1. I don't know nothing and have been doing monkey see, monkey do with wiring, which has worked so far. 2. I do not know what the parts are called that I believe I need for neat DC wiring. 3. I went to the Mouser and two other sites and was bewildered and stopped cold. I want several terminal things where I can wire individual common wires from blocks into a bus line and then continue my bus line into the power source. I am using 18 gauge for the bus wire and 20 gauge leading into it from the blocks. I would need at least 15 or 20 connections into the bus. The alternative, I imagine, would be to strip a section of the common bus and solder each one onto it which could cause problems later on. What is the thing called? And where to get and what not to get. For the non common wires, I am running them under the layout from the block to the switch on the control panel. Is there a better way (other than DCC) with something similar?
Or go here and type Terminal Strip and search , I use All Electronics often over the years , usually my default first look . http://www.allelectronics.com/
Oh dear, you could be headed for trouble. The doomsday prophet has arrived...ahh...not really. But, I want to help you avoid a "Common" mistake. Are you planning on operating from just one cab and want to be able to shut off a siding, storage yard and put in blocks? If so you are... ok. However, if you are planning on installing a dual cab operation (Cab A & Cab B) with a common wire... there is reason to read on. Operating trains with Cab A & Cab B. First off: Forget the whole idea of Common Wire, Common Rail or Common Bus don't make that common mistake. Save yourself a lot of grief and worry about performance of your trains and go with Double Throw Double Pole, Center Off toggles, with two wires negative and positive going out to each block. When the time comes to convert to DCC you are already set. Your wire drops from the track will already be in. However, you indicated DCC is somewhere out there, more or less out of reach for the moment. Allow me to share some of the operational difficulties with the "Common". Start a train up eastbound with Cab A, it should run smoothly. Start up another train westbound on cab B., it will stutter as it starts and if you glance over at the other train it has slowed down and is stuttering as well. The stuttering is caused by the current from one tranformer searching for a route back to it's own transformer. Time to do some checking: After about fifteen minutes to an hour of operation, under these conditions, check out your engine yard or storage track. Look for smoke coming from your locomotives, feel the sides for heat and then check to see if they crawled forward or backward possibly fouling a switch. On a positive note: If you are operating trains in the same direction it will perform almost flawlessly...still check the locomotives on your storage tracks. Strange things can happen with dual cab, common wire installations. Ie., you go to shut off your train and it continues to creep forward. Or it takes off and you obviously didn't start it, "Hey, who's got my train". To answer your question: In the event you are using single cab control then yes. I would suggest using a 14 gauge wire, route it directly under your main line, strip off the wire in spots where you have wire drops from the track and solder. Since DCC appears to be the future for model railroaders I would also install a second bus, 14 gauge wire or larger so you can solder your positive wire leads to it in the future. Incidentally soldering reduces the chatter between the wires allowing the current to transfer smoothly. Otherwise: If you are planning a dual cab operation (as is on mine) please let me help you. Do avoid the "Common Anything or Whatever", said with a reassuring and experienced smile. You's can get into big time trouble and fry some treasured locomotives. Unless, we do it right. I hope that helps...clear as mud yet?,
It sounds to me (correct me if I am wrong) like you want a quick and easy way to connect your track feeder (block) wires to your buses. If this is the case, it sounds to me like you might be looking for "suitcase connectors," or IDC's ("insulation displacement connectors"). You stick it over the two wires, close the little lid, and squeeze it with pliers to make the connection. Andy Sperandeo made it sound so easy! I went looking and looking for such an animal and found only a few of them in all of Santa Fe--and they were the wrong sizes. In the other stores, the hardware people had no idea what I was talking about. To complicate issues, it seems these things going by a number of different names (none of which I can remember). Finally I found a post by one guy who recommends against them because the connection tends not be long-lasting. I finally decided to just strip sections of my bus (a thick, solid bus wire makes this easy) and solder the feeder wires onto them. Done correctly--tinning the wires, using the proper solder and heat and technique--a soldered connection is strong and conducts perfectly. It will not be a problem later should I decide to change things: I'll just cut the wires I want to change. I did make sure not to solder any of them until I had the whole yard wired to my complete satisfaction. Hope this helps--and sorry if it's completely off base. :tb-confused:
If it is suitcases you want, look here: http://www.mouser.com/catalog/632/1307.pdf Look at the 517-905 905 Here's the info from 3M: 3M Utilities and Telecommunications : 3Mâ„¢ Scotchlokâ„¢ 905 Electrical IDC, Double Run or Tap, Low Voltage (Automotive) Applications Jeff
I am using the "suitcase" connectors on my DCC layout. They make neat, clean connections, but require some planning. I use #22 phone wire drops from the rail to the bus. To get good contact with the smallest connectors that I could find requires that I double the #22 wire over. It has worked successfully for 2 years. I found the connectors at Menards. My challenge when I was using the stripped insulation method was to not nick the bus wire. (I would never make it as a surgeon!) Wrapping plastic tape around #22 wire was a trick too. Good luck. Dave Gentry Cache Valley & Northern RR
Remember use only solid wire of the correct gauge for the gauge tolerance of the suitcase connectors .
I agree with the thought here, though the 3M documentation for the 905s says solid or stranded. But I absolutely agree with staying in the range of gauges they call for. One key is in the installation. And it was done wrong in the MRR Dream Plan Build DVD on DCC (that I sent back). Put the wire in place, and the squeeze the metal contact into place. Then snap the plastic lid on. In the video they did it in one step, and hence, in my opinon did not get a good solid squeeze on the contact. I have a feeling that error has lead to many of the failures the suitcase naysayers have seen or had, though obvisouly I cannot prove it.
And if sitting under the layout soldering doesn't appeal to you, try the Posi-Tap Connectors suggest by Powersteamguy. http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showthread.php?t=63037 Ben
I stripped the wires from Computer power cords and used them for my bus. I used a plastic knife to cut the insulation off where I wanted to drop the feeders. To cover the joint I used the casing from the power cord. Cheap, Easy and not-so Quick.
I use strippers to strip the wire--and since it's 14 AWG solid, I don't need to worry about nicking it. My track feeders are 20 AWG solid wire. Again, no worries about stripping, soldering, or taping because the wires are big and solid.
Radio Shack carries these compact and easy to use terminal strips: European 12 position Terminal Strip 274-0680 $2.45 European 8 position Terminal Strip 274-0678 $2.66 The 8 position handles larger wire, but the 12 position should be adequate for any N-scale or HO-scale wiring. The strips can be mounted to the table with wood screws or to a metal or other control panel with #5-40 machine screws by tapping the mounting holes thus saving the mess of nuts & washers.
