We have been using the 14V accessory plug to power our layout lighting and it looks like we have outgrown it..... I have been adding a bunch of lights and now we keep popping the circuit....

What are you guys using for powering your lighting? - I am thinking it needs its own power supply....

Thanks.

quote:

Originally posted by MrMuffin'sTrains:
We have been using the 14V accessory plug to power our layout lighting and it looks like we have outgrown it..... I have been adding a bunch of lights and now we keep popping the circuit....

What are you guys using for powering your lighting? - I am thinking it needs its own power supply....

Thanks.

Steve I use the Malibu Indoor Outdoor Lighting Transformer 1 Housing with 2 300 watt units inside that output 14V AC. And I my layout I add a 20amp breaker to each line for protection. Also on two of the units in city area and Wildwood I use DC 12v so one of the 300W units in 2 units, I add a Lionel AC to DC Converter from a few years back and drop 14V AC to 12VDC. I have had for 3 years and zero problems and I use 4 units over the layout. Happy Railroading!!-Don Klose

I use 2 Lionel Type Z transformers to power the lights and accessories on my layout. They have all the power I need to light up my world and then some. I used the 4 outputs on each one to break down my layout into eight power districts. I run to eight terminal strips located around the layout and then just connect buildings, etc, to the terminal strip for the area it is located in. On my control panel I have digital meters that monitor the out voltage for each out put. These older Lionel transformers are really good power supplies, as long as they are in good operating condition and properly fuse protected.

Steve:

I use a couple of outdoor lighting transformers like those Don wrote about. Home Depot & Lowes often have these in a variety of outputs and in a variety of brand names. I think both of mine are generic or store brands.

Buy the largest ones you can find, you'll soon outgrow whatever you buy. When you reach the capacity limit of one of these, it's very easy to add another.


Say hi to Mrs. Muffin for me.

Don and Paul - Does AC or DC matter?.... I found some outdoor lighting transformers on closeout that were 12V AC 150 Watts.....

I run all my buildings/accessories on AC, depending on the type of lights used in the building, anywhere from 13.8 volts for incandescent up to 18 volts where I used Evans Designs Universal LED's. The Type Z's transformers I used are 250 Watts and will put out from 3 volts up to 24.8 volts on all 4 outputs. You can pick them up on eBay for around 75 - 100 dollars in excellent condition.

Steve:

For lights, AC or DC doesn't matter. In fact, the lamps MIGHT last a little longer on DC.


FWIW, the outdoor lighting transformers are AC.

i use a cw40 from lionel and have about six transformers from my ho scale days.have almost a dozen wal-warts ranging from 3v to around 12v with some of them being just 9v out.

i run mostly ac but will use dc now and then.the ho scale transformers have 16v acc terminals and of course variable dc outputs also.

terry.....

......I just use this .....

steve, We started by using an accessory connection to our ZW, then added a CW-80, and then then added another. Might make sense if you're starting from scratch to go for enough watts to start with....