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Ok so i am getting the Bachmann E-Z control system and when i hook it to my Atlas Code 83 track which wire should go to which track (the wired both are the same color)?
 


And is it nessary to have a wire going around the whole track on both side to provide the power for the rails. It may be called a "bus" wire.
 
It doesn't really matter which wire is hooked up to each rail, although you may want to paint a red band on one and use it as a positive just to keep things straight. Strictly speaking, you only need those two wires hooked up to the mainline somewhere to power the entire layout. Except for a very small layout, this isn't a good idea, because you will get a voltage drop the further you get away from the power feed, and voltage drops make your DCC engines run poorly and can prevent the automatic short circuit breaker from working. It's always better to run a pair of wires, a bus, around the layout and solder another pair of wires about every three feet. This will give you consistent power around the layout. There are other considerations for power feeds, but they generally don't apply to a beginners's layout.
 
My layout is 16 X 7 and I have probably 8 power feeds around the main line as well as every siding, including passing sidings.
What turnouts are you using? Mine are all peco and I had to cut alot of insulating slots in to pervent shorts because of the power-routing abilities of the pecos.
 
CNR Glen said:
My layout is 16 X 7 and I have probably 8 power feeds around the main line as well as every siding, including passing sidings.
What turnouts are you using? Mine are all peco and I had to cut alot of insulating slots in to pervent shorts because of the power-routing abilities of the pecos.
Click to expand...

I am using all Atlas Code 83 turnouts.

What gauge wire should i use for the Bus wires, Feeder wires and should they be solid core or braded wire.
 
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my 4x7 loop was wired with 1 lead - no voltage drop anywhere. #22 (one pair from vertical run Cat5 cable(solid) ) wire was able to power 2 locomotives just fine.

had to install more leads after i isolated into several blocks, but not due to voltage drop exaggerated concern.
 


Anton is basically right for a small layout. With clean tracks, one set of feeders will supply pretty constant voltage around the layout. However, the most important thing is not the square footage, it's the actual length in feet of all your track. If you have something like a 4x7 with a loop and few sidings and spurs, one set of feeders will work. If you have things like yards, multiple tracks, and multiple industrial spurs, adding feeders to at least the tracks beyond the switches is good insurance. My layout is not large in square footage but it has a fair amount of track when you include all of the above. I use a #16 AWG bus and #22AWG feeders. The #22 feeders are smaller and easier to solder and the small run from the bus to the track doesn't impact the voltage.
 
I have been doing some research on Bus wiring and things like that which has confused me. I hook my bachmann E-Z command to the Bus wires which goes to the feeders which goes to the track. Whats the difference between Bus wires and Control wires.
 
The bus wires are like the wires on poles that carry current to houses. The feeders are like the wires that drop from each pole and seve individual houses. The two wires for the your DCC controller get hooked to the end of the two bus wires. You hang these under the layout and then hook feeder wires to the bus, by soldering or using mechanical connectors like the 3M suticase connectors or Posi-taps. Each feeder wire then gets soldered to each rail. If you keep in mind how electricity gets to your house, it's really identical to how you want to get pwoer from your control station to your tracks. I have no idea what you mean by a contol wire.
 
I think i read it wrong. Is it necessary to have terminal strips or can you just have more feeders. And you make the whole Bus a loop connected together like you run the red all the way around your layout and then when you get back to where you are started connect it back to the red and same with the black.
 
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