted LHS, rather than looking for a deal. Ask them to get you the right breakers and TVS add-ons and ask that they show you how to hook them up. TVS units help prevent power surges getting to the track. The breakers protect your ZW from melting down. 

As for your question about watts, volts and ohms, here is my best simplistic explanation.  Watts is the total power that a transformer can put out. Volts and current combine to create your watts. (FYI, current is measured in Amps.) Think of volts like the weight of a truck; think of current as its speed; think of watts as how much damage that truck could do with its combine weight and speed. As for ohms, ohms is the measurement of resistance on a circuit. Ohms is that string of lighted passenger cars and the engine drawing all of the power.

The last thing to know is that your ZW transformer will convert the 115 volts coming out of the wall to the less than 18 volts that goes to the train track. 

Finally, the great folks on this forum can answer almost any question you have. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask.

George

If you think of the whole thing as a water pipe, watts is the volume of water passing through, volts is the pressure of the water and ohms are the drag on the water passing through said pipe........ sorta kinda, but there will be critics 

GeoPeg posted:

I suspect your mind is already made up (purchase the refurbished one) and you really want to see how good/bad of a deal you're getting, and I certainly understand that decision. I don't think anyone is taking you to the cleaners 

Well, you should be a psychologist as you are partially correct. I am having some second thoughts and little "nagging" doubts. I do know that the price is a little high but I  have great confidence in the tech who did the work. He said he stripped it down to bare bones and rebuilt it. he has fixed a great number of my trains over the years with outstanding success. I started out with one measly MTH RS-3 PRR starter set and now have almost $10,000 in the hobby. (I know that is not much compared to many here) But, point is, over time $240 won't break my back. Still, I do want to buy blindly so I appreciate the comments from others and yourself here. Thank you all!