lockon Archives - The Silicon Underground

The Lionel KW transformer

Dave Farquhar — Fri, 15 Sep 2017 11:00:26 +0000

The Lionel KW transformer was the second largest transformer Lionel made in the postwar era. It delivered 190 watts of power and provided two handles to control two trains. Internally, the design is very similar to the ZW. If the

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All about the Lionel LW transformer

Dave Farquhar — Tue, 26 Jan 2016 12:00:14 +0000

The Lionel LW Trainmaster is a 125 watt transformer that Lionel produced from 1955 to 1966. They are reasonably durable and Lionel made them for a long time. That means you can find them easily on the secondary market. They can be

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How to attach wires to the posts of a Lionel train transformer

Dave Farquhar — Sat, 19 Dec 2015 12:00:01 +0000

It took me 20 years to find out I was connecting the wires to my train transformer wrong–and this applies to American Flyer and Marx just as much as to Lionel–and I don’t want the same thing to happen to

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Testing electric train track

Dave Farquhar — Wed, 16 Dec 2015 12:00:27 +0000

I have a method of testing electric train track from Lionel, American Flyer, Marx or any other brand. The key is to test it one piece at a time, so you know any problem you found is isolated to a single

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How many Lionel CTC lockons you need

Dave Farquhar — Sat, 05 Dec 2015 23:39:49 +0000

You usually need at least two Lionel CTC lockons, but most Lionel O and O27 train sets came with a single CTC lockon connector. If your train slows down as it gets farther away from the transformer, that’s the biggest

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Fight voltage drop with copper anti-seize lubricant

Dave Farquhar — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 20:10:23 +0000

If you have issues with your trains slowing down on the far reaches of your layout–and judging from my website hits, many people do–there are a couple of things to do about it. The first thing is to run additional

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How to make a Lionel train whistle

Dave Farquhar — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 19:50:34 +0000

How do you make a Lionel train whistle? Well, you need a whistling tender and a transformer with a whistle button or handle. If it’s all wired correctly, pushing the button or handle while the electric train is moving will

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Frequent questions about setting up toy trains and trains and Christmas trees

Dave Farquhar — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 03:38:55 +0000

Here are some train-related questions I’ve received that I really don’t think I ever answered adequately elsewhere. Hopefully this will help. How much track do you need under a Christmas tree? With American Flyer S gauge (2 rail) track, 12 pieces

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My $8 secondhand Lionel

Dave Farquhar — Sat, 13 May 2006 19:19:24 +0000

I hear stories all the time about the Lionel train that someone found at a garage sale for $10. Or sometimes it's a Marx. The one that bothered me the most was the story about a 65-year-old American Flyer locomotive for $10, and the guy who got it didn't even like O gauge.

Whatever. Today was my day. I found a Lionel starter set from 1999. The price marked on it: $8. I didn't haggle. I handed over Alexander Hamilton, scooped up the train set, grabbed a couple of Washingtons, and headed to the car with a train set under my arm.

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How to get that dusty old train running again

Dave Farquhar — Sat, 27 Nov 2004 21:46:05 +0000

It's the weekend after Thanksgiving. The time of year when nostalgia runs high and ancient toy trains come out of the basement or the attic and get set up again until sometime after the new year.

Well, hopefully they make it that long. Here are some tips for getting old Lionel, American Flyer, Marx, and similar trains running again.

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