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In this video I discuss how to wire a model railroad layout for DCC. I show you how I run bus lines, short circuit management, and feeder wires to bring your digital command control layout to life.
Model Railroaders are always asking what size wire they should use with DCC on their model railroad so let’s see if I can give you an answer. In this video I’ll share with you my recommendations for wire sizes for various scales, amperage, length of power bus, and some other considerations. So get comfortable and we’ll get started.
Another excellent Video for us amateurs. Question what is better for DCC bus wire stranded or solid wire?
Great video. Trying to learn all this stuff right now. Hoping to move everything I have to DCC. Ordered my copy of Wiring Your Model Railroad. Looking forward to it!
I always learn from your videos. I do have a question about grounding. I have a DCS100 command station and will be using a DB150 as a booster. What is the best way to ground the DCS100 to the house ground. My power supply is a PS2012E. As always, thank you. Sincerely, Kennedy
Ohm never forgot his father's advice: "Remember son, with great power comes great current squared times resistance."
On my nscale layout I make my own terminal rail joiners. It make hiding the feeder wires easier. When I used DC I also ran a buss. Nothing like your train slowing down as it gets further away. Started that when is was a kid.
Just a quick question as most Baldwin diesels use an air control throttle and non-standard MU, was V&O 267 converted to standard MU, or is it a point helper in your latest MR column? Just kidding….
Nice change to see an American YouTube model railroader consider us UK folk. Great series of programmes. I say programmes as these videoes are much more than just video clips…. keep up the great work.
great video as this is what i need right now
A little tip for pulling wire up through your layout. Get yourself a guitar string, or simply buy a set of six, or ask a musician for and. One end of a guitar string has a little round "keeper" on it, with a hole in it. Push the "keeper" down through the bored hole, hook the wire into the small hole in the keeper, and pull it through easily. You could even put a drop of solder on the wire/keeper if need be, but that shouldn't be necessary. "Pulling" wires is always easier than "pushing" wires, as Larry has pointed out. Or as comedienne Moms Mably pointed out, "Making love to an old man is like pushing a car up a hill . . . . . with a rope!"
I have NEVER seen a Carolina and Northwestern locomotive. This is what I'm wanting to model at my house as it ran through my town. Where were you able to find it or did you make it yourself?
national electrical code !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Actually, we have norms but the color codes are not standardized for the most part, other than ground and neutral.
Outstanding video, thank you! I did order your books to study in depth, as I am no electrical guru.
I use GLX high temperature stranded automotive wire in various AWG sizes and colors throughout my layout. I use twisted striped wire pairs for DCC (blue/white, white/blue; green/white, white/green; etc…) and solid colors for DC with black for DC ground and light green for Digitrax "Reference Ground."
Each power district is assigned a unique color pair, allowing easy tracing in the event of a problem with any of the wiring. I use 12 AWG for the main DCC feeders and 18 AWG for the track power drops. Drops are spaced every 12" to 16" apart and each Peco Electrofrog switch has drops for both outside rails and (of course) the frog itself has a drop.
GLX is light weight, very flexible and resists abrasion quite well. Its temperature range is -40°C (-40°F) to 125°C (257°F) and available in a broad range of solid and striped colors.
I enjoy your videos and find them very informative, but I find zip cord and romex to be a poor choice compared to GLX wire.
Keep up the good work, Bruce
Just bought "Wiring Projects for your Model Railroad" here at the model train shop in Strasburg, PA! Great, great stuff – can't wait to dig into it further!
Question Larry, why use a separate power supply? Thanks in advance!
So, I’ve searched google and YouTube for answers for a while, I run unitrack for n scale.
Sometimes my trains run great, other times they stutter, stop and go. It’s rather annoying! A complete piss off, this happens with new engines as well as older (not more than a couple years) they will run flawlessly then the next time they don’t, I cleaned my track last night with the peco rail cleaner (the grey block) and my new as of yesterday loco did the same thing.
I have feeders and a bus line around the whole layout, 50 feet of track plus a helix! Before the feeders, I had little to no issues, I talked to some other people and they said feeders should fix everything! I’m at a loss, I have checked ever connection and feeder and everything looks good, no splits, solid joints.
Any help would be appreciated, from anyone who’s had a similar issue, thanks!!
HI! I am so grateful to have found you and this video. I recently acquired a rough built out of a nice track layout for my kids and am trying to figure out how to power the system. It has been over 30 years since my last train table- built with tyco trains- back in the early 80's so i am lost to say the least.
I need to purchase a simple DC power supply for my HO scale railroad to power LED lights and other accessories. Can you help me to choose between these two selections: a 12V 10A 120W DC Power Supply Adapter 100V~240V AC to DC Converter 12 Volt 10 Amp Transformer or a 12V 5A 60W Power Supply Adapter AC DC Converter 100V~240V to 12 Volt 5 Amp Transformer. I don't understand the 5Amp versus 10Amp pros and cons and how each choice would play out / impact my use on the layout. MANY THANKS!
