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Building Oregon Rail Supply 2 light block signals....

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  • Member since
    December 2004
  • From: Bedford, MA, USA
  • 21,483 posts
Posted by MisterBeasley on Wednesday, March 28, 2018 12:34 PM

I've used magnet wire for ORS crossing signals.  It works as advertised.  To strip the insulation from the ends, just touch the end with a hot soldering iron and the insulation will melt back a half inch or so and you can get a good connection.

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

  • Member since
    April 2002
  • From: Paducah KY
  • 1,183 posts
Posted by moelarrycurly4 on Wednesday, March 28, 2018 11:40 AM

If you need tiny insulated wire, strip and old paralell printer cable, lots of small diameter wire in these. 

I used magnet wire on these, but my wires do not go inside the tube.

  • Member since
    January 2009
  • From: Bakersfield, CA 93308
  • 6,526 posts
Posted by RR_Mel on Monday, March 26, 2018 2:21 PM

To make it easier to wire my signals I bought red, yellow, green and black #36 stranded wire off eBay.
 
 
It came on those neat little spools.
 
 
 
It really came in handy for wiring up my signal bridges with 8 signal heads.
 
 
EDIT:
 
It’s possible to use #30 wire.  This is a picture after wiring one of my early signal bridges.  I put some White Lithium grease on the wires and pulled them down the brass tube.
 
 
The #30 wire measures .02" and the #36 wire measures .01".

 
Mel
 
Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951
  
 
My Model Railroad   
 
Bakersfield, California
 
I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
 
  • Member since
    December 2014
  • 25 posts
Posted by CNWman on Monday, March 26, 2018 11:35 AM

Thank you!

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
  • 8,253 posts
Posted by mbinsewi on Monday, March 26, 2018 11:35 AM

I gotta try that liquid tape.  I keep forgetting when I'm at my LHS (local hardware store).

Mike.

  • Member since
    December 2014
  • 25 posts
Posted by CNWman on Monday, March 26, 2018 11:35 AM

Thanks!

  • Member since
    December 2015
  • From: Shenandoah Valley
  • 9,094 posts
Posted by BigDaddy on Monday, March 26, 2018 11:27 AM

CNWman
this magnet wire is not insulated

According to their website, it is.

"The magnet wire we supply is manufactured by Superior Essex, Inc. and has a single-build (single layer coating) of Superior's Soderon® heat removable insulation. This is vastly superior (no pun) to chemical removable insulations or the kind that require scraping. While Superior has many different types of heat removable insulations, we chose Soderon 155 for its low-temperature removal characteristics compared to their other insulations. :"

If it's not, it will short.  Liquid electric tape should make you feel better.

 
 

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
  • 8,253 posts
Posted by mbinsewi on Monday, March 26, 2018 11:27 AM

I'm pretty sure it does have a thin enamel coating.  I know that you don't have to try and strip it, just the soldering process is enough to melt the coating.

Maybe read through their "how-to" page:

http://www.ngineering.com/wiring_tips.htm

Mike.

  • Member since
    December 2014
  • 25 posts
Building Oregon Rail Supply 2 light block signals....
Posted by CNWman on Monday, March 26, 2018 11:16 AM

I've purchased two ORS block signal kits (red/green) to protect a diamond crossing and have assembled them. The LEDs are supplied but not the wire. I purchased two reels of #38 magnet wire from Ngineering to hook them up but I have a question... this magnet wire is not insulated. The signal posts are brass tubing. If the wires touch the brass (or each other), isn't that going to short them out? 

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