OK folks - here's my thoght process - please tell me what you think -
I am going to have 3 staging tracks under my layout (HO) setup like passing sidings. I plan to isolate each each siding with plastic joiners and run feeders from the main bus through a toggle switch on my control panel to the siding in order to cut power to the locomotives being staged.
This will make these feeder lines wind up being about 36 - 48" long - am I going to expierence power loss problems?
Also can I accomplish the same thing by just running one wire through the toggle switch.
Thanks
Just use heavy wire like you use for your buss. Yes, you can just interrupt one rail.
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
Phebe Vet-
I am using 14 guage solid for my main buss - and I am using 20 gauge solid for the feeders. What you are saying makes sense at leaet for this area where the wires have a run from the buss to the toggle to the staging tracks.
3-4 feet of #20, probably not - but like Phoebe says, just use the same wire as your bus wire to run fromt eh bus to the switches (1 wire - jumper to each of the switches right on the panel) and to run back to the stagiung tracks (1 wire per track) and attach to normal 'short' feeders - unless these staging tracks are very short they probably should have more than one feeder anyway, so the run back from the switches would be a mini bus for the feeders on the isolated rail.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
The staging tracks are 12 - 15' long. I plan to alternate different trains out on the main line. I am guessing two feeders to insure good current however I may try just one to start with.
If I use two feeder wires and bring them to the toggle switch together will that work?
That will work, but for absolutely reliable operation there should be 4-5 feeders for track that longI would run a piece of #14 from the toggle and under the staging track to attach the feeders to. One bus wire fromt he main bus for the rail that ISN'T insulated should be fine to handle the deeders on that side for all 4 staging track, with 4 bus wires, each goign back to a toggle, for the insulated rails.
Randy-
Thanks - I really like your idea for the "Mini" buss wire.
Just a comment - all of my past expierence has been with DC - it seems in a lot of what I read there is much more attention to feeder wires with DCC. Does current drop that fast using AC? It doesn't seem to in normal house wiring - just curious.
I will say this - my soldering skills are fast improving.
Many thanks
Voltage drops just as fast with DC. To overcome voltage drop with DC, just turn the throttle up. Can't do that with DCC because full voltage is already on the track.
Good wiring practice works for either. DC is just a little more forgiving. Then we get to current carrying capability and the same applies. A short is a short but can do more harm with the higher current available with DCC.
Martin Myers
I'll also add that house wiring DOES drop that much voltage - but most US houshold appliances work from 100-125VAC, so a 10 volt drop from 120V to 110V doesn;t really affect anything. But a 1 volt drop on the DCC bus, or DC assuming you don't compensate by cranking up the throttle - is enough to cause a noticeable change in speed. When it happens gradually, as the train gets farther and farther away, you might not notice it, but if you have a boundary between two power districts and one is a volt higher than the other, the train will 'jump' across the gap.
Thanks for the comments - all of may past has been DC - learning about the world of DCC is very interesting. I can't wait to get trains up and running but, I am being very careful to put a lot of focus on good track laying and WIRING! It's fun.
Larry