what guage wire for feeder wires to main line ho scale

[tdodge]

Looking into going with DCC. Layout is 40 ft. by 8. L shape. How about the wire guage underneath the layout? wire guage going up to the track?
Thank You
Tim

[colvinbackshop]

My main buss is a # 12 stranded copper with feeder wires mostly # 18 and 20 solid copper...even lighter wire (the Atlas rail joiners with feeders attached, that I use to feed each end of my turnouts) will work just fine too, if the run is short.
As just mentioned, each turnout has feeders and I have a feeder on at least every other section of flextrack....sometimes every section! I have found this method works fine with out any dead/low voltage areas.

[GGOOLER]

hey tim
i used #14 solid wire for my buss wires and #18 for my feeders. the feeders went to each turnout and a feeder to three sections of flex track soldered together. and also to the small sections of track between turnouts in my yard.

go check out this link some good info here
http://www.wiringfordcc.com/track_2.htm#a40

glenn

[howmus]

I use #12 solid (taken from Romex Cable) for the main bus. Then #16 as a sub-bus system to bring the power closer to each feeder, and #18 to 24 for the actual track feeders. A good source of information on the wiring for DCC can be found here: http://www.wiringfordcc.com/ I follow most of Alan's recommendations.

Hey, you posted while I was writing! [:D]

[tdodge]

JB; Glenn; Ray
Thenk you for the information. Off to Home Depot I will go
Thank you for the links also.
I am sure this information will help other that are at the same stage of there layout as well.
Tim

[rrinker]

I use #12 stranded for the bus, and #20 solid for the feeders. Home Depot has many colors of #12 stranded on spools, and conveniently red and white are two of them. They also have spools of #20 solid two conductor where the two colors are - red and white. So as long as I put the feeder on the correct side of the track, all i have to do underneath is connect the red feeders to the red bus, and the white feeders to the white bus.

I also have, but haven't experimented with yet, some scrap PVC pipe, about 3/4" ID, that I want to try to use as cable hangers. RIght now I drill holes throught he joises and feed the wire through there, but I figure I can mount small segments of the pipe and fee the wire through there more easily. Might be more work that it's worth, drilling a hole in the round pipe pieces and screwing them on, or maybe Liquid Nails would work.

--Randy

[cmrproducts]

I use #12 THHN stranded wire (same as used inside metal conduit) for the main buss wires. For the drop wires I am using #24/26 bell telephone wire (same as the type in the 25 pair telephone cables) and I have the drops on every rail jointer (every 3 feet) plus on all 3 ends of a turnout.

I do not have any problems with engines crossing the dead frog Atlas or Shinohara turnouts.

BOB H – Clarion, PA

[Pruitt]

I use #12 stranded for the buss wires, #18 for sub-feeders (connections from the buss to terminal strips which distribute power to individual feeders), and #22 for feeders. Works well so far!

[HAZMAT9]

Instead of using a buss wire can you use a metal conducting strip to attach all the feeder wires to in the way of spade connectors and screws? Just wondering, not sure how many are hooking up the feeder wires to the buss. Steve

[MisterBeasley]

QUOTE: Originally posted by rrinker

I also have, but haven't experimented with yet, some scrap PVC pipe, about 3/4" ID, that I want to try to use as cable hangers. RIght now I drill holes throught he joises and feed the wire through there, but I figure I can mount small segments of the pipe and fee the wire through there more easily. Might be more work that it's worth, drilling a hole in the round pipe pieces and screwing them on, or maybe Liquid Nails would work.

--Randy

Seeing this idea, I thought of using plastic conduit brackets. These are half-round, about an inch across, and they already have mounting screw holes. Not as cheap as PVC pipe, but no extra fabrication effort is involved.

[nbrodar]

I use 12 gauge stranded for the busses and 20 or 22 gauge solid for the feeders. To support the wire I use Gardner Bender Plastic Clamps. (Round plastic things, with a screw tab at one end. They come in a variety of sizes.) You can find them in the electrical department of most Lowes/Home Depot.

Nick

[sledgehammer]

the 12 guage solid wire you are using is it house hole electrcall wire. the same stuff you would use to wire a plug or A LIGHT

[Pruitt]

QUOTE: Originally posted by nbrodar

To support the wire I use Gardner Bender Plastic Clamps. (Round plastic things, with a screw tab at one end. They come in a variety of sizes.) You can find them in the electrical department of most Lowes/Home Depot.

Nick

These are commonly called p-clamps because they look like the letter "P." Ooo! How ingenious is that name?

I thought about using them, but I just went with the old "hole in the joist" support method.