Feeder Wires

[HAZMAT9]

I'm about ready to begin laying track for my modified Granite Gorge and Northern Railroad. The layout is HO scale at a length is 12' by 7' in width and I'll be using Prodigy Advanced DCC. What is the consensus on how many feeder wires I need to solder to the layout? The original Atlas track plan of the Granite Gorge uses sectional track which I've gone to flex on, but the plans called for (6) or so terminal sectional track, which I plan to switch to flex as well. Is there a trick or something, for example; place feeders every 3' of track or something like that? Lastly, what gauge should I use for the feeder wires, or am I better off buying pre-made feed wires? Many Thanks, Steve [:)]

[Anonymous]

Normally every 3' is fine. #22 wire from the rail down to the buss. #14 for the buss wire. You might want to consider jumper wires on the atlas swithces as the rivets over time loose their conductivity and eventually you will have to jump them anyways.

[Blind Bruce]

iF IT WERE ME, I WOULD SOLDER #20 GAUGE FEEDERS AT EVERY JOINT IN THE FLEX TRACK. THE JOINERS SHOULD BE SOLDERED ANYWAY SO ADDING A FEEDER WOULD BE EASY. fROM WHAT i READ, YOU CANNOT HAVE TOO MANY FEEDERS. I ALSO WOULD USE #14 BUS WIRE TO ATTACH THE COMMAND STATION TO THE FEEDERS.
BB

[HAZMAT9]

Makes sense, sounds like I have a lot of work ahead of me. Thanks!

[simon1966]

The rule I work by is that every piece of track should be soldered to something. The next track section at the joiners or feeder wires. This includes turnouts. If any track section relys on getting its power from a non soldered rail joiner, it will fail eventually. So for example, if you have 2 sections of flextrack joined with soldered rail joiners 1 set of feeders would be fine. I would not concern yourself with a rule like "every 3' " as you will very likely have sections that are not then soldered to anything.

[HAZMAT9]

Just curious why "we use many feeder wires?" Like you said, if all joints are soldered, then what's the purpose since all points of a layout should have the same voltage, assuming all soldered rail joiners are good? Just wondering, but I do plan on using them. Steve

[Blind Bruce]

Steve, check out the many threads on DCC. They go into great detail complete with controversy about feeders and bus wires.
BB

[simon1966]

QUOTE: Originally posted by HAZMAT9

Just curious why "we use many feeder wires?" Like you said, if all joints are soldered, then what's the purpose since all points of a layout should have the same voltage, assuming all soldered rail joiners are good? Just wondering, but I do plan on using them. Steve

Steve, not all joints will be, or should be soldered. A long straight with 3 or 4 sections of flextrack would not want to be soldered the entire length. Some sections should have just plain rail joiners to allow some expansion and contraction thruout the year. I have one section that is about 9' long soldered together and it only has one set of feeders. Also, there will be places that you may have insulators. In my yard for example, I insulate each of the ladder tracks. Each of them gets a separate feeder.

You could without doubt make a layout with a single connection to the booster. In my opinion, for the extra work, I am eliminating possible dead track issues in the future.

[HAZMAT9]

Many Thanks for the info!!! Steve

[Leon Silverman]

Steve:
The feeder wire necessity is to avoid voltage drop as you get further away from the power source. This is a characteristic of DC current. AC current, because the polarity reverses and thus does not actually flow along a conductor, is not as sensitive to the distance from the power source.
Case in point: Around the turn of last century (1900), there was a competition between Thomas A. Edison and George Westinghouse over the type of electricity that was to be supplied to the grids. Edison insisted on DC current while Westinghouse chose AC. You know who won out. It was because the DC generators could not supply power to customers who were two far away from the generating station. AC power, by stepping it up to high voltage, could be supplied over relatively long distances with minimal transmission losses.

[HAZMAT9]

This makes sense, I'm sure a loco w/ it's draw does substantiate the use of feeders. Thanks!!

[MisterBeasley]

Ah, but another of Mr. Edison's arguments was that, for some reason, DC power had a lower danger of electrocution than AC power. He suggested that people who died from touching the AC lines would have been "Westinghoused."