Z4000, Z1000 Bricks and Z750 Bricks Phasing

The plugs on your new equipment should already be phased.  Plug them in and touch your VOM to a common terminal on each transformer.  If the meter shows zero, you’re in phase.  Just repeat this with all of the transformers you will be using.

I suppose that you could swap the wires on the input side of the TIU but I would not.  I think that could potentially confusing later on.

Once all of your transformers are phased, the common will be common throughout your layout.  It is not necessary to connect them together.

DanR Thank you for response. The reason for doing the jumping at the TIU is because BRICKS have no wire terminals only a wire exiting the brick with a barrel end. You then plug the barrel end into a short adapter that MTH sells that changes the wire from a barrel end  to two wires with banana jacks for the TIU. This was my reason for asking about jumping the black common inputs across all the channels on the input side of the TIU. The only way to check phasing thus becomes checking the connection at the TIU.

Lets go back to the original question...

1. Do the 2 Z4000's need to be phased since they are plugged into the same power strip and can only be plugged in one way? I checked voltage between them after connecting the black terminals together and using volt meter between reds and voltage is NOT doubled but is exactly what is coming from red and black on each transformer (18v). This leads me to believe they are phased in sync.

On the other side of the room I have another layout with 3 Z1000 Bricks and one Z750 Brick plugged into a power strip connected to one TIU (will call B) with all 4 inputs wired. This TIU is auxiliary powered by a Z750 Brick.

2. Do these need to be phased. NOTE: I have a wire coming from one Z4000 over to one of the inputs on the other TIU (B) because the two layouts are connected by one loop

Yes they all have to be phased ,  whether it's a  wire  joining all   the commons  right at the transformers or  whether it happens via the track (outside rails).  There's always a break someplace around  turnout outs.

Here's an example... It may not apply here . You have a smaller transformer for turnout power (switch machines)  and you're using the non-de rail feature.

   You could  use the accessory posts  12/14 volts(handle whatever) on the smaller transformer and the common .The switch  controller will throw the turnout.... However  unless the smaller transformer's  common  is phased in with the track power supply  common  the non-derailing feature will not work.  

And no I don't think you can phase them   via the tiu... The  power supplies  should be phased together before actually hooking anything up.... Yep join the power supply  commons and measure the voltage between the  hots at full voltage. Should be little or no voltages.

(yes you could  tie  the commons together   via the tiu black input  terminals if you can't get them right at the transformers 

 Get them in phase as first step, get it over with, There are ton of posts about phasing in the archives.

Gregg, thanks for the answer to the black inputs being tied together. Since I  have 4 Bricks on one TIU I will jumper them all together and then run the jumper over to the two Z4000's jumping both of them also. Good point on the switch power transformer. You must see into my dense head as that was going to be my next question. I do assume that I do NOT have to jumper in the 2 transformers supplying Auxiliary power to the two TIU's as they have barrel jacks going right into the TIU's.

I have a question about the MTH Z1000’s. I’m going to try to explain what I want to do the best I can. The better I explain it the easier it will be to answer. I want to (inner and outer loop) tie two loops together with 4 switches. The transformers will be phased correctly one on each loop,(positive to positive, negative to negative)  I’m going to isolate the loops at the switches. Will there be any problems with the locomotives or the transformers while crossing the switches? All the locomotives are only a year old, I do have a set Williams Erie F3’s which is a conventional operating loco, and one MTH Western Maryland RS3 which can be run conventional, or remote  the rest are Lionel Lion Chief and Lion Chief Plus 2.0

Thanking you in advance,

Anthony J

@Anthony J, it would be best to ask your question in a separate posting, but to generally answer your question, properly phased transformers for the loops and properly wired switches should meet your needs.

Thank you kindly, the switches I’m using are manual switches. I have to learn how to post questions.  
can you give me a tip to post questions?

thanking you in advance

Anthony J

@CurtisH posted:

On the other side of the room I have another layout with 3 Z1000 Bricks and one Z750 Brick plugged into a power strip connected to one TIU (will call B) with all 4 inputs wired. This TIU is auxiliary powered by a Z750 Brick.

Do not assume that the AC outlet on the other side of the room is in phase with the first outlet. If the two outlets are on different circuit breakers, they could be out of phase with each other.

Check neutral to neutral and hot to hot just in case.

This is true about the phasing from circuit breaker to circuit breaker. Thank you.

@Anthony J posted:

I have a question about the MTH Z1000’s. I’m going to try to explain what I want to do the best I can. The better I explain it the easier it will be to answer. I want to (inner and outer loop) tie two loops together with 4 switches. The transformers will be phased correctly one on each loop,(positive to positive, negative to negative)  I’m going to isolate the loops at the switches. Will there be any problems with the locomotives or the transformers while crossing the switches? All the locomotives are only a year old, I do have a set Williams Erie F3’s which is a conventional operating loco, and one MTH Western Maryland RS3 which can be run conventional, or remote  the rest are Lionel Lion Chief and Lion Chief Plus 2.0

Thanking you in advance,

Anthony J

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As to your actual question, no - there should not be any problem with a train crossing over from one loop to the other loop where they are electrically separated and powered by two different transformers as long as they are properly phased and running the same approximate voltage, i.e., if you're running Loop A at 10 volts for conventional operation and Loop B at 18 volts for command operation, then crossing over would be an issue.