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wiring question for DC

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  • Member since
    March 2011
  • 35 posts
wiring question for DC
Posted by nostalgictraingirl on Sunday, August 28, 2011 1:11 PM

Hi I am wiring my first train and have some very basic questions.

 I have two trains, each with their own controller.  Each train will run on a continues double loop of flex track.  (We are keeping it simple, no turnouts, etc.)  I have a Tech 4 MRC220 controller.  We will have two main wires running parallel under the train table, a 14 gauge white (neutral) mainline and a black (non neutral) main line (both mainline wires will have corresponding colored 18 gauge feeder wires attached)  and here are my questions:

1. How do we hook both the black and white mainline wires into the controller?

     (It looks like we bring the white wire back around and hook it into it self and then have

     one wire to the DC portion of the controller, doing this for both wires, is this correct?)

2. Do we then run a separate mainline wire for the lights to the AC portion of our controller?

3. Also, how far apart do you recommend running feeder wires?  Can there be problems if they are too close (such as 3 feet apart, one for every track section.)?

Thank You.  Any Help you can offer is appreciate.

  • Member since
    March 2011
  • 35 posts
Posted by nostalgictraingirl on Sunday, August 28, 2011 3:39 PM

Boy, am I a bit of a dummy here.  One end to the track and the other to the controller.  I figured out the answer to my question.  Anyway, if you have any wiring tips, please let me know.   Thank You.

  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: Colorful Colorado
  • 8,639 posts
Posted by Texas Zepher on Sunday, August 28, 2011 4:01 PM

nostalgictraingirl
2. Do we then run a separate mainline wire for the lights to the AC portion of our controller?

Run a separate set of wires for the AC accessories.

3. Also, how far apart do you recommend running feeder wires?  Can there be problems if they are too close (such as 3 feet apart, one for every track section.)?

No, there is no such thing as too close.  But I think I would go more than 3 feet apart.  Remember if the feeders are 6 feet apart the loco on the track will never be more than 3 feet from the power.   In general distance to power is equal to 1/2 distance between feeders.

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