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12-Position Prewired Power Distribution Block MTH

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  • Member since
    November 2008
  • 4 posts
12-Position Prewired Power Distribution Block MTH
Posted by logicman49 on Saturday, April 14, 2018 8:49 PM

I have tracks in a roundhouse that instead of individually attaching to the bus I wanted to use this.  I tried a terminal strip with jumpers and it shorted out.  I read this may be used for accessories.  Can it be used for track power on DCC?

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Saturday, April 14, 2018 9:48 PM

 Should work, awfully expensive though. It's also available from Miniatronics. In fact I think the MTH one is just the Miniatronics rebranded.

Regular power strips should be fine. You need TWO though. You can;t use a single dual-row power strip for both rails - the terminals in such power strips are connected across from one another. That's probably what you did wrong. Use one with a jumper for the Rail A side, and use a second one with a jumper for the Rail B side. No shorts.

                                        --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    December 2004
  • From: Bedford, MA, USA
  • 21,333 posts
Posted by MisterBeasley on Sunday, April 15, 2018 11:44 AM

I use barrier strips:

I have SPST toggles on my control panel, one for each stall track.  These barrier strips let me easily run the wires from the panel so I can shut all the tracks off and only bring up the one I'm using.  I only control power to one rail of each stall.  The opposite rails are just wired to a bus.

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

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Sunday, April 15, 2018 11:59 AM

I think that's what the OP used, but just one, and tried to hook one rail to the screws on one side, and the other rail feed to the screws across from those. He needs 2, one for each rail, and there will be no shorts. And a lot less expensive than that MTH thing.

                              --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
  • 8,253 posts
Posted by mbinsewi on Sunday, April 15, 2018 12:02 PM

When you look at the MTH board, on their web site, the board has Minitronics printed on it.

Mike.

  • Member since
    December 2015
  • From: Shenandoah Valley
  • 9,094 posts
Posted by BigDaddy on Sunday, April 15, 2018 12:50 PM

logicman49
I tried a terminal strip with jumpers and it shorted out.

Randy suggests one way this could short out.  The other way is that the turntable might be creating a reversing situation at the roundhouse tracks.  Depends on how the turntable rails gets their power.

 

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

  • Member since
    March 2015
  • 1,358 posts
Posted by SouthPenn on Tuesday, April 17, 2018 10:44 AM

I use these. No jumpers required. You will need two, one for each polarity, plus (+), and minus (-).

You can buy smaller quantities here.

South Penn
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, April 27, 2018 8:46 PM

I use these:

https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/TE-Connectivity/1776293-3/?qs=bdENzIhz2rnQs8%2FFiCGMHQ%3D%3D&gclid=CjwKCAjwlIvXBRBjEiwATWAQIl6R9jNyYsmW2nKAtHM4moSLAuATGIF8Cmz4e5SFtgjpDN4aIyLuDRoCE2oQAvD_BwE

They are cheap, and work reliably.  

I also have the Miniatronics (MTH) strips.  Those should work just fine as well if you dont want to make jumpers like you would need to do with the barrier strips.

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