A friend just gave us a Lionel set for the kids. There seems to be an issue with the CS-80 transformer. After plugging it up the green light does not come on, but I can hear the fan in the transformer. Is this thing toast? Or am I missing something.
snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote in news:994da61b-80f0-4d51-8181- snipped-for-privacy@m36g2000hse.googlegroups.com:
Have you tried hooking it up and running trains? Some transformers use a light to indicate how much voltage is being used, so they don't turn on until it's time to run trains.
Ok, failing that, I'd look for either a fuse or circuit breaker reset button. They'll be accessible if they're meant to be used. (Sometimes reset buttons are recessed, they're meant to be used, but not often.) Check the fuse or press the reset button and see if that clears things up.
The next things to try would be testing the power supply in isolation (unhook it from the layout) and see if the light comes on. You may have a short somewhere (remember in 3-rail O, the power goes to the middle and outside rails, not the two outside rails.) If it works, then try connecting a power lead to the locomotive wheel and the other to the wiper in the middle of the locomotive. Give it power and the wheels should start turning.
FYI: I'm not familiar with Lionel transformers, just power supplies and the troubleshooting process in general.
Puckdropper
I was told by a Lionel tech that the CW-80's can be fried very easily. He keeps a steady stock of them in the shop to replace the ones that come in sets.
Unlike older Lionel transformers that use a variable tap on the secondary winding to get the adjustable low voltage AC to run the trains, the CW-80 uses a solid state device, and it apparently runs near its limits since it requires the cooling fan. I was given a fried one by the local hobby shop, and junked it rather than attempting a repair. But don't throw it away. Salvage the power transformer - it's a quality component that's just perfect for a switch machine and/or structure lighting power supply. Geezer
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