Six feeds should be more than sufficient.
I would run a bus under the track and tap off of it. 18ga will handle 5 amps but 16 ga would be better and suited for future expansion. 14ga or 12 ga is overkill for this size layout. Most of us (me included) tend to go overboard. Best to err on the side of caution (= more power), I guess.
20 ga drops will be OK if kept short but 24 may be too thin so more drops is better than fewer.
Will you be soldering any of joiners (never used unitrack - don't know if that is even possible) ?
Will your locos have sound?
Karl
The mind is like a parachute. It works better when it's open. www.stremy.net
tracksman wrote:Thanks for the info. Yes I plan to have locos with sound, will that change the wiring? ... I am looking to keep relatively simple, have 2 young boys that I'm looking to introduce to the hobby I enjoyed years ago.
It's just that sound locos pull extra current. My concern is that with unsoldered joints and lack of feeds to every piece of track, the combined voltage "drop" across 24ga, then joint(s) and rail may become exessive as the joints age. If you don't mind the soldering, I think that the 20ga feeders are preferable.
I hope that at least one of your boys comes to enjoy the hobby as much as you do. I am working on indoctrinating my grandson before he discovers girls and cars. He's only six. So far so good. He can throw ground throws and toggle switches for turnouts. Still working on the train speed.
larak wrote: My concern is that with unsoldered joints and lack of feeds to every piece of track, the combined voltage "drop" across 24ga, then joint(s) and rail may become exessive as the joints age. If you don't mind the soldering, I think that the 20ga feeders are preferable. Karl
My concern is that with unsoldered joints and lack of feeds to every piece of track, the combined voltage "drop" across 24ga, then joint(s) and rail may become exessive as the joints age. If you don't mind the soldering, I think that the 20ga feeders are preferable.
Karl, I am also building my first layout after 25 years of armchair model railroading, and I definitely want to do DCC. I've been reading some of the information posted on NMRA sites. They also recommend running power feeds to "every piece of track". Is that really neccessary? I thought that DCC was supposed to simplify the wiring! If I've got to solder every piece of track together or run power feeds to every piece of sectional track, I may as well stick with analog and power blocks, as I'll not be running more than 2 locos at the same time.
Hi Lee,
I always assume three foot lengths of flex track or longer section sof hand laid. I (incorrectly) forget about section track.
Still, a feeder every six feet or even every ten feet is fine if you solder the joiners. NS track has poor conductivity so I never like to be more than five feet from any feeder. Joiners work fine at first then oxidize and/or loosen unless soldered or jumpered with soldered wire. Don't forget occasional expansion gaps. If you don't solder joints you probably should feed every section - even those three inch ones. I'd rather solder. It gives the added benefit of smoother trackwork.
DCC or DC really makes little difference.
I hope that this helps,
larak wrote: ... If you don't solder joints you probably should feed every section - even those three inch ones.
... If you don't solder joints you probably should feed every section - even those three inch ones.
I did that. Tried to figure out why some engines stalled in one direction in a specific section. Ended up I had a small 3" section gapped at both ends. Wired a feeder to it and bingo, no more stall.