ok I'm getting ready to start wiring my layout. I will drill the holes necessary to run the wires up from under the benchwork at all necessary locations. Purchased book called "Basic DCC Wiring" from Model Railroader and a lil tricky to understand. I guess I won't fully understand how it works till I actually wire that badboy up! The way I understand it so far is one DCC system which should include most evrything except the switches, toggles and I'm not sure, but another electronic device that wires to these components from the booster? So I need to wire before and after each switch to continue the circuit and isolate the switch with insulated rail joiners then wire the switch itself to another component. So I have 2 turnouts, 1 turnout splits my track and they both rejoin at a Y on the backside, the secong turnout ends in an engine shed not attached to anything, then the same Y i just mentioned, Im supposing that needs a switch for running backwards although not necessary, so if I can get away w/out any additional wiring thats fine. Its a small to fair size layout, 34"x 80" N scale. Any suggestions or clarification on anything I just talked about would be greatly appreciated! Oh and if I don't see this post till tomorrow then Happy Fathers Day to all the fathers, grandaddys and future papas! LOL!
Cahill,
I believe, if I understand Your explanation correctly of Your proposed track plan, You have a reversing loop in it and that will require different treatment of wiring. If at all possible, a diagram of your proposed plan would be very helpfull to anyone who would give you any help.
Happy Pops day or Gramps day etc..
Cheers Frank
Hi Cahill,
As Frank said a diagram can help, also what track are you using. I use Peco Electro-frog so I ain't to sure about Atlas.
The way I see it, DC or DCC you start with a single track, a point(switch) goes to the shed, the second splits the track in 2 and on to a Y point taking it back to 1, that being the case you'll have facing frogs IE < > so you need insul-joiners to prevent shorting. A pair of feeds under the rail joiners at the 1st point and a pair after the Y and you've cracked it. If the track at the Y goes round to form a loop at the 1st point, me I'd put in insul joiners to make 2 blocks.
Lets know how you do.
Be in touch.
pick.
Make sure you check periodically with a short detector or your ohm meter. Some complete the layout and find they have a short, somewhere.
Short detector
http://www.wiringfordcc.com/track.htm#a1
I have three of the below meters that do very well.
http://www.harborfreight.com/7-function-multimeter-98025.html
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
On thing that helps me is to start from one point facing one way- and always reach every point on my track without needing a turntable. Then once you have is, make a rule: "White is Right" ... And always put the white feeder on the right rail. Follow that thru under the table and for all the layout and you will minimize shorts. I am building my first layout and I followed this ... I had shorts.
As others posters said, reversing loops are different ... But nothing the reverser module manual won't tell you.
Re: turnouts. After reading a lot about feeding turnouts, I reallized that I did not need to power each and every turnout. I did power a couple of them ... Key mainline ones. I think it is good to keep the advice on feeders at a general level ... But not take it to heart so much that it derails you! I am about 6' between feeders. My turnouts are not insulated (using Atlas code 100 #6 ans #4) except for a couple ones for future signalling.
These thoughts from a newmdeler help a bit.
I meant I had NO shorts.
A- Welcome aboard.
B- Please post a diagram of your proposed layout. Hand drawn is fine.
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
Yes, a plan of the layout would be most helpful. Based on the verbal description, it is not clear that the OP has a reversing loop (a Y with only 2 turnouts or is it a Y plus 2 turnouts?) . Also, if he is using DCC friendly turnouts with insulated frogs and power connections for the stock and closure rails built-in or added, then with that size layout, he should require no more than one connection of the power feeds to the track and need not isolate the turnouts themselves. Or am I missing something?
Dante
Since you're just beginning the wiring process, I'll make a suggestion. Establish a color-coded wiring scheme, and stick to it. I use red and black wires for my track power bus and corresponding feeders, and I stick to it religiously. There's no problem figuring out which feeder goes to which bus that way.
For structure and streetlamp wiring, I've adopted the "headlight standard." I run a common blue wire around the underside of the layout, and a white wire for the structures and yellow for the streetlights. These are independently controlled by toggles, although the run off the same power supply. I have a couple of 4-amp, 12-volt supplies for my accessory lighting. Consider doing that right away. Your track power shoudn't be shared, and running your buildings off surplus wall-warts will quickly overwhelm their limited capacity.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
heres a fun pic of my layout and a drawing!! Thx for ur feedback will continue to read this!
There are no reverse loops in that track plan. There is no need to isolate any sections.
The first picture shows dips and humps in the track bed. That has to be fixed before you lay the track or your cars will come uncoupled when passing over them.
Ok!! Uh yea i'm in process of trying to come up with solution for that! I might build it up to look like dirt then lay track down, but thx for input!!
pick your north and south rails and wire to the heavy red and black bus wires strung under the layout and your done.
Bill
Sorry took so long to reply. I was just burned out from building my layout and actually didnt have the money to begin the track laying process. So it seems now that I have a wealth of knowledge since I started my first post on this thread, that I did do things ass backwards. I'm realizing that to install the electrofrog switches to my turnouts I have to rip apart sections of the layout, which is fine I can repair it later. I just have a few questions now. Im running DCC, I ordered the NCE power cab controller. Here is my order from accessories to attach to my N scale Peco code 80 flex track layout. 3 PECPL10 PECO Switch Machine $10.003 PECPL12X PECO Adapter Base for PL10 (note PL-12 and PL12X a $3.08 re the same item)3 PECPL13 PECO Acces. Switch for PL10 $4.962 PECSL310 PECO Setrack Accessories, Rail Joiners-Nickel Silv $3.16 er, qty 24, works with both code 80 and code 55 Pe co Track.1 PECSLE395 PECO Setrack Electrofrog Turnouts, R/H med. radius $16.79 , #6, Code 802 PECSLE396 PECO Setrack Electrofrog Turnouts, L/H med. radius $16.79 , #6, Code 80
Now I think im missing the toggle switches, if not mistaken. The nest question is my small layout 34" x 80" what gauge wire am I using? Any comments suggestions would be appreciated. Thx! Oh and I did get the color code comments. Thx for all your help! I know I still have to take off those bumpy sections of cork roadbed and sand em down. Lol! Else we'll be in for a bumby ride!!!!!!!!!! Yeehaaa!!!