What voltage does a 135W PowerHouse generate?

18 vac at 7.5 ac amps

Actually, the three 135W PowerHouse transformers that I had put out 20 volts, one reason I didn't like them.

Did they put out 20 volts under load, or just at idle?  Are they regulated?

It's just a bare transformer.  My PH180's put out about 18.5 volts open circuit, the PH135's put out around 20.5 open circuit.

That is very interesting.   Our S gauge club runs with another club.  When we use our Lionel AF TMCC or Legacy engines they seem to run especially "energized" with more smoke than ever for example.  Plus those who run most often with them have suffered failed voltage regulators and suspect smoke unit damage (less smoke when back on other layouts).  They use a PowerHouse, but are not sure which.   Yet they think it's rated at 18V.   If, however, it's possibly a 135W model then it sounds like maybe 20V, not 18V is present.   Lionel strongly recommends not running these engines with more than 19V.  I use 16.5V at home (railhead with engine on the tracks) and they all run fine.  Our club runs about 18V with no problems or signs of extra energy.  Clearly the thing now is for them to confirm which unit it is and whether generating 18, 20, or 20+ VAC.  Thanks all for your replies.

Now, apparently there's some thought that it might be a 190W PowerHouse with 21VAC output.  Is anyone familiar with that unit?  Thanks.

The only two Lionel PowerHouse transformers I've ever heard of are the 135W and 180W models.

The differences cited on this thread could be due to differences in the input voltage. A 10 volt difference in the line voltage would be about a 1.5 volt change on the output.

 

J White

 

That's true, but my PH180 units, come in at around 18.5 volts, and the old PH135 units put out a bit more than 20.5 volts.  My line voltage is 125-127 most of the time.

 

Thanks.  I too have only heard of the 135 or 180.  Now I am more curious than ever to see what it is they have in that cabinet and select using a rotary switch to power the tracks for TMCC/Legacy engines.  Not to mention measure its output.  

Now I'm going to have to go and crawl under the layout to find out. I've got two. Dang!

 

Gilly

Dale, what's your line voltage when you measure the outputs?

 

Probably why I never saw it.   I never even heard of it.

 

Yep along time ago...

 

There is is in living color!   It's like a lot of things that hit the catalogs, never seen in public!

Don't most of the old conventional ZWs put out around 20v? The Z model put out 22v. 

Perhaps when the first 'new' ZWs with the external power supplies came out Lionel was concerned that customers would balk at having less available voltage for their older equipment?

There is a very good possibility that the wall outlet you plug into can be as low as 110 volts and as high as 122 volts. I've seen some 125's.  Plus or minus 10% would also show up on the secondary side of a toy train transformer. 

In Illinois, I was told that the range was 120vac +/- 10% which is 108 to 132. Quite a range. But recently I believe the power company stated +/- 5%...so 114 to126. My voltage is usually around 123/124 vac. It's in their advantage to keep it on the high side.

I know that my power runs on the high side, but that's probably due to the fact that I have my own transformer direct from the 13.8kv line.  This place has 400A service, and that's pretty much capacity for the transformer.

Line Volts 123

Track 20.1 Volts

OT7
What are you using for track power?

135W PowerHouse.

My 20.5 sounds about right, I have 127 for line power right now.