Electrical wiring book

[mistyk11]

I would like some opinions on the CTT book "Classic Toy Train Wiring" book. I'm looking for some assistance with wiring accessories, lights, etc on the new layout and came across this book. I would like to hear from anyone who has read or used this book as to how helpful it would be to a complete newbie for wiring. I have NO electrical experience at all and when I recently wired up the lights for my sons train set, I had what appeared to me, a mess connected to the transformer. I am looking for ways to use a teminal strip and to streamline the wiring and make it more easily accessible. I know how to strip and use connectors but when it comes to the terms "jumpers" and other things, I am clueless.

[Dave Farquhar]

If the book you're referring to is one of Peter Riddle's books, I definitely recommend it. I read one of his earlier books (Wiring Your Lionel Layout) when I was starting out and it explained everything. All it assumed was that you know electricity comes out of the wall. It explained how to make the wiring safe and look nicer.

[mistyk11]

Yes, I just went back and looked at it on the web page and it is one of Peter Riddle's books. I'm looking for simple instructions and I'm not putting anything elaborate on the layout at this time. I just have 2 tower lights and some other small lights and 1 crossing signal. I'm sure I'll be adding more later when we put it on the larger board. Do you happen to know if either of these books contain any information on wiring with Fastrack? I have the Fastrack book but it really doesn't explain much about wiring to the track, at least not what I'm looking for. I will probably get the CTT book and maybe look into the other book you mentioned. I'm sure I can probably learn something from each one-since I know very little about wiring in the first place!

[willpick]

As far as I know, the books by Peter Riddle have nothing in them that specifically pertains to FasTrack, as they were written before FasTrack was introduced. They do, however provide a very good tutorial on wiring just about any accessory. Basic track wiring is also covered, but only to tubular track(if memory serves). But, the only difference is that FasTrack uses quick connectors instead of lockons. Hope this helps get you started---

[mistyk11]

Thanks, my main concern is the wiring of the accessories. I believe I'll get that book to get started and then move up from there. I was also just looking at the other book that Dave mentioned and believe I'll try to pick up one of those as well. I tried wiring some of the lights with the quick connectors to the Fastrack and gave up since I realized that the way I was trying to hook them up wasn't going to work since the track doesn't maintain the consistent wattage (is that a word?) needed to keep the lights turned on. (I hope that last explanation makes sense to everyone reading this, I tried to explain it in the only way I could think of...) I'm definitely learning this train stuff by trial and error.

[lionelsoni]

"Wattage" is a word, but is a kind of slang for "power", which is usually measured in units of watts for electrical purposes.  "Amperage" for "current", measured in amperes, is another example.  The one electrical term in this category that is usually not disparaged is "voltage", measured in volts, because its proper name, "electromotive force" (or "EMF), is quite a mouthful.

Actually, the thing whose inconsistency caused you trouble was the track voltage, not the power.  The power carried by the track is the voltage that the transformer puts on it multiplied by the current that the loads (train and accessories connected to the track) draw from it.  The individual loads, like the lights you connected, care only what the voltage is and draw a current that depends on that voltage.  They are oblivious to what the other loads might be doing, except insofar as those other loads might cause some small drop in the voltage due to the imperfect voltage regulation of the transformer and the imperfect conductance of the track and wires.

The analogy is imperfect; but you can perhaps understand an electrical circuit as like water (electrons) in a pipe (wire).  The voltage is like the water pressure.  But the water doesn't go anywhere until you let it out of the pipe.  Then the flow is the current.  (You can see where the electrical term came from.)  But, except in the case of lightning and other arcs, electrons, unlike water, won't flow through the air.  So an electrical circuit needs two pipes, one to carry the electrons to the load and another to carry it back (the "return") to the pump that creates the pressure (the transformer).

[mistyk11]

Thanks Bob, I actually understood what you were explaining to me! Yes, I realized when I connected the lights to the Fastrack that they would power up according to the voltage of what I ran the trains at. I'm now hooking them directly to the transformer so they can be set at the voltage needed to keep them lit consistently. I have decided to go with a terminal strip connection so I don't have a dozen connectors hooked up to the transformer. In order to do this, will I need to also have a jumper connected to the terminal strip or will it power all the connectors by just being hooked up directly to the transformer?

[lionelsoni]

Terminal strips come in different varieties.  Some have completely independent terminals, not connected to one another.  Some have all the terminals connected together.  But the kind you are probably interested in, like a "barrier strip" or "Jones strip", has the terminals connected in pairs, with insulating barriers separating the pairs so that you don't get an accidental connection.

