What gauge wire?

[88gta350]

A couple of questions:

1. What gauge wire is best suited for feeders, etc on a layout. If it makes a difference, it'll be a large (11x22) layout with DCC.

2. How about wiring for accesories? Lights, switches, etc...

3. What's the best source for this wire? Online, mailorder, store?

Thanks!

[cacole]

You'll get a lot of responses to this based on different modelers' personal experiences. The size of wire you use for the main track buss and feeders is going to depend on how many feeders you use as much as anything else.

When I wired the Cochise & Western Model Railroad Club's 20x40 foot HO-scale layout, I made provision for both DC and DCC operation. After reading a lot about DCC signal dropout problems on large layouts or long stretches of track with no feeder wires, I decided to place a feeder wire at or near every 3' flex track joint. Toward that end, I purchased a bulk lot of terminal strips and ran the track power buss wiring to these using regular 12-14 gauge lamp wire, which I also purchased in bulk. You can also use outdoor low voltage lamp wiring or speaker wire. I placed a terminal block near each flex track joint, and connected the track feeds to these as I went along. For the feeder wires, I used smaller 18 gauge speaker wire.

This was a lot of wiring and expense, but it has proven to be worth the time, effort, and cost.

Good sources for barrier strips, crimp on terminals, and assorted types of wire in bulk are:

http://www.allelectronics.com and http://www.meci.com

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by 88gta350

A couple of questions:

1. What gauge wire is best suited for feeders, etc on a layout. If it makes a difference, it'll be a large (11x22) layout with DCC.

2. How about wiring for accesories? Lights, switches, etc...

3. What's the best source for this wire? Online, mailorder, store?

Thanks!

1. For the main bus line, 12awg wire (regular household wire) on a 5 amp system would be adequate for your size layout. For long runs and high current loads, bigger is better.
As for track feeder wires, if they are six inches or less and placed every 6 to 10 feet on both rails, use nothing smaller than 20awg.
You can tell if your wiring is adequate by shorting out the track in any location including powered frogs, it must cause the booster to shut down. If not then melted plastic is likely and a fire is definitely possible.

2. Wire size for accessories depends on the total current draw and length of the wire. I recommend buying this book for detailed information.
I also recommend using a separate power supplies for accessories and the DCC system. I have forty five 12 volt light bulbs just in my roundhouse. The load is about 2.5 amps so It has it's own power supply.

3. Whatever source saves you money is best. The on-line source I use for wire (16awg or smaller) is http://www.allelectronics.com/ . They are a lot cheaper than my local electronics store. The larger wire (14awg and larger) is cheaper at you local hardware or home improvment store.
Figure in cost such as shipping and (if applicable) tax, verses the cost of fuel, your time and tax added on the the cost of buying locally.
Don't forget the connectors or terminals too.

[nfmisso]

The cheapest 12 guage speaker wire I found was Digi-Key, with Home Depot 2nd.

You have to choose between solid and stranded, there are good arguments both ways. If it will be moved go stranded, for static situations, solid is cheaper. Cat5 computer cables are that way. The frequency argument does not apply in model railroad application.

[ClinchValleySD40]

12ga main bus and 18ga drop feeders.

TWIST the main bus wires together, you'll be amazed at how much better it works.

Just purchase at Home Depot. Difference in price (after shipping) is not worth the hassle or wait for mail order.

[nslakediv]

what code track, i use code 83 and use digitrax, they recommend every 8-10 feet, but i noticed system was not shutting down during short circuit testing, so i went back and put feeder wires no more than 6 feet apart or 2 pcs. of flextrack. i use mostly a 20 gauge wire.