Island Wiring

[BigDog26*]

Hello, I am a total newb at wiring a model railroad. I originally was just going to do a small HO 8'x 8' walk around layout in the basement. I bought a Digitrax Evolution Express to be my controller. I have now decided I want it a little bigger. With what I have to work with in my basement I will have to make a bridge that completely lifts out and then run it around an outer wall which would be about 25' in length. I would have the command station on the island. I am in the process of making the bridge that will have Legacy power point pins to connect to each side. So here are my questions; What options do I have to power the track along the wall? Would running the bus wire through the bridge with connectors and then into a booster on the other side work?

Thanks

 

[santafewillie]

Would running the bus wire through the bridge with connectors and then into a booster on the other side work?

I don't see why not. Question though, why put a 'removable" bridge in at all if you can go around the island at the top of the drawing?

 

[BigDog26*]

Thanks for your response. I edited the image of the track so you could see the layout of the basement. I wanted the shortest way to the television area to be open unless I was running the train.

 

[migalyto]

Keep in mind when you are planning the wiring that in case you hadn't realized, In the upper L/H corner you have a reverse loop
that will require insulated rail joiners or cutting gaps. With DCC it is pretty easy but you will require an auto reverser.

Automatic Reverse Controller-Single

The easiest most cost effective way to add automatic reversing to one section of your DCC layout.

www.digitrax.com

 

[ctclibby]

Big Dog - my $.02 worth. Looks like you have about a 16x20' area which is a ton of room if nothing else is in the area. Radii look to be 28 to 36" in most spots. Make those benches wider so trains don't fall in the Grand Canyon and get them away from the bench edges a tad. Also as @migalyto said, except you have an additional reversing section; right below the upper one.

Keep the planning coming!

What time frame and geo location for the RR? What are you going to run? Ya, ya - questions....

L8r

 

[Kusojiji]

What about flipping the entire design over so that the big opening is at the stairs side? Then you can avoid the removable bridge totally. And agree about making room in case you have a derailment, fat fingers, or body induced earthquake. Don't want your prized possessions from hitting the deck.

 

[trailrider]

I would recommend eliminating the reverse loop and it two (2) turnouts, that actually creates two reverse loops. The track between where you now have the turnouts could simply run parallel to the other side. This would make it very simple to wire. What this would do is create a folded dogbone layout. A train would appear to pass a station in the "Northeast" portion going one direction, would circle around the loop and appear to pass the station going the other way on the parallel track. Very simple whether you are running in DC or DCC. You could do some interesting things to the scenery around each loop that would disguise them, so the train would appear to come from much farther away, beyond the limits of the room.