Where to put wires??

[michelrs]

Talk about a newbie [:)]! Hopefully I will be starting with my first layout (N scale) soon. I read up on how to do the layout and stuff. Something I've not seen addressed, especially when using a door, what to do with the wires for turnouts and accessories. Do you drill through the door and find the holes for the wires? Or do you go under or dig a "trench" in the foam? What would be easiest? And what when you add accessories later?
Also, instead of using a door or plywood, is there any other wood product anyone can recommend? My layout will need to be portable, so a fixed bench is out of the question.
I also have a DCC question: can anybody recommend a place to send my engines to for decoder installation? I have 2 engines (EMD F9 and EMD GP40 both by Bachmann) and am thinking of getting a small engine (like a switcher). Any ideas? Again, this will be N scale. Because of that I'm a little hesitant to do this myself.

Appreciate you reading these questions, and any feedback I can get.

[Javern]

I don't use a door or plywood, I use sheets of the 2" thick foam. I drill thru and have all my wires and connections underneath. My layout is 60" off the ground and find it easier to work with wiring underneath. The 2" foam is plenty strong if you ha da good frame of 1 x 2 underneath like I do.

[dwRavenstar]

A tip I use to find the hole is to wrap a length of wire around a dowel rod or nail or whatever and after drilling through the baseboard run the wire down through. Once under the table the suspended wire is easy to find. I either run the hookup wire up through along side the marker wire or twist the pair together and pull it through using the dowel rod as a handle. Experience has taught me that this method is easier than cutting the wire to length, soldering to the tracks and snaking the entire length down through the hole. (Only took two wires for that to soak through the stone plate in my head [banghead])

Having just completed the laying of track on the lower level of my latest layout I'm preparing to start wiring tonight. I'll keep in mind that someone else out there is suffering the same fate.

Dave (dwRavenstar)

[egmurphy]

I'm using a hollow core dore with foam on top for my N scale layout. Works great and is very light. I can pick it up myself (a bit awkward), or my wife and I can easily move it with only one hand each (better, just because of the size).

Here are a couple of recent in-progress shots:






I drilled through the foam and door using a long shank 1/8" bit. Then fed the wires down through. I glued/screwed a couple of pieces of 1x2 under the layout to lift it a bit off the table it is set on so I could run the wires without worrying about them getting hung up on the table. I drilled through the 1x2's to run wires.

One of the great things about the door, is that I was able to stand it on its side to do the wiring and soldering. No getting down under the layout. Here's a shot of me working on the wiring. I have manual switches so it's only block wiring.




And I have a portable/removeable control panel that I connect to the layout using some multiprong plugs that I got at radio Shack. Here's a shot.






I think that if you click on the photos, they'll expand slightly to be easier to see.

Good luck with your door.

Regards

Ed

[Anonymous]

I'm going to start my next layout soon and was also thinking about a hollow core door since there are so many plans for this size. After thinking about it and just like you pondering the wire situation, instead of a door I built a wooden frame. I went to HD and got some 1x4 to build an outside frame. Then I got some 1x2 to form a grid inside the frame. My plan is to get 1.5" pink foam at HD and drop it into the frame. The result is a lip of about an 1" all around to prevent things from rolling off the layout.

I too need a portable layout and I can't setup anything permanent. With tihs setup I can have the wires going underneath and through the 1x2's (drill small 1/8" holes through them to run wires). I was also thinking about putting a set of lawnmower wheels on one end so I can roll the entire layout around by myself like a hand truck.

As for getting your Bachmann DCC'ed, I would just put those on the shelf as display pieces and get some newer locos that are DCC equipped from the factory or at least DCC ready. No offense but the cost of having someone DCC'ing them would most like be as expensive, most like more, as the locos themselves. Look into the Atlas locos where a lot of them are already DCCequipped. Yes, it is tricky for hard wire installation of decoders in N-scale. I've done a few myself and after my experience I would rather pay more and buy it equipped from the factory. Time is money and I rather run trains.