With this common kind of terminal strip, you would probably connect several of the terminal pairs together by running a bare wire along one side of the strip, looping it under one screw of each terminal pair.  This would connect together all the other terminals of these pairs.  So you could connect one of them to a transformer terminal and each of the others (except for a few spares which you would wisely provide for future expansion) to one or another of the loads that you want to have connected to that transformer terminal.

Here is an example from Radio Shack:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103229&cp=2032058.2032231.2032289&parentPage=family

The simplest way to connect a wire to the terminal strip is to loop the end of the wire, with the insulation stripped off, under a screw.  Always loop the wire clockwise so that, when you tighten the screw, it is pulled under the screw head rather than pushed out.

Especially for stranded wire, a lug fastened to the end of the wire can make it much easier to attach the wire to the terminal strip.  There are several kinds of lugs.  A spade lug has two parallel prongs that fit on each side of the screw.  It can be attached or removed just by slightly loosening the screw and sliding it straight in under the head.  This is handy; but it can also be pulled loose accidentally.  A ring lug completely encircles the screw; but you have to remove the screw to attach it or remove it.  There are also compromise hook-shaped lugs.  You can also get male Fast-on tabs (similar to the tabs under Fast-Track) that you can screw to the terminal block.  You would then put female Fast-ons on the wires.

 

[mistyk11]

The information you just gave me was exactly what I was looking for Bob. It is starting to make sense now. The barrier strip is what I will use to connect the lights since I have them running on the same voltage. Once I master this simple wiring, I will start looking for new accessories to run. I'm still going to order, at the very least, the CTT wiring book since I'm sure it will help me to better understand the wiring concept. Your information will at least get me started. Thanks again!

Now if I could only find the 8x4 layout that will please my son...... 

 

[mistyk11]

And yes, I have been using the spade connectors to connect to the transformer posts however I noticed that they tend to pull out of the connector easily. Either I was not crimping them tight enough or the wires are too small for them. I will probably be connecting the wires to the terminal strip by just stripping them back and winding the bare wire around the post. I didn't know about looping the wire clockwise though...that makes sense. I bought a couple of different connectors at Radio Shack a couple of weeks ago, along with the spade connectors. I have some of the male and female quick connectors that I bought to use on the Fastrack but ended up taking them back off since I'm not connecting to Fastrack at this time.

[bfskinner]

mistyk11,

You might find material of interest on this forum that specializes in FasTrack:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Lionel_FasTrack_System/

You have to join in order to browse or otherwise participate. Also, be advised that there are "Owner's Manuals" for virtually all the various pieces of FasTrack at www.Lionel.com

 

[mistyk11]

I am a member of that yahoo group and went back through some of the posts. I was looking mainly for layout examples but most of the ones they had were for larger layouts (we currently can only go as big as 8x4). As far as for the wiring, I didn't find really anything more than the help that I found on this forum but I didn't do an extensive search for it.

[jefelectric]

Misty,

If you are just looking for an easy way to connect a number of items such as lights and accessories to a transformer, this type of terminal block is easier than the barrier strip as it doesn't need any jumpers.  It is already connected.

The are available from Miniatronics and MTH.  Most hobby shop carry one or the other.

http://www.miniatronics.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=B_3 

Hope this helps.

 

[mistyk11]

Misty,

If you are just looking for an easy way to connect a number of items such as lights and accessories to a transformer, this type of terminal block is easier than the barrier strip as it doesn't need any jumpers.  It is already connected.

The are available from Miniatronics and MTH.  Most hobby shop carry one or the other.

http://www.miniatronics.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=B_3 

Hope this helps.

 

 

So with this one, I wouldn't need to run the wire down each side?

[Anonymous]

So with this one, I wouldn't need to run the wire down each side?

 

Misty,

That's correct.  This style of terminal block is mounted on a circuit board and all are pre-connected.  There is a bit of a price difference with this style versus the radio shack kind. 

Jerry

[mistyk11]

Yes, I did notice the price difference! Not a big deal, if it makes it easier for me and my son to use then that's fine. I'm not going to need a bunch of them so I don't mind paying a little more for the convenience. Now if I had a large layout like most people on this board had, then I would think twice. ( I hope to have a layout like the fantastic ones I have seen on this forum-absolutely amazing!) Thank goodness my 7 yr old son is the "primary" designer on this one, he likes things simple and playable. We are currently designing the track layout and where all of the accessories will go, then we'll get started on creating the Devil's Tower...