DCC track bus wiring colors

[rrinker]

 Tip: in dim light, red and black look the same. Try Red and White.

                                    --Randy

 

[dadret]

I'd stick with two colors - 8 could get very confusing and I'm not sure you can find wire in 8 different colors anyway.  I used red/black

[Paul3]

Dan,
When you say "power districts", are you talking one booster powering 4 circuit breakers, or 4 boosters?  I would be more inclined to use different colors for 4 boosters than just for one.

Still, I think the question here is, are you going to have a situation where these multiple "power districts" overlap?  If they are simply bordering each other at the ends, then there is no reason to use multiple colors.  However, if you have a spaghetti bowl layout with multiple loops and each with it's own power district, then more colors may not be such a bad idea.

At our club, our wiring can be classed by size/type, color, and placement under the layout.  We use nylon loops for all wiring, and we stack these in various locales to run the wire.

Colors:
a). red/black = track power bus
b). blue/brown/white/yellow = accessory DC bus
c). gray cable = switch machine control wire
d). silver cable = LocoNet
e). yellow = frog power wire
f). blue = diamond power wire
g). green = ground wire
h). brown/blue = stationary decoder bus
i). orange/purple = programming track wire

Size/type:
A). 10AWG = main bus from boosters to breaker panels
B). 14 AWG = track or detection bus, accessory power
C). 20 AWG = feeders and bond wires
D). round cable, 6 to 12 cond. = switch machine cable
E). flat cable, 6 cond. = LocoNet
F). ribbon cable, 10 cond. = signaling wire

Placement:
1). directly under the track = track bus
2). on the inside beam of layout = detection bus, main bus, accessory bus, etc.
3). on the outside beam of layout = LocoNet, switch machine wires
4). under middle of layout = signaling wire, switch machines, accesories, frog wires, etc.

Therefore, if I see 14AWG red/black wire running under the middle of the track above it, I know it's track power for that block.  If I see 14AWG red/black wire running along the side of the layout, I know it's the detection bus.  If I see 14AWG brown/blue wire, I know that's the wire that powers the stationary decoders.  And so on.

Paul A. Cutler III
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Weather Or No Go New Haven
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[selector]

I agree, stick to left and right, red or black, and use tape to label the runs/pairs every change of orientation or direction, or after every passage through a bulkead or frame member.

-Crandell

[nbrodar]

 I use colors to identify the wire's purpose not it's run.  All my buss pairs are red/black.  However, I label each buss pair with it's power district.  I find it a lot easier to have just a few colors designating DCC buss, accessory ground, accessory control and signal lines, and to clearly label each run.

Nick

[dm9538]

I am thinking about beginnig to wire my layout and am seeking some input on wire colors. My layout will have four power districts, I know I need to run a seperate bus for each district. my question is do I run the busses with one common color i.e. black and change the color on the other wire for each district thus needing 5 wire colors. Or is it easier to run each district with it's own two colors thus needing 8 different colors of wire. I am interested in your thoughts.