Lionel new ZW-L transformer, a Classic Toy Trains first look video
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ม.ค. 2013
- A reposting of Classic Toy Trains' first look at Lionel's new ZW-L transformer. The ZW-L updates the classic postwar Lionel ZW with state-of-the-art circuit protection and a whopping 620 watts output at 36 amps. Bob Keller from Classic Toy Trains magazine offers a sneak peek at this exciting new product. Look for a complete review of the ZW-L in the May 2014 issue of CTT.
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The old ZW is probably the most iconic transformer ever made and it still works all these years later. I can buy three or four ZW's for the price of one ZW-L. I also seriously doubt this Chinese version will last anywhere near as long.
let's see how long this new model ZW lasts compared to the original ZW Models. I have 6 ZW transformers and you can't kill them from post war era.
Great video!
I thought that was funny when he said UPS delivered something as heavy as a ZL-W transformer. He sounded too confident that the ZW was not smashed to pieces in shipment. I have had boxes smashed and broken train equipment in the past.
Many valid and interesting comments that got me thinking. My original ZW was supposedly responsible for popping the board on my MTH P5a Electric. MTH is charging me $275 for a board replacement. I can't stand the new stuff and have new engines I am afraid to run for fear of frying another board. Then someone said you need to install TVS diodes which I am doing now. I know this stuff is Chinese but so is almost everything you buy these days. I don't like it either - but I wonder if it is the best way I really don't know!
Nicely engineered . But the price !
Made in China too .
I think I’ll stick with my old ZW .
Informative video .
I recently began wondering how Lionels naming system for its transformers works. I assume the L in ZW-L stands for Legacy, but that's all I can make sense of.
But is it "U.L. Listed" ???
Don't be seduced by those 4 meters on the ZW-L. If you gotta have meters, buy a Meter Bridge for your 1948 ZW !!!
Nice video. I was just wondering which transformer would you recommend, the MTH Z-4000 or the Lionel ZW-L? I have both DCS and Legacy and I'm trying to figure out which transformer to use when I finally build my layout.
It's a Great Transformer!
What Bob's not telling you is the old ZW is a proven Transformer that has lasted many many years !will the new one do the same? who knows! BTW who has between 6 and $800 for Transformer in their pocket in any given time? I think Classic Toy train magazine is trying to make a sale here
I think now it's more like 1000 for the ZW-L now.
Both are excellent. The MTH Z-4000 is less expensive, the Lionel ZW-L has greater power output. The brand-new ZW-L has some very advanced power management circuitry, while the Z-4000 has earned a reputation for reliability. You probably should start by calculating how much power you need. After that it all comes down to personal preference.
OK, thanks!
What a beast! I love my post war ZWs, but the circuit breaker pops too slowly on a short circuit and sometimes burns up the electronics on my modern equipment. Does the circuit breaker pop quick on this one. BTW Bob, I love the look with the pipe....and welcome back to CTT.
New lower amp breakers are available.
New ZW-L made in China. No thanks, I'll stick with my better made 60 year old ZW. By the way, all you have to do is plug the ZW into a $10.00 power strip and you have an off and on switch. Anyone who does not have their transformers on a power strip with one on off switch for all, should do so. When a coupler comes open accidentally or you have a derailment, you just shut off all the power, then you can remember which controller was operating your train. I wonder how many of these Chionel ZW-L's will still be working 50 years from now?
Sheamus Meade thats nice that tou are buying for you and your brother but if you wait you will find a great postwar engine. I got mine that works and everything for $30.
Very well said. I will stick to my old post war ZW Transformers.
And that's exactly what I do with mine it's plugged into a power strip and when I turn that power strip on everything comes on this guy is just trying to make a sale for that made-in-china crap
I could buy 7-8 good ZW transformers for the price of 1 ZW-L.
Can the ZW-L run two separate trains of the same track independently?
.
Can I run more than one train on the same track with Legacy?
.
Nice to see a review by Bob Keller. The magazine unceremoniously dumped Bob in the Nov 2018 issue without any explanation or comment. Pretty shabby way to treat an employee of many years.
He's "back" as a "subcontractor" writing occasional reviews for them.
I snagged a 1946 250 Watt ZW at Catholic Charities a few years ago - along with my 66-year old 275. What was the first year for these beasts? Also, is grafting on a GFP unit a workable idea?
Either way they both still look like a freaking football!!
Does that only work on old t.v's or can you use an adapter ?
Question, could you control 4 trains from this? As in run by themselves with there own power different from other trains controller by this?
Yes you can, provided the four trains are running on tracks that are electrically isolated from each other.
800 bucks for just a transformer? Heck, for that kind of money you could buy a nice live steamer from Roundhouse or Accucraft.
No loss of love for Lionel, they make great trains, but it's all so pricey that in an ironic twist, a real steam engine is cheaper than the electronic imitation of one...
Another reason why I sold all my Lionel and MTH, etc. and went with HO gauge.
Ho is just as expensive. These companies have made this hobby so expensive your average joe cant afford it.
@@falgianibrandon
Depends on how you go about it. If you're willing to go with older models and forgo DCC (at least at first), and DIY your scenery/buildings instead of buying it all, a good layout can be built up on a budget.
The thing to remember that it doesn't have to be all at once either, just buy a little at a time as you need it.
For me, I found a vintage ZW to run my layout for a fraction of what this new version cost, I went for old-fashioned O-27 tubular track and switches to save money and get a more complex track plan in a smaller space. I mostly stick with the older locomotives and cars which go for less, and when I do buy new, I buy what I really want or from manufacturers that can offer competitive prices.
If someone gave me a ZW-l Id sell it for real ZWs.
Me too.
It's not a boat anchor lol I still use the old ones lol
I'll take the old ZW over the new Chinese crap any day!!! Plus they are built like a tank!! $250.00 vs $800.00 well, ill take the old and obsolete any day!!! Pretty much all my trains are old postwar stuff anyways.. Hmm will the new transformer be around 60 70 years from now??? Naaa!!
Ditto. Except that for $800, I can get probably sixteen 1033's. The best transformer Lionel ever built, in my opinion(and many others). Then I could run sixteen trains(if I could think that fast). And if one transformer goes down, I could still run 15 while I fix it or junk it and buy another 70-year-old machine that still works. To be fair, I would also have to buy about$10 worth of diodes to replace the whistle rectifiers, and maybe another $50 for new cords. Or I could buy four 1033's and a whole yard full of postwar locos. Come to think of it, that's what I did. And a five-year-old kid can run any one of them. That's who Lionel trains were made for.
@@bytheseaaspirinshop801 One of my PW friends loved the RW's - 110 watts per single throttle !
I WILL TAKE THE OLD ZW ANY DAY OVER THE ZW-L ,,,,NEW ONE MADE IN CHINA YUCK,,,OLD ONE MADE IN USA ,,THE BEST ,,,I HAVE TWO OLD ZWs AND THEY WORK PERFECT ,,AT $800 FOR THAT PIECE OF JUNK NO WAY!!!!!!!
No
Made in China I’m sure . Screw that use that as an anchor .