DCC wiring question

[jeep35]

I'm just about ready to start construction on an around the room HO scale layout. The length of the layout from one end to the other is about 61 feet (give or take a foot). This time I would like to wire the layout for DCC and I would like to install the main wiring (bus wiring) as soon as the benchwork is completed.
What gauge wire should I install for a 61 foot run. I haven't purchased a DCC system yet so I don't have any instructions to go by. The main power supply will probably be at one end of the layout, but could be moved to the center if that would provide better performance. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Jim

[johncolley]

Use 12 ga stranded for your bus wires and 20 ga for drops from each section of flex (36-39") So if you expand later you will not have voltage drop problems. Also, Do not form a circle with the bus wires. Try to put your power in the middle and go out in both directions. Pay attention that you do not cross connect. Easiest way is use 2 colors and the same colors for your drops. Use suitcase connectors.

[jeep35]

Thank You

Jim

[mcouvillion]

Jim,

Depending upon the complexity of your layout, you may want to run two buses in each direction from the power location. The reason is you could then use the circuit breakers that are available and break your layout into 4 power districts. The advantage is that a derailment or short in one district would not affect trains operating in any of the others. I believe the smallest circuit breakers for DCC have capacity for 4 zones.

I wired our club's sectional layout with two buses in a loop (4 different colored wires) and with circuit breakers, we can have 4 power districts and break the loops at the opposite end of the layout. Just what John Colley suggested!

May I suggest that you consider wire colors other than white, black, red, and green for your power bus wire pair. If you ever run 110V power or 12V DC under the layout, these colors are already used. You would not want to accidentally connect a track feeder to one of these. We have used wire pair colors of Orange/Blue and Purple/Gray for our buses. Just make sure to always drop the correct color from the correct rail, then its easy to connect to the proper bus.

Mark C.

[Anonymous]

LISTEN to Mark:

For a layout this big I'd use a Digitrax PM4-2 and break the layout into several electrical sections so a short in one wont affect the whole layout.

I feed my PM4-2 with 12 ga. wire and then use 16 ga. for the feeders under the track. I use 18 ga for the drops from the track to the feeders. I don't like the suitcase connectors and so I solder or use terminal blocks. The terminal blocks make for easy trouble shooting.

As far as color codeing, I use the same color for the same rail no matter what block as I have each wall on the same block - upper and lower. Gray is always the rail closest to the wall and green is the rail closest to the inside. I have an around the wall layout.

Bob

[jeep35]

Again I would like to thank those who answered my question. While I've had a layout for many years, this my first attempt at DCC. The layout isn't going to be terribly complex, In fact its going to be based loosely on the Coal Fork Branch that was in Model Railoader a number of years ago.

Thanks Again
Jim