Using Lionel 180 watt power bricks with MTH TIU.

Yes. and yes.

Up to 1 per channel (4 total max per TIU). You should power the TIU thru the aux port separately so if any brick trips, the other channels stay on.

No problem here,

Dave

Sorry to resurrect this but does anyone know where I can find the connectors needed for the Lionel 180 bricks to the MTH TIU? I just don't want to cut off the plugs from the bricks. Any help greatly appreciated.

Socket and pins. Mouser, digikey, whatever…

Digikey or Mouser, search for these.

Molex Female housing 538-03-09-2032
Molex Male housing    538-03-09-1032
Molex Male pins 538-02-09-2103
Molex Female pins 538-02-09-1104

@FabbDadd posted:

Sorry to resurrect this but does anyone know where I can find the connectors needed for the Lionel 180 bricks to the MTH TIU? I just don't want to cut off the plugs from the bricks. Any help greatly appreciated.

I bought them on ebay searh Lionel 6-14194

Corey,

While the Lionel 6-14194 used to work quite well with the early PH-180's, which is fortunately most of them ever made, it only has two pins in each 3 pin connector housing.  From what I understand this will not activate the new interlock function in the newest PH-180's.  For these a user will need to install a third pin, with no wire crimped or soldered to it, in the open cavity in the 6-14194 connector housings in order to depress the plunger and activate the interlock.

The 6-14194 is no longer plug and play.  They can still be used but now they need some modification.

Mike

Mr. Muffin's Trains sells an adapter from a company called Modelmain Train Works that will allow a 135W or 180W Powerhouse Brick to connect to the inputs of an MTH DCS TIU. Just look up the cable on Mr. Muffin's website.

Thank you all for the info. I will order from Mr. Muffins.

I have two Lionel 180 Watt Power Bricks  but I do not have the controllers...An MTH technician who services my MTH engines says I should NOT be inputting these 180 watt bricks directly into my new WTIU. He was very emphatic about this and says I must use a controller. He claims the immediate  surge of 180 watts could damage the WTIU.

Question # 1  Does anyone have an opinion about this?

Question # 2 can I use and MTH Z1000 or Z 750 controller to regulate the180 watt Power Brick?

Thank  you.

I think your MTH tech may be listening to old wives' tales.  In truth, I believe that having the pure sine wave from the brick is going to be the best case scenario for your situation.  There's absolutely no published information anywhere that I'm aware of that cautions you from applying voltage like that.  If your tech has some actual reputable source for that claim, I'd certainly like to hear it.

I've been using my TIU with four bricks for years, here's the setup on my new layout.  Our club and half a dozen folks in the modular club all use the PH180 bricks, IMO one of the best power solutions there is for strictly command running.

Question # 1  Does anyone have an opinion about this?

You got nonsense advice. The PH180 is safe as an input to the TIU or WTIU, but no harm adding an external breaker to the input or output of the TIU/WTIU. I've used the PH180 for many years on my Rev L TIU.

Question # 2 can I use and MTH Z1000 or Z 750 controller to regulate the180 watt Power Brick?

Absolutely Not. The MTH "controllers" convert a sine-wave into a chopped waveform which is bad for the TIU and WTIU.

Quoted from Page 13 of the DCS Operations Manual:   

Any transformer employing two parts, a brick (step down transformer) and a controller (used to vary the voltage output) may cause operational problems due to low power or poor DCS signal. To correct this problem, MTH recommends connecting only the brick to the TIU inputs. In addition, check the output voltage of the transformer; it should not exceed 22 volts (or 18 volts if lighted cars are used on the track). When using the Z-500, Z750 or Z1000 electronic type transformer use an adapter cable, to connect the brick directly to the TIU input. DO NOT use the controller portion of an electronic type transformer.