Hey All,
I have been into model railroading for about 4 years or so and I am finally getting into DCC. I do not have a permanent layout so when I want hook up my trains I just put down a layout consisting of snap track. It actually works pretty well. I model in HO scale and the system I am getting is the Digitrax Zephyr starter system. Here's my question. What is the best way to wire this layout given that it is not permanent. I was reading about the 2 rail hookup which seems as though that will work for me.
I do have a fairly lengthy layout which consists of a mainline and thats it. I like to railfan rather than run it like a railroad. I have a straight shot that is about 23 feet so that is the length of my track and the width is about 12 feet. I have the one long stretch of 23 feet on one side and then another 9 or 10 foot straight stretch coming back on the other side with the rest of the layout consisting of curves. Will a 2 rail system work for this setup and will I need an extra power booster for the amount of track I have or will one supply enough power to my layout.
Thanks
Will
For the temporary snap track layout a 2 wire connection of the Z will be perfectly fine. I ran like that for a while myself. Just be aware that with repeated assembly and disassembly the rail joiners of the snap track will wear and get loose so you might have some issues due that. Nothing that replacement joiners wont cure.
For the larger more permanent track I would install a power bus and regular feeders. I doubt you would need a booster for the Z, unless you are planning to run a lot of locos simultanously. It is not so much length of track that determines the need for a booster, but number of locos and the power drain.
Simon Modelling CB&Q and Wabash See my slowly evolving layout on my picturetrail site http://www.picturetrail.com/simontrains and our videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/MrCrispybake?feature=mhum
Snap track? That's gonna be a tough one with lengths like that. You should generally not rely on rail joiners for electrical connectivity, so it's best to have a drop to every rail -- which could be a whole lot of drops with snap track.
Simon's right that this could work temporarily, but your issue won't be so much needing extra power as in getting what you do have to the locos. Another booster won't solve issues with poor feeds.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Just hook up the Zephyr the same way you currently hook up the DC power supply. If it works on DC it will work on DCC. No boosters required.
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
willjaynaI do have a fairly lengthy layout which consists of a mainline and thats it. I like to railfan rather than run it like a railroad. I have a straight shot that is about 23 feet so that is the length of my track and the width is about 12 feet. I have the one long stretch of 23 feet on one side and then another 9 or 10 foot straight stretch coming back on the other side with the rest of the layout consisting of curves. Will a 2 rail system work for this setup and will I need an extra power booster for the amount of track I have or will one supply enough power to my layout.
I would just hook up two wires from the Zephyr to the track and make certain a quarter placed across the rails at the furthest point from the connection trips the breaker and you are good to go.
I had an around the room G-scale layout with sectional track. It was probably the same size as yours 12x23 or so. From my Zephyr I ran one short set of wires to the rails near the unit and then another really long set of wires clear at the opposite side. So it was probably 35 feet between the feeders. It ran fine. If you try that and have problems just run yet another set of wires 1/2 way between the existin ones. Don't make this harder than it has to be.
Is this a totally temporary arrangement, or are you using the snap track on existing benchwork so that you can play with different track configurations until you find one that you like?
If you are pretty sure about your benchwork, I would go ahead and install bus wires. If you're basically running an around-the-walls shelf layout, which is kind of what you've described, then your track bus is going to be pretty much the same regardless of the final configuration of your track.
For feeders, get a bunch of rail joiners and solder feeder wires to the underside. I'd recommend getting a coil of red wire and a coil of black wire for your feeders, and using a consistent "outside red, inside black" or other color code standard for your bus and feeders. You can use the rail joiner connectors over and over, although, as has already been pointed out, eventually rail joiners get sloppy and won't make good connections.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
MisterBeasley For feeders, get a bunch of rail joiners and solder feeder wires to the underside. I'd recommend getting a coil of red wire and a coil of black wire for your feeders, and using a consistent "outside red, inside black" or other color code standard for your bus and feeders. You can use the rail joiner connectors over and over, although, as has already been pointed out, eventually rail joiners get sloppy and won't make good connections.
I wouldn't use rail joiner feeders unless the rail joiners are soldered to the rails.
I would have used flex track for your long straight stretch and put several gentle curves in it. It is amazing what an effect is created when tangent track isn't used and the track doesn't follow parallel to the benchwork when you are able.
Jon
N6VCI wouldn't use rail joiner feeders unless the rail joiners are soldered to the rails.
Yes, that's the right way to go once the track plan is finalized and the track and roadbed are fastened down to the benchwork. But, for the temporary setup-and-teardown that the OP is proposing, this will allow him to at least add more feeders easily without having to solder every time he makes a temporary change.
But yeah, once the track is in place, you want the feeder connections soldered for sure.