Need advice on wiring


Thank you! Just wanted to thank everyone for their responses and advice. I feel confident going forward with my wiring now. I have two 4 X 8 sheets of plywood with a 3 x 4 connecting panel, making a U shape. Keeping things simple to start with, so just a single, DC track. Planning on using the 16 gauge for bus, 20 gauge for feeders, run the bus lines around the circuit and using connectors rather than soldering feeders to bus lines.
When you get them and open one, you'll find the larger bus wire will have a passage that passes straight through near the hinge and the smaller has only 1 entry with it blocked on the other side. Hang the hinge over the Buss (that's the side with the pass through) and just close it enough to grip that wire at the spot on the buss you want it to be. Insert the end of the feeder up to the stop in it's passage and press closed. There is a special plier for doing this that presses against the sides of the IDC and presses flat and even. Good to have if you have lots. Square ended pliers will work but might not clamp up so flat.
 
For feeders I used bell wire. got mine at Home Depot Other big box stores should have similier wire.
 
For feeders I used bell wire. got mine at Home Depot Other big box stores should have similier wire.
That's what I use as well. 18 gauge solid wire from Menards. The red and white of the wires matches my power bus wires, which are 12 gauge stranded. For attaching the bus wires to the layout, I screw cable clamps to the bottom of the joists. https://www.menards.com/main/electr...1575/p-1444431019467-c-6448.htm?tid=-1&ipos=2

I run a 12 gauge wire from the bus to a terminal strip, and then the feeders run from the terminal strip to the track. On the previous incarnation of my layout, I used IDC's (suitcase connectors) to attach the wire from the terminal strip to the bus line, but on this one I'm going to use T-taps. That will make removing the wire easier if I have to do that for any reason.
That's my story and I'm stuck with it.
 



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