Next stop: New Transformerville
Minor setback with the trains. Just when the electrical work was 99% done and my nerves were equally frazzled, one of the transformers is now close to frying. It was blinking its famous red dummy light, which indicates that you're about 5 minutes from burning the place down. I'm running a 275 watt ZW and a 180 watt KW. In english, that essentially means I'm turning on a 455 watt bulb every time I fire up the layout.
As Paris Hilton would say...'that's hot.'
Ahh, now that's a transformer. I'll take two.
The ZW seems to be fine, but the KW is bustin' at the seams. It was my dad's, so I kinda wanted to use it. Then again, all tolled, it's running over 30 buildings comprising more than 100 little interior lightbulbs, four switch motors, two crossing gate motors, three plug-in relays, and let's not forget: two dual-motor locomotives plus a dozen lit passenger/subway cars. That's a lot of juice. I do believe Con Ed has noticed. Next step I guess is to have Louie (my micro-electrician) beef up the KW somehow, or replace it with another ZW. But I'm not a nerd, I swear.
And yet, a pin head's worth of nuclear fuel probably contains enough potential energy to power the layout for 50 years, non stop. But I'd go bald and my skin would melt off.
I may just go with another transformer.
As Paris Hilton would say...'that's hot.'

The ZW seems to be fine, but the KW is bustin' at the seams. It was my dad's, so I kinda wanted to use it. Then again, all tolled, it's running over 30 buildings comprising more than 100 little interior lightbulbs, four switch motors, two crossing gate motors, three plug-in relays, and let's not forget: two dual-motor locomotives plus a dozen lit passenger/subway cars. That's a lot of juice. I do believe Con Ed has noticed. Next step I guess is to have Louie (my micro-electrician) beef up the KW somehow, or replace it with another ZW. But I'm not a nerd, I swear.
And yet, a pin head's worth of nuclear fuel probably contains enough potential energy to power the layout for 50 years, non stop. But I'd go bald and my skin would melt off.
I may just go with another transformer.