[?] Ways to connect / disconnect large amounts of wires?

[Birds]

I am still working on wiring my layout (a year and a half later... )

I have 24 power connections and 22 switch connections to make between the layout table and the control box.

I would like to have the connections be plug-able so that I can disconnect the setup.  I would also like to make this connecting and disconnecting procedure as easy as possible.

I have been looking at the Cinch "Jones Plugs" to accomplish this.  While I have found some, they are not the easiest things to come by.

What do people use for connecting and disconnecting large amounts of wiring quickly and easily?

Thanks!

[lionelsoni]

Molex connectors.

http://shop1.frys.com/search?cat=-46014&pType=pDisplay

 

[chuck]

Ditto on the molex.

The other quick connect solution I've seen on some modular layouts are DIN style connectors.  These may be harder to come by and are more expensive, particularly ones with bayonet/screw type locking collars.  You tend to find these on pro audio and video equipment and some lab instruments.  The price difference can be double to tripple the molex style connectors and are harder to wire and harder to keep track of pinouts.  They are intended to be connected and disconnected often and rapidly (e.g on site audio or video set up) whereas molex is meant to be easy to assemble/disassemble (e.g. replace a drive in a computer) but is generally assembled and left that way.

[Birds]

Bob and Chuck,

Thank you very much for your replies.

I noticed that the Molex .093 connectors can be used with 14 gauge wire.  However the housing seems to have amperage restrictions which concerns me as I am doing a conventional layout using electrical blocks.  With the Molex .093 housings, as the number of circuits used in a housing increases, the number of amps the housing can handle decreases.

So for a housing with 12 active circuits the maximum rating is 7.5 amps per circuit.

This would work for the plugs used for turnout (switch) wires, but I don't think it's enough amps for track power plugs.  I was hoping to have a minimum of a 10 amp rating for each of the track power circuits.

The Molex .063 connectors have a maximum amp rating of 5 amps per circuit for a fully populated housing.  This would also work for switches, but the amp rating it's not where I would like to be for track power.

 

[Birds]

It would appear that the Mate-N-Lock connectors by Tyco Electronics can handle higher amps, heavy wire, and still have up to 15 circuits per housing.

[lionelsoni]

Ten amperes per train seems like a lot to me.  Thats 160 watts at 16 volts.  I tend to think 5 amperes is conservative for a typical train.  Furthermore, wouldn't you agree that only a fraction of your blocks will be loaded at any one time?  If each of all 12 circuits of a connector were carrying 10 amperes at once, you would be feeding about 2 kilowatts to the trains!  Unless you have a very unusual setup, I think the larger Molex connectors would do the job.

[Birds]

Bob,

I think I understand about the circuits on the plug not being active all at once.  Here's what I have reasoned through...

I figure that at any given time a train will span a maximum of two blocks on my layout (two circuits on the Molex connector).  The most trains I will have running at one time is two trains.  So I figure the maximum number of circuits in use at any given time would be four circuits.

Molex connectors can handle 9 amps with four active circuits. 

My most power hungry consist draws 3 amps (1 engine + 5 cars).  So with two trains running I would have a 6 amp maximum draw through the housing.  I'm under the 9 amp limit for the housing and have some room to spare if I am reasoning correctly.

Question:

Say my 3 amp train is at the point where it spans two blocks.  Do each of the blocks draw three amps, or is the 3 amp load split across the blocks - say 1.5 amps per block?

Thank you very much for the help.

[lionelsoni]

It is split, probably not equally; but the total current through the connector equals the total that the train draws.  So, if two trains draw 3 amperes each, there is a total current of 6 amperes, divided among the various pins.

[Birds]

Woohoo, I understand what you are saying!

As you said, the Molex connectors will work just fine.  They will still have a few amps to spare.  This solution saves some money too.

The Cinch/Jones plugs have a 10 amp maximum rating.  So the Molex connector option only gives up 1 amp based upon my layout and operation.

Thank you very much for your help and time.

[Sturgeon-Phish]

I had a similar situation and due to cost went with terminal strips in both the control box and under the table.  Both sides of the wires are labled and then the mass of wires is wraped with the spiral plastic wrap to contain the wires.

Jim