Josh,
What you have is a voltage drop problem. Adding a second set of feeders on the other side of the layout will reduce the drop. You should pay attention to wire size as very small wire going across the layout will also have some voltage drop. Larger wire would be better.
Now as far as accessories go. You can group all of the accessories together as long as they each require the same voltage. Wires can be connected together at one point with your choice of connection. Terminal strips, wire nuts, etc. will work. A single pair of wires can be used from there to connect to a separate supply. A separate accessory power supply is the best way to go. Using the transformer that is also running your trains will cause performance of the trains to suffer at some point.
I can't understand why you keep getting referred to the Classic train section when your question is electrical and this is the Electronics section of the forum.You have a voltage drop problem that has been discussed numerous times in the past.
Martin Myers
cuyama is right, you may get more/better answers for your question #2 at least, in the CTT forum.
That said, I can tell you for certain on #1, yes, add the feeders to the far side of the layout, and no, chicken wire in the scenery shouldn't, by itself, cause any issues.
The problem is that most all track is poor conductor of electricity, and when you add in the track joints, things often get much worse. The further you get from that single set of feeders, the more resistance there is in the circuit (the track) between the power source (the transformer) and the load (your loco). In the smaller scales, a common recommendation is a set of feeders roughly every three feet.
As for the chicken wire in the scenery, as long as it's not actually touching or shorting the track, I'm not aware of any way it could interfere the current flowing through that track. Chicken wire has been used in many layouts over the years with no detrimental affect on track current.
You may have more knowledgeable answers to your questions if you post them again on the sister forum oriented to Lionel and similar trains
http://cs.trains.com/trccs/forums/default.aspx?groupid=5
Layout Design GalleryLayout Design Special Interest Group
Hey guys (and gals) -
I'm fairly new to model railroading, but have a solid couple of years under my belt collecting and building a home layout. Although it's only 4x8, it's enabling me to "cut my teeth" in all things model railroading: benchwork, modeling, kit building/bashing and electrical. The "electrical" part stumps me the most.
I'm a fairly handy guy, and I'm not afraid to try something new. However, I've had a few issues with electrical service that I could really use some help with.
1. Power to the layout: I'm running a MTH Z-4000 to power the track on my 4x8 O Scale layout. Perhaps overkill, but I intend to expand as soon as we free up more space. I use Lionel Fastrack, and have one set of wires connecting the track to the transformer. When my locos travel to the far end of the table, they seem to lose a little bit of power. The display on the Z-4000 reflect this energy loss. Should I be thinking about running a second pair of wires to that far side of the track? That end also has a mountain tunnel on it, with chicken wire, and I've heard that can sometimes cause a loss of electricity due to interference with the signal (True?). Anyway, I would really appreciate some guidance here.
2. Wiring accessories: I've got several lights and moving accessories on my layout, but I have no idea how to wire these up to a transformer. I've heard it's a good practice to run a separate transformer for accessories, so I'm prepared to do that. However, how do I get started wiring all of these accessories? Do I tie them all into a strip, and then into the transformer? What are my options? I want to get going on this part of the action, but my lack of knowledge is slowing my progress.
Thanks you guys ... I really appreciate all of your advice.
Sincerely -
Josh