# Track Wiring



## Voyagr12 (Mar 29, 2017)

I have looked extensively and haven't been able to conclusively answer this question.

On one part of my layout I will have three parallel tracks. I have my bus line running underneath this of course. The question is that is it acceptable to run one 'Primary Feeder' from the bus and then have secondary feeders from that 'Primary' to the rails. 
Or
Should I have one feeder for each rail directly from the Bus?

I will attempt to attach a pdf illustrating my two options.

Have a great day!


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

I wasn't sure what you meant by primary or secondary feeders. I think I got it now.
I know of no reason why you shouldn't run one feeder from bus and then split that
feeder into 3 feeders for your rails. Should work fine.


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## Voyagr12 (Mar 29, 2017)

Yeah, that is why I attached the pdf. Thought it may be hard to understand what I was saying. 

I had hoped that would be the response because otherwise 6 suitcase connectors in a small area seems overkill and sloppy.


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

Sometimes less is more. Good luck with your wiring.


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

You can do it either way, same difference.

Just be aware those suitcase connectors can be prone to failure.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Not trying to be flip, but looking for the "one true path" is what leads to issues like this. 

My solution, KISS ("Keep It Simple, Stupid"). Take the least complicated path, if it works, all good. In this case, one feeder connection branching to 3 tracks is fine.

But as Cycleops pointed out, I would use a terminal strip rather than suitcase connectors. A soldered connection to the main bus is your best bet.


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## mesenteria (Oct 29, 2015)

I hope I can explain myself clearly, so here goes:

You have the main bus running from the base unit's output terminals. Typically, and ideally, that only runs so far in any one direction before you begin to get voltage drop. You can minimize voltage drop by a combination of shorter distances and thicker gauge of wires comprising the bus.

For many of us, we T out from the main output terminals. We splice the first very short pair of wires into longer ones of the same gauge, but that longer set runs left and right down the length of the benchwork.

What I did on my second-ever layout was to then cut in a couple of _sub-buses_. They might as well be the same gauge if you have the wire handy, but you splice into the main buses and run your subs outward to where there might be a yard or an industry. From the sub, you cut in feeders directly to the rails overhead.

In order to avoid having a short somewhere making the base unit's detection circuitry cut off power to the entire system when it detects a hard short, you can place fuses or short controllers between the main bus and each of the subs. This way, if a train in the yard shorts, only the yard sub gets shut down, but the rest of the layout can continue to run. That's very handy when running ops sessions or when you have a buddy or grandchild (same thing, right? ) running his/her own train elsewhere on the layout...no interruptions.

How you do this depends on your experience, skills, knowledge, and comfort factor. You needn't do it at all. But if you'd like to limit any potential damage or interruptions, use this method to isolate electrically areas of the layout where the short is taking place. In my case, I used 2 amp, 12 volt, tail light bulbs soldered in series into one of the two wires comprising the sub-bus. Feeders start up to the rails on the far side of this apparatus. When a hard short takes place, metal wheel on an item bridges two rails, say near a frog, the tail light bulb will glow brightly because the full amps it wants to light up will course through it. Those two amps are very important because they limit what will go through the decoder in the locomotive that is near the short. It will give you time to stop the short or grab the loco and lift it.


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## flyboy2610 (Jan 20, 2010)

I always wrap my suitcase connectors with electrical tape. They _can't_ come open accidentally!


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## Lemonhawk (Sep 24, 2013)

terminal barrier strips or these are preferable to suitcase connectors. Easy to test with a voltmeter on a barrier strip.


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