Thank you for the instructional video. The last time I ran model trains was just a simple train set with a DC power pack. But now that I'm re-entering the hobby, and reading up on the differences between DC and DCC, I could appreciate all the help I can get.
Could you use LED bulbs in place of the 1156?
Like many lovely Americans you talk tooo muchhh
Would you do that throughout the entire layout? I have a 12’x10’ room I plan to set up like a shelf layout.
Quick question: For DCC, can I use Atlas and/or PECO insulated frog switches on a HO scale, Code 83 layout? Thanks!
hi ron im just starting up oon a 2 loop set up on 6ft by 4ft (roughly) around 1.8 meters by 1.2 meters and like to aspect of dcc and what the locos do so mu vision is to run trains on a dcc set but run my switches on a standard dc set up so am looking for some help on where to start with this thank you in advance from steve united kingdom
Hi Ron, great video! This may be a dumb question but how many terminals, sub buses and 1156 bulbs do you need on an average for a layout? Thank you.
Dan
Hello Ron does the 1156 drawl power from your layout? I like the idea of knowing we’re your problem spots are. Thanks
I like how you do this. Can you add a digitrax track Bd4n block detection to this as well. I like the idea of the light coming on. Would the digtrax track system prevent the light from working. I think regardless I like the light. Thanks,
All Greek to me.
Indeed how have I wired all my exhibition layouts for the last 40 years ?! As a Railway Engineer, who understands both electricals and real life signalling systems. I would certainly NEVER use DCC. For the simple reason this Toy Train set system, has NO provision to cope with ANY of the real life Block signalling systems used in Europe, Japan or the "Colonies". Which makes DCC a totally useless waste of money !
In my mind, building "Model Railways" for exhibition use, means you have to replicate not just realistic scenery, but also realistic operation. This is complicated when it is understood, I always model complex busy multi-track mainlines, to greatly enhance viewer interest. Using traditional "Club" type 12v DC wiring methods which are quicker than DCC, is still NOT good enough. So the only way to solve the dilemma was obviously to replicate the real life signalling Block methods of the real railway ! This I achieved back in 1975, with the aid of a then Senior British Railways signalling engineer.
So the wiring methods I use, copy exactly the British Railways Solid State Interlocking (SSI) methods for Track Circuit Block (Developed by BR in the late 1960's). Which is a system to control 3 or 4 aspect colour light signalling, and designed to cope with trains, as frequently as every two minutes on each track ! This is NOT for Metro systems but for long distance Inter-City lines, and has to cope with a mix of passenger & freight trains. It is also the system used for Europe's busiest station "Clapham Junction", where over 1000 trains either pass through or stop here every day, of which only around 5% are freight.
To replicate this real life signalling system, nothing more complicated than simple Relays are needed. A Relay is simply a number of electro-mechanical switches in one little box, controlled by an electro-magnet.
The Relays provide the real life "Interlocking". Trains moving along a line pass over "Track Circuits" in the track, which energise or switch off certain relays. Which in turn change the signals appropriately. Each signal is of course inter-connected with the next two signals along the line, via the Relays to ensure correct aspects are displayed. Further the relays also cut power to any track just ahead of any danger signal, to provide the real life AWS (train cab Automatic Warning System). So preventing sleepy operators from crashing red signals. Operators have a control panel for the relevant line or route they control, and the signals have panel repeaters, displaying what each signal currently shows. This allows the Operator to see at any moment where his train or trains are.
If a train needs to change track or route, points may need to be changed, but these will NOT change if another route has previously been set, until that train passes. The signals as per real life can be fully automatic, semi-automatic or fully manual types depending on their location, and whether any pointwork is present. But all types automatically return to red when a train passes.
The number of moving trains on the layout is limited to one train one operator, to avoid chaos. (And my current layout is designed for a maximum of 9 operators.) But the signalling system not only aids the operators by reducing mistakes, but can also cope with more than one train following another, along the same line, inline with the displays on the signals. Without any risk of a crash every occurring.
The most complex problem of using a real life signalling system & its "Interlocking" is figuring out what "Interlocking" is needed for each signal & point. The actual wiring needed is simplified by the Common Return principle whereby ALL accessories on the layout (Trains, signals, point motors, track sections, lighting of buildings etc..) return to the SAME Common wire. In other words just ONE wire completes about 45% of the whole layouts wiring. So only ONE single PLUS wire is then needed, for each item !!!!
Or only around 60% of the wiring needed by a DCC equivalent type layout.
Happy wiring😝
Marklin digital is more simple than DCC. check it out.
I like coming to your channel in that you know where the box is located and how to think outside of it
Wow Ron,
You just earned a whole new level of respect from me. I,m from Puerto Rico. Thank you for caring, on behalf of my people & myself 👍🏽
If you would like to learn more about wiring your model railroad layout, check out this video as well. https://youtu.be/eK_3xcoDXNk