ModelRailroadForums.com is a free Model Railroad Discussion Forum and photo gallery. We cover all scales and sizes of model railroads. Online since 2002, it's one of the oldest and largest model railroad forums on the web. Whether you're a master model railroader or just getting started, you'll find something of interest here.
A loop of track, yes. But as soon as you put a siding in, or another loop of track then you might want to stop one train and run another.
If you made a bigger loop of track, say around a room, you might need heavier wire feeding the power to the far side away from the power hookup.
That's a basic primer to start with....
Feeder wires are wires that you install that drop down below your benchwork. You solder each wire to each outside rail. Drill a hole down into the benchwork.
Then you create a "bus" wire. A heavier guage wire that runs from your DC or DCC controller, down under the middle of your benchwork.
Then you solder the feeder wires to the bus wire.
You must make sure to have the correct rails soldered together.
I do this. Outside rails are always labeled with "B", and inside rails are labeled with "A".
Feeders wires should be 22-24 guage, and bus wires should be 16-18 guage.
A simple smaller loop will be run by just the 2 wires connected to it from the power system. Up to a loop on a 4x8 maybe. Even then, you might want to run additional "feeder wires" to the opposite side of the loop to be sure good electrical continuity.
Feeder wires feed additional electricity or DCC signals to the track to insure good continuity so a train does not slow down on the other side of the loop from the power center connections.
If you add a "passing siding" where one train will sit and not run while the other passes it, or should you want a spur on which to just store an "inactive loco" for the time being, you will want to block it off via a switch so the DC current does not electrify it making that train or loco run as well. On DCC you CAN park a loco and "turn it off" to sit while another runs around the loop.
If you want two loops, but want to be able transfer trains from one loop to another with switches connecting the two, you MAY want to block off each loop from DC current independent from each other so both trains dont have to run at the same time all the time. Again, with DCC you can control each train independently on each loop with one power controller. In either case, you will want secondary feeder wires to insure good continuity of DC current or DCC signal.
If you have larger loops of an oval, then yoy will want to use feeder wires to ensure the DC current doesn't dwindle or the DCC signal drop on the other side of the loop.
I have, for example, a 3.5 x 5.1 HO scale layout {all the space I could afford} with 2 interconnected ovals, a 4 spur yard and a 2 spur engine storage/servicing facility. I COULD and DID run it with 2 DCC locos and trains with JSUT 2 wires connected to it. BUT I added feeder wires to ensure good signal and continuity of DCC signal so my trains run well at all speeds anywhere on the layout.
Do NOT just count on unsoldered rail connectors to carry curret or signal as loose connectors {rail joiners} can loose DCC signal or drop DC current.