# layout wire



## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

Where do you get your layout wire? What gauge is used for general wiring? Who offers wire with three colors together,red,yellow,green for turnouts?
I see reels of wire ,50 feet,at $6.99 and 9.95 at Trainworld and Atlas respectivly. Is there any cheaper place? Pete


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I find that surplus wire is normally a lot cheaper. Look for places that sell used stuff, many times they have rolls of wire from a teardown.


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## brylerjunction (Aug 8, 2011)

norgale said:


> Where do you get your layout wire? What gauge is used for general wiring? Who offers wire with three colors together,red,yellow,green for turnouts?
> I see reels of wire ,50 feet,at $6.99 and 9.95 at Trainworld and Atlas respectivly. Is there any cheaper place? Pete


Pete if you want the atlas stuff let me know I can get you a good price just let me know how many spools you need.


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## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

Atlas is fine. Sent you a PM. Do you sell any LED's and the resistors for them? Pete


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## brylerjunction (Aug 8, 2011)

norgale said:


> Atlas is fine. Sent you a PM. Do you sell any LED's and the resistors for them? Pete


I got it and will reply in a bit..I dont do LED's or resistors YET, I need to learn more about the different types before I make that plunge, I know that I have been asked several times at the shows by my regular customers to carry them


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## Davidfd85 (Jul 4, 2011)

For all my feeder wires I just go to Radio Shack and pick up a roll of telephone wire, 4 pair, strip it apart and have different colors


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## Southern (Nov 17, 2008)

Joe sent me some wire, and I got two rolls one red and one green 14 gage at a garage sale. I keep a list in my head of what I need for trains and am always on the look out for the best price.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

I have 20,000+ LEDs and 20,000+ of the resistors.
What colors and what sizes do you need?


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## Southern (Nov 17, 2008)

NIMT said:


> I have 20,000+ LEDs and 20,000+ of the resistors.
> What colors and what sizes do you need?


 
I will send you a list.


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## Carl (Feb 19, 2012)

Telephone wire goes a long way....I would suggest that each telephone wire be marked. I leaned the hard way and had to use a 9 volt battery to determine which wire was which. What a nightmare.


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## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

Telephone wire is great and it's the right size but the colors don't match anything that is model RR equipment. If you can get enough of the same colors then once you work with it for awhile you can remember the colors and what they go to. I'm trying to keep the colors the same as what comes with the equipment. Light speaker wire is good too but there again the colors are all wrong. With all the wiring that will go into this new BGC layout it's important to be able to tell what wire does what by it's color from under the table. Just makes things a lot simpler I think especially since I don't know what I'm doin anyway. HA! Pete


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## Gansett (Apr 8, 2011)

I just looked at Radio shack, isn't 26 guage a tad light?
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2049729

Lowes carries this.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_167105-295-56750023_0__?Ntt=southwire+20+guage&productId=3369292&rpp=48

Or you can check out these people.
http://www.delcity.net/store/Wire-&-Cable/


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## Carl (Feb 19, 2012)

On the current layout, I have used wire from Radio Shack and Beldon and from AT&T (AT&T) has cabling that comes in many color designations (the AT&T repair guy is a great source). To solve the color issues with telephone wires if used wire diagrams that I make up on a piece of paper showing the colors of the wires and wire they go.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

For powering stuff like LED's and individual building lighting, you can power it with almost any size wire, they draw very little current.


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## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

JackC said:


> I just looked at Radio shack, isn't 26 guage a tad light?
> http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2049729
> 
> Lowes carries this.
> ...


I'll go to RS and see what this looks like. It is the right color code for my layout and the black wire is good too. $14 is a good price if it isn't too light. I hate to order wire from someplace and pay the fright for copper. It's heavy. Need to get the wire locally if I can. Pete


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## sstlaure (Oct 12, 2010)

I buy my wire in rolls from Lowes or Home Depot.


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## Davidfd85 (Jul 4, 2011)

depending on the phone wire, how many pairs are in it will set the colors. The one I used the most had red, green, yellow and black- two pair, in four pair, the wires will be color and white striped and include blue and orange also. I have used both kinds. I don't leave the wires in the casing I cut it open and seperate the wires and have not had any problems keeping them seperate.


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## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

I didn't know that David. I'll check on the wire I have at the store and see if any is the two pair type. Those are just the colors I need. Thanks for the tip. Pete


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## manchesterjim (Dec 30, 2011)

Davidfd85 said:


> depending on the phone wire, how many pairs are in it will set the colors. The one I used the most had red, green, yellow and black- two pair, in four pair, the wires will be color and white striped and include blue and orange also. I have used both kinds. I don't leave the wires in the casing I cut it open and seperate the wires and have not had any problems keeping them seperate.


Standard Telephone extension wire is usually Red, Green,Black, Yellow...

CAT5 and CAT6 (Computer network wire) is 4 pair (each pair twisted) of wire as David describes....Blue/Blue white; Orange/Orange white; Green/Green white; Brown/Brown white. When I need it for train work, I stick with CAT5....its a bit narrower, easier to work with and less expensive

For Loco-net wire I use 6 conductor flat usually comes with a silver jacket









Most of my wire is purchased through a company called All Electronics, its the best for pricing on communications wire in the quantities that I use, and I don't have to live with the Home Depot/Lowes "compromise" when they don't have exactly what I need.

Here's a link to the All Electronics bulk wire page

Jim


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## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

That's great Jim and thanks for the link. Looks like they have just about everything you can imagine for electronics. I think I have a box of telephone extention wire and a box of the computer wire somewhere in my storage unit. I've had it for years and just would never throw it out.Forgot all about it till now. I'll go see if I can find it today. Thanks again. Pete


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## manchesterjim (Dec 30, 2011)

norgale said:


> That's great Jim and thanks for the link. Looks like they have just about everything you can imagine for electronics. I think I have a box of telephone extention wire and a box of the computer wire somewhere in my storage unit. I've had it for years and just would never throw it out.Forgot all about it till now. I'll go see if I can find it today. Thanks again. Pete


You're welcome Pete!

I find that the CAT5 stuff is good for signaling and block detector wire...but its a little tough to work with because the copper is solid conductor, not stranded, so its not as flexible. That's not necessarily a bad thing....its just that its not meant for installations where there's a lot of movement on the wire. (I say this for the benefit of those who don't use the stuff regularly!).

Jim


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## Swhite503 (May 14, 2012)

I'm using thermostat wire. It's 18 g 8 wire color coded. It's solid
wire and a little stiff but works ok. 

Steve


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## manchesterjim (Dec 30, 2011)

Swhite503 said:


> I'm using thermostat wire. It's 18 g 8 wire color coded. It's solid
> wire and a little stiff but works ok.
> 
> Steve


Another good choice!


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## snaker (Aug 25, 2012)

you also can pick up bell wire cable 50-100 pair at a demolition place you can also find lots
of neat stuff 
snaker
jake


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