Exactly. I actually DIDN'T loop the bus on my last layout, but that's because the opposite midpoint was also a logical break between power districts (which I never implemented). Every time a loco crossed the gap there was a period of time when the bus was then a loop, via the loco's pickups. No problems ever, with many different decoders, sound and non-sound. What I actually had was a shorter loop right at the command station, because I wired each bus line to a terminal strip to make it easy to add a breaker later, and then jumpered across all of them (remove jumpers, insert breaker - instant power districts). So I had a loop - with 4 'tails' of bus runs coming off it, any two of which formed a second loop when a loco crossed the gap on the opposite side of the layout.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
gandydancer19Vail and Southwestern RRIn the end, it doesn't really matter. The "ideal" way would be to go out from the command station in both directions, and theoretically dead end them where they meet. But for practical purposes, it won't matter. Sorry, but I disagree. The power bus should not be connected in a loop configuration. It may not make much of a difference on a small layout, but on a large one it would. So don't start learning bad habits in the beginning.(USN Ret Avation Electronics Technician)
Vail and Southwestern RRIn the end, it doesn't really matter. The "ideal" way would be to go out from the command station in both directions, and theoretically dead end them where they meet. But for practical purposes, it won't matter.
Sorry, but I disagree. The power bus should not be connected in a loop configuration. It may not make much of a difference on a small layout, but on a large one it would. So don't start learning bad habits in the beginning.
(USN Ret Avation Electronics Technician)
The theory says it could matter, but it's been shown that it doesn't. If it did, even breaking the bus wouldn't prevent the problem, when a loco crossed bridged the gaps (front wheels to rear, so it would be a while), the loop would be complete, at the very point where interference would be most likely. The DCC signal is large and slow. It's going to be hard to break that way!
(By the way, I have always been one to say that given the choice, I wouldn't loop the bus, and I wouldn't, but I am also convinced it won't matter.)
Jeff But it's a dry heat!
We just had this discussion. It doesn't make any difference. If your track goes in a continuous loop, it doesn't matter if you loop the power bus or not. Unless you are also proposing that we need to put insulated joiners in the track so as to not have the track make a continuous loop. Now, if your layout stretches 20 feet in each direction in an L shape, it would be absolutely SILLZY to loop the ends of the bus wires, but if you have somethign like an 8x10 donut, it will make no difference.
Elmer.
The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.
(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.
As V&S wrote, it probably doesn't matter, but you might do better by running two bus(s), one "to the left, and the other to the right" of the controls. Then, tape up the end and staple or otherwise secure it under the benchwork. One reason is this keeps them shorter in length, and also gives you (hopefully) and easier tracing later on down the road.
Of course on smaller layouts the above is moot, but on larger ones it could be fairly good to do.
Mobilman44
ENJOY !
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central