LION Knows all about simple wiring. LION just doesn't do simple.
Him would use 14ga (minimum) for the track bus. BEAR wire is nice, you can solder to it anywhere, but ewe do not knead a bear!
LION has gotten (through no fault of my own) rather old (and fat, but we will not talk about that) and Him has come to the conclusion that you should put the wires right on the fascia. No bending, crawling, grunting or cussing, and no hot solder dripping on to my nice soft fur.
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
Placing the wire buses right on the fascia seems to be a great idea, especially for a shelf layout where the distance from the track is necessarily short. I wonder why I didn't think about it. Maybe it is because I am not a cat.
Guy
Modeling CNR in the 50's
I used a 12 ga buss line that was 30 ft long and 18-22ga feeder wires every 6 feet or every 2 flex track sections. I did Digitrax and never had an issue with sending info or power to the locos. Use suitcase connectors/insulation displacement connectors or just solder direct and cover with shrink tubing or the like.
TrainmanBarrett
BroadwayLionHim has come to the conclusion that you should put the wires right on the fascia. No bending, crawling, grunting or cussing, and no hot solder dripping on to my nice soft fur.
That's a really great idea Lion! Love it and will incorporate it in all future wiring. Even for switch machines you could hard wire them with enough pigtail to reach the buss, then replacement would be a snap. I've long admired your cleverness and thrift but this is one of those slap the forehead "Why didn't I think of this" moments.
As far as wire sizes and all Cedarwood, it's all about how much power how far. The more power the farther, the fatter the wire. Mostly use what's available at the home center or hardware and if you're in doubt, go up one size. Electrons like a little room to stretch out, they don't get all warm and set wires on fire. Rascals.
Lou
I used 14 gauge solid copper house wire for my bus. Electrically it's overkill, much thicker than you need to get the electrons thru. But is is mechanically rugged, bumping into it won't break anything, small nicks in the copper from stripping insulation don't matter, and it's easy to get, and easy to work with. I would avoid the next bigger size, 12 gauge, 'cause it is very stiff and hard to bend to shape even with pliers. I joined feeders to the bus wire by merely stripping the bus wire insulation with a Xacto knife, wrapping the feeder around the bus wire and soldering. Some people use "suitcase" connectors, but I don't trust insulation displacement connectors, solder is forever. 24 Gauge is good for feeders, small enough to conceal, big enough to strip and solder without using a microscope to see the stuff. As long as your feeders are only a foot or two, any available wire is thick enough to carry the current.
David Starr www.newsnorthwoods.blogspot.com
All my connections are on swing down boards at the front edge of the layout.
I build 2x8 foot segments on saw horses. I can turn them up or over to do underside wiring. I then install them in the around the room layout.
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
Dave, that's just sick. I won't show what my wiring looks like, but a tornado wreckage site would come close.
Crandell
I forgot to mention:
Use a wire color code and LABEL EVERYTHING.
selector Dave, that's just sick. I won't show what my wiring looks like, but a tornado wreckage site would come close. Crandell
Eh? You say what?
Labels are so over rated.. I can SEE each wire, I can see both ends of it. Ergo, I *know* what it does. Even these.
From the control board there are 25 pair cat-3 cables going around the layout. There are access panels every 15'. Conductors are numbered 1 to 50. I keeps a book. Just a note on what that wire number was used for: 16 = switch motor track A1 chain 215. So easy, any felid could do it.
ROAR
Hey!! LION,,,,
By any chance,,,,,are those called..''Fruit Loops'' ??
Cheers,
Frank
If chaos works for you then, by all means, go for it.
I don't need a book. The labels answer all questions and I never have to try to remember where I put them.
Perhaps the Lion was a Spider in a previous life. On second thought, a spider web is neater than that.
What is the most appropriate wire gauge to use for a small layout bus wire?
What is the actual size of the layout? Might be 16 ga. wire is heavy enough.
Martin Myers
As an old electronics engineer I am with Trainmann. I use only #12 solid copper THHN and run 22 gauge solid copper feeders to every piece of flex track right in the middle of it. In this manner, you will not have to solder rail joiners at all. This makes the track re-usable, (no need to cut it loose), at some later date and means that your locos are never more than 18 inches from a solid copper power connection. You'll never be sorry you ran the big buss wire or copper linked into every piece of flex track.
Richard
If I can't fix it, I can fix it so it can't be fixed