I am creating an extra lon layout. How many lockons should I use to prevent power loss and how close together should they be? I plan to use buss bars to inable the use of heavier wire. No switches are planned. I am NOT well veersed in wireing so any help will be greatly appreciated!
What kind of track are you using?
Joined 1-21-2011 TCA 13-68614
Kev, From The North Bluff Above Marseilles IL.
On my layout, I have lockons roughly every 10 sections of track (or 8'), and don't really notice a drop. I use #14 solid wire (it's solid because that was what was available as scraps from work) and they will fit under the clip on a Lionel lockon just barely.
If you were to use #14 stranded, you could cut about 1/2 the strands off, and it will easily fit in the clip of a lockon. I say this because if you can buy one spool of #14 wire instead of one spool of 14 and one of a 16, it will save you money, and you also won't have two half empty spools of wire laying around, you'll just have one.
If you have to cut strands off a wire to make it fit, decide how many you need to cut. Then take all the rest of the strands and bend them back against the insulation. You now have a piece of wire with the number of strands you need to cut sticking straight out the end of the insulation. Cut them off (I prefer diagonal pliers) and then bend the remaining wires back up. Give them a little twist to keep them together, and put them in the clip. A lot of people will take the strands they want to cut off and bend them back and then cut them. This leaves the cut end bent, and it's usually sharp enough to nick your fingers when working with it.
For the lighting circuit on my layout, I used the bus wiring method. I ran a pair of #14 wires under the tables, using a staple gun to secure them to the 2 x 4 framing. The wires are a few inches apart (use a separate staple for each conductor in case it nicks the insulation) I used "suitcase connectors" to attach my taps to them, which is tenfold easier than stripping out a bit of wire and soldering each connection.
If you're using stranded wire, I would make sure to use some type of terminal to hook it up to the transformer or any other place that uses a screw and nut. If you just wrap the wire around the screw, the strands will want to fan out, making for a loose connection. I prefer ring lugs, as they can't come off the screw accidentally, but forks lugs are a lot easier to install. I have both types in use under the table.
Hopefully I didn't bore you too much,
J White
I am using Lionel O track
Thanks ! I appreciate the detailed information.
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