Wiring - strand or solid

[BroadwayLion]

Solid or Stranded. Well, if you want to know the truth the LION uses whatever he can scrounge up for free.

For the MAIN BUS (there is only one wire for the main bus) I use either 12 or 14 ga solid. This is just tacked all around the layout. On this I will strip of a bit on insulation and solder 18 ga stranded as a feeder to a single section of four tracks. 18 ga solid is soldered to the rails and tied to the feeder with a wire nut. If I need to make changes or check something, this is my access point. [The 18 ga solid is plentiful since it is saves as the tailings of florescent ballast replacements

Since the LION'S power supply puts 15 amps on the bus and this has caused problems this will be the point where I want to install an automotive lamp (a turn signal sort of a thing) in series with the train. When the train operates there is not enough current to light the lamp and the train runs just fine, but if there is a short on the track, the lamp is shunted to ground and will light up showing me where the problem is.

The LION also has a GROUND wire. This is a medium weight copper braid that is also tacked up all around the layout. It is a HARD connection to the building ground system, and our building ground wires are a pair of 000 stranded cables. There is no stray current on my ground circuit. It forms the return circuit for everything on the layout: tracks, lighting, switching, relays and Turtles.

The LION has two Auxiliary transformers the output of which is -12 vdc, and  +12 vdc. These circulate around the layout and control console using whatever sort of wire looks handy at the time. Nails are used as binding posts, and these are marked.

For hookup wire inside of cars, to signals and to switch machines and relays, and for station lighting I have been using Parallel Port Printer cables. Cut them open and salvage the conductors. the older cables have 25 conductors, while the newer ones have 25 pair on finer conductors. Especially nice for signal heads.

For the individual Switch circuits I use 25 p[air cat 3 cables, and about every 10 to 15' there is a 50 pin patch panel. Keeping records of what goes where then is as simple as a single line note in a log: Pin #15 = the track switch at Chain Point A1-24. (northbound local to express crossover south of Chambers Street); or Pin C-26 = holding relay at Parkside Station Southbound. [There is more than one such 50 conductor cable☺]

 

Well, anyway, the LION'S system sounds complicated until you climb up into the control tower and pull that first signal lever... after that the layout runs 100% automatically.

ROAR

[mobilman44]

Hi,

I tend to use solid for feeders, and stranded for buss wiring.  This combo has always worked well for me, and "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".

[retsignalmtr]

I use stranded for everything.  #14 for the buss and #20 for feeders. I don't like suitcase connectors. If I want to tap into a wire I make a Tee splice and solder it and wrap it with a good plastic tape or use shrink tubing.

[rrinker]

 Depends what for. I use solid for my track feeders, as once installed they are supported by the hoel throught he benchworka dn never move around, plus there is no chance for a straw strand to cause a problem. FOr my bus wire I use strnaded because it's a heck of a lot easier to work with heavy gauge stranded wire such as when trying to pull it through holes in the benchwork. Fine decoder wire and wire used for connecting pickups in the locos, stranded so it can easily flex without breaking or binding the mechanism.

                  --Randy

[selector]

I think ease of application should be a major consideration.  Assuming your gauge is within specifications for the voltage drops you can tolerate, and for the amperage use of the system as drawn through those wires, you can pretty much take your pick.  I like solid copper at 14 gauge for my main bus, even though it takes some work to 'string' it, and for subs or branches I use 16 gauge speaker wire which is virtually always stranded...very easy to work.   Feeder wires to the rails are always 22 gauge solid copper bent to a kinked upside down L so that the top of the L rests against the web of the rails.

Crandell

[Capt. Grimek]

Either one works fine. There are advantages and disadvantages. I like stranded for buss wiring and switch machines, things that will get bumped when crawling under the layout for repairs or maintenance. Solid strand is MUCH easier to drop feeders through the layout top from above or at least will require a much smaller hole. These are relatively short and are a little more bump proof. They CAN break with enough force or at least too many flexings back and forth. 

The "skin" /surface effect of losing a few electrons is (most people say) not really much of an issue with model railroading/DCC. Perhaps with a gigantic layout with immensely long runs...

So...I'd recommend both stranded and solid wire for their specific/intended purpose.

It's a tad bit trickier to "tin" stranded when soldering but not enough to be any problem at all.

Hope that helps.

Jim

[Stevert]

You'll get lots of opinions on both solid vs. stranded, and on suitcase connectors vs. other connection methods.

  What has worked well for ME has been #14 stranded for the layout bus and #22 solid for short feeders soldered to the rails. 

  I will use suitcase connectors for tapping a sub-bus off main the layout bus, but I absolutely don't use them for connecting the feeders to the bus.  They simply aren't able to reconcile that large of a difference in the wire gauges.

 

 

[locoi1sa]

I like to use stranded wire for the flexibility it has over the rigid solid wire. I also solder all my connections. With the so called suitcase connectors there is only that little blade that makes contact. I like a little more.

    Pete

[don7]

Is there any difference in using stranded wire instead of solid core? Is there any benefit to using one over the other?

What about using the suitcase connectors on your layout, is there any difference when crimping your bus or feeder lines.?