Electrical - how did YOU wire yours?


GDSmith

GDSmith

Member
The basic wiring structure for most layouts calls for a bus wire from the Command Station/Booster (I'm using Digitrax terms since that's what my system is built with (Super Chief 5amp)) to run under the plywood table, then feeder wires to run up from the bus every three feet.

My layout is in the shape of a 'U' with the Command Station/Booster at the bottom of the 'U'. I ran two 12AWG wires to separate terminal blocks under the table, then ran one set of 12AWG wires from the terminal block to the track design on the left side table and another set to the track design on the right side.

[I'm using 12AWG wire since my track length will be 125-150' total. And the terminal blocks are basically the neutral bus bar that you would find in your main circuit breaker panel in your house - each block will give me one input (from the Booster) and six (not going to use that many) outputs.]

That essentially gets my main power around the track - now, what's the best way to connect the feeder wires (#18 bell wire) to the bus line? Cutting the insulation on the bus and soldering the feeder seems very tedious since it will have to be done from under the table.

How is yours connected?
 
I originally used so-called "suitcase" connectors to connect the feeder wires to the buss on my old layout. But after reading about how they might corrode and lose their conductivity over time, I decided to go with soldering for my current pike. I discovered that, if I have a decent wire-stripping tool for the buss wire insulation, soldering doesn't take me any longer to complete than using the suitcase connectors.
 
GDSmith said:
The basic wiring structure for most layouts calls for a bus wire from the Command Station/Booster (I'm using Digitrax terms since that's what my system is built with (Super Chief 5amp)) to run under the plywood table, then feeder wires to run up from the bus every three feet.

My layout is in the shape of a 'U' with the Command Station/Booster at the bottom of the 'U'. I ran two 12AWG wires to separate terminal blocks under the table, then ran one set of 12AWG wires from the terminal block to the track design on the left side table and another set to the track design on the right side.

[I'm using 12AWG wire since my track length will be 125-150' total. And the terminal blocks are basically the neutral bus bar that you would find in your main circuit breaker panel in your house - each block will give me one input (from the Booster) and six (not going to use that many) outputs.]

That essentially gets my main power around the track - now, what's the best way to connect the feeder wires (#18 bell wire) to the bus line? Cutting the insulation on the bus and soldering the feeder seems very tedious since it will have to be done from under the table.

How is yours connected?
Click to expand...

I have heard lot's of guys use the 3M scotch lok "suitcase" connectors. I just used auto strippers and soldered my feeder wires in. Slow and steady I did about 50 sets of feeder wires this way.

For the amount of time I have spent under there, I am considering in investing in a micromark bottomside creeper for my next layout.
 
The suitcase connectors are ok for a while. Any amount of tugging or moving of the bus and the suitcase connectors eventually loosen up or the wire breaks and you have to chase down the problem. The concept of the suitcase connector is a slotted piece of metal that the wire slides into. Now think what happens to wire when ya nick it. Yeah, it will eventually break all the way though. Soldering the connection will provide the best long lasting connection.
Now I'm sure we are going to have some folks who will proclaim that they installed suitcase connectors many years ago and they are still fine. There are always exceptions but that's not the norm.
 
I'm all for cut and solder. If you have the right strippers you can just cut the insulation in two spots, slit it with a razor, and peel it off, then splice right to it. Of course, soldering above your head is no fun at all. On a previous layout I used screw-type terminal blocks and had no trouble with them (except that my cat got up in there and chewed the wiring, but I can't blame that on the blocks).
 
GD:

When under my layout it is such a general pain to work there (27" from bottom of layout to floor) even 20 years ago and I'll be 65 this month, that when I need to connect a wire to a buss wire or any other wiring I always cut and strip the wires and then wirenut them together. (This obviously requires leaving a some slack in all the wires.) For me this saves time and saves the additional work of dragging all the soldering equipment around under the layout. Been doing this for 20 years. However, I solder all feeder wires to almost all the rails, and solder all rail joiners.

Hint: When doing this under-layout wiring if I wirenut say two wires and their twistedness (is that a word?) is too thin for even the small internal wirenut threads to "grab", I just double the twist back on itself with needle nose pliers to make it thicker and then use the wire nut.

The only "problem" I've had (and it's very rare) is if I accidentally cut significantly into the metal of the wire when stripping off the insulation. That end piece of wire won't take much handling before it breaks off. Easy fix though - just strip off another bit of insulation on the wire and continue on.

Hope this is helpful.

DougC
 
GDSmith said:
That essentially gets my main power around the track - now, what's the best way to connect the feeder wires (#18 bell wire) to the bus line? Cutting the insulation on the bus and soldering the feeder seems very tedious since it will have to be done from under the table.

How is yours connected?
Click to expand...
The tedious soldering way. Have tried all the others and always go back to solder.
I do not like to break the bus wire and try to keep it one nice long continuous piece. Of course I also twist the bus wire so soldering feeders is even harder.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
14 gauge bus running in two directions for about 20' each way. Insulation displacement strippers to bare the copper wires in the bus, wrap bared 22 gauge feeder wire ends around the bared bus insulation breaks, solder. There is one PSX-AR controlling one leg of a scissors-type turning wye.
 
I used these. http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103229
And these http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103227&clickid=prod_cs

Ran my 12 gauge wire to several different places under the table then put the barrier strips, 12 gauge to the top side and single strand phone line feeder wires off the bottom to where I needed them. I cut the jumper in half so I had both positive and negative on one block. And they can be wired as to just a connection point then continue on to the next section or as many as needed.
 
My setup is very similar to the OP's.

Terminal blocks directly feed power districts for now, but circuit breakers/block detection units will soon be placed in line. It's a simple 4x8, but I very much want to experiment with signalling.

My feeders are soldered to track rails (one per track section rail). Scotchlok "T-Taps" are used instead of suitcase connectors. T-Taps connect to the bus just like suitcase connectors. However, they simply create the female end of a solderless spade connection instead of joining two wires. A male spade is then crimped onto each feeder and plugged into the T-Tap.

So far, so good.
 
Davidfd85 said:
I used these. http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103229
And these http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103227&clickid=prod_cs

Ran my 12 gauge wire to several different places under the table then put the barrier strips, 12 gauge to the top side and single strand phone line feeder wires off the bottom to where I needed them. I cut the jumper in half so I had both positive and negative on one block. And they can be wired as to just a connection point then continue on to the next section or as many as needed.
Click to expand...

I did mine the same except I used 22awg feeders. I ran the bus down the middle of the benchwork with the terminal strips every 3 ft or so. The middle terminals got the 12awg bus wires and the outer terminals got the feeders crimped under a spade crimp. On the portable section I wired the track first and then wired the underside with it flipped on one end. The rest of the layout I wired from underneath the benchwork while siting in an office chair.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2
 
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