Adding additional feeders - bus wiring & Cab Control

[Anonymous]

I've learned that I need to add more feeders to each block in my switching layout. I have a sectional switching layout ( 6 "dominos" with a total of 8 blocks), wired for A&B Cab Control. I have two 6' dominos and a 4' domino making up 12 x 8 l-shape based on ATSF South Plains District (October/November/December 1996). I have only one pair of feeders per block, and I need to add more (2 more per 6' section and 1 per 4' section) since I'm getting a significant current power drop farther away from the control panel. I'd like to run a bus, and connect feeders to that. Currently both my S feeders run from DPDT toggle to S rail, and N returns go directly to terminal strip. How do I reconfigure to run a bus? Can I run a common bus and connect my S wires from the toggles to one common bus, or do I need a bus per block? My feeders are 16-gauge, and I'm planning to use a 12 gauge for the bus. I'm just not sure how to reconfigure the wiring. I don't want to run a mess of feeders from the terminal strip.

[Anonymous]

southplains1:
Hello. I've used dual cab control with common-rail for a long time. I would like to help, but have a couple of questions for you:

a] What power packs are you using ? [ The amount of voltage drop on the size layout you describe sounds a bit odd, one doesn't usually encounter it unless you deal in distances over 60-75 feet. ]
b] I assume your dominos are to stay sectional [ movable ] in nature...how does the wiring go from one domino to the other right now ?
c] Within the confines of each domino, are all the track sections soldered together, or are some just kept together mechanically, with rail joiners ?
Merry Christmas and regards,
Mike
[:)]

[Sperandeo]

Hello "southplains1,"

Run one S-rail feeder from the control panel to each block, and then run a bus wire for each block from that first S-rail feeder to as many additional feeders as you need. A single 16-gauge bus wire should be adequate for all the common (N rail) feeders.

However, I think Mike has a point that the voltage drop you're seeing is unusual. I would suspect both the section connections between dominoes and the rail joiners, and I'd advise soldering all the uninsulated rail joints. (With dominoes you can adjust the fitters between sections to account for any expansion or rail creep.) If you can make the connections more solid, you probably won't need feeders or busses any heavier than you already have.

Happy holidays,

Andy

[Anonymous]

Hello, Southplains!

I'm working on the same layout except I am using EasyDCC. I have had no such voltage drop problems. I would strongly urge you to consider DCC for a layout like this. It makes multioperator sessions sooooo much more enjoyalbe.

Ed