Help with wiring to lockons!

[Anonymous]

I was wondering of someone could help me with a few basic wiring questions. I am wiring a shelf layout with 43 feet of O gauge tubular track. The layout will be approximately 12x11. I have a 110 Watt RW transformer and plan on wiring to three different lockons around the layout since its only one track and I thought it would help smooth out the voltage on the far side of the track. Questions are:

1) Is it a good idea to wire a few lockons? Will it help get current to the far side of the track? Or does it not make a difference...
2) If I do connect to three lockons, do I send separate wires from the transformer to each lockon? Or can I send the first two wires to the first lockon, then two wires from that lockon to the next, and so on? Also, I read the thread on wire gauge and I am planning on using 16 gauge wire fopr the track and 18 gauge for the lights and accessories.

Thanks for your help in advance!

[Anonymous]

I hope someone with more knowledge than me answers this question. I have wondered about it myself. As for the wire, I just don't know. I am running 20 gauge wire and have had no problems in 12 years. What is the gauge of the green stuff that Lionel sells for their accessories? About 26? So, it really is up to you I would suppose. I have noticed no drop in performance or anything else running 20.

[Big_Boy_4005]

Here are a couple of topics from the recent past. The first one is a discussion of wire gauge, what to watch out for, and why its important. It sounds as if you may have read this topic before. With a single RW for power you will be hard pressed to exceed the capacity of wire that you have planned.

http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=10664

The second is another piece of the electrical puzzle, and addresses the issue of feeder placement, and quantity.

http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=10411

Please read through these, and then if you still have questions, just follow up on this thread. By the way, if you use a large enough wire, you can just run one set out from the transformer, and tap into it in a number of locations.

[Anonymous]

Big Boy, Thanks, I read the first thread but did not see the second. Let me clarify what I think I read. It is suggested to have more than one lockon, using the hose and drain analogy. If I have two lockons, I am running four wires from my transformer: Two for current to each lockon and two for return. Is this correct?

[Big_Boy_4005]

I think you've got it.

That second topic got pushed down pretty far, but I remembered saying something similar to what you were asking, and managed to find it. I'm not sure if you noticed, but the response below mine was from the editor of CTT.

That method would work, and may actually use less wire for your particular situation.
You may want to use some kind of terminal strip in the event that you have a lot of wires going to the same post on the transformer. It will make it easier to keep them from falling off.

By the way, I'm not the only one out here who knows about this stuff, I just hang around a lot. Glad I could help, have fun.

[Roger Bielen]

For the layout your looking at, the wire gauges you have, 16 or 18, should be suffiecient. Most electrical codes use 14 ga. for 15 amp lighting circuits, a lot more than the 110W you'll use. As to wiring the lockons, IMO, it is a matter of convenience as to wiring one to the other or using home runs since, again, your distances are not great.

As for the number of lockons there are a few rules-of-thumb around: one per X number of joints, or per length of track. Personally I used 6 ft. with 36" lenths of track, probably over kill. Using lockons you can always add one in if there are signs of a lack of power. Remember, with most engines, curves will slow them down due to wheel friction not power loss.

Good luck.

[lionelsoni]

Roger, I agree that AWG 18 is okay, but just barely. While 110 watts at 120 volts is just under 1 ampere, at 16 volts it is about 7 amperes, which is the most that AWG 18 can carry safely.

[Anonymous]

Try this link for a very good discussion on wire size etc with regard to O gauge toy trains.

http://ogaugerr.infopop.cc/6/ubb.x?q=Y&a=tpc&s=63160042&f=57660482&m=631006706&p=1

[jkerklo]

16 AWG is fine for the layout described.

My rule is at least one center rail and outside rail wire connection for every three track joins.

Depending on wiring space, I would run a pair of wires one direction to all the connections on one side of the loop, then another pair to all the connections to the other side of the loop. No need for separate runs from the transformer. You are only running one train, so the power required is the same.

I don't use lock-ons: the clips for the wire are about the worst possible electrical connection. I use 1/4 inch male quick disconnect terminals crimped to the wire and inserted between rail sides from underneath. Practically invisible.

If you would like some help with this, see www.Three-Rail.com , "PAPERS."

JK

[lionelsoni]

It is very easy to solder to tinplate track and to solder around the rail joints, which is where most of the resistance is.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jkerklo

16 AWG is fine for the layout described.

My rule is at least one center rail and outside rail wire connection for every three track joins.

Depending on wiring space, I would run a pair of wires one direction to all the connections on one side of the loop, then another pair to all the connections to the other side of the loop. No need for separate runs from the transformer. You are only running one train, so the power required is the same.

I don't use lock-ons: the clips for the wire are about the worst possible electrical connection. I use 1/4 inch male quick disconnect terminals crimped to the wire and inserted between rail sides from underneath. Practically invisible.

If you would like some help with this, see www.Three-Rail.com , "PAPERS."

JK

Maybe I'm misunderstanding you...you have a power connection for every three sections of track? If this is so, you're over-doing it. I have a 21X20 layout with ONE lockon connection. No loss of power and all is well.

[jkerklo]

Perhaps I am overdoing it a bit.

I don't use short straights, just the long ones, cut to length if needed. And minimum curve is O54, with mostly O72 and O96. So distances between track joins is longer than might be expected. Using the male quick-disconnect between rail sides technique is easy and invisible, so making power connections isn't particularly burdonsome. If I were using lock-ons, I would probable use fewer.

The layout is about 11' x 19' and portable with eight panels. It goes to RMD/TCA shows.
The knocking down, transport, and assembly takes a heavy toll on the track joins between panels. It also runs six to eight trains on one track. Extra track joins is a better trade-off than tighting track joins at a show.

If you are running that much track with one lock-on, you must have done a great job of
joining the track.


John Kerklo
TCA 94-38455
www.Three-Rail.com