# Oh oh - Wiring track - Not good



## Thlorian (Jan 10, 2017)

:goofball:
Well I'm reading "Building a Model Railroad Step By Step - Second Edition" by Model Railroader Books and getting excited about finally learning about this hobby. My mind was wandering off to different layout plans, eras to model, scenery to tackle, and trains to run. All was great . . until hell came . . . the chapter on wiring track! Uh what? Totally lost here and second guessing if this is what I am going to do - that's not good!! Frogs, huh? Solder wire to wire rails huh? This chapter not only has me lost and frustrated but there is NO WAY it is written for an absolute beginner - NO WAY! I was under the impression that a DCC set-up was like a DC set-up in that you just hooked up a couple of wires here and there and you are good to go. Obviously that is not the case. So any ideas on how to get through this? Or a CHEAP/FREE ABSOLUTE 100% beginners guide to wiring track starting with the definition of track? :dunno:


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## Mark VerMurlen (Aug 15, 2015)

How complex the wiring for a layout gets is dependent on the layout and if you're trying to do anything fancy, like train detection or reversing sections. If you have just a basic oval or two, it can be as simple as just a pair of wires for both DC and DCC.

Many people go a step beyond just a pair of wires and do what's called a "bus". All a bus does is carry power around the layout underneath the track so that you don't have to rely on the rails and joiners to carry all the power. You periodically have a connection from the bus to the track. All this does is increase the robustness of your layout.

Most people avoid turnouts with "live" frogs with all the complexity that they incur. Most locomotives run just fine without "live" frogs, so as a beginner, its best to just not use them.

Lots of people here can help you with the wiring. My suggestion would be to post a picture of your track plan and ask for some suggestions for how to wire it.

Mark


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## irontodd (Aug 28, 2014)

http://www.atlasrr.com/wiring.htm has some very basic info, though it is focused on DC. You don't "have" to solder wires, there are terminal tracks which you can still use with DCC, or these things called terminal joiners thatt let you hide the electrical connections under the rails, no soldering required. Typically DCC requires less complicated wiring than DC does, depending on your track plan. If you have an idea of what your track plan is going to look like, the good folks here can help you determine what extras are needed. 

Note that insulated (plastic) frog (where the 2 tracks come together to a point in a turnout) [think Atlas, Bachmann, or "Peco Insulfrog"] turnouts are easier to wire up than metal/electrified frogs like Peco brand Electrofrog turnouts.

Eastern Plains - Holyoke, Idalia and Towner (EPHIT) Branch build thread http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=102266


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## tr1 (Mar 9, 2013)

*wiring job? Check out Alan Gartner's web page on DCCwiring?*



Thlorian said:


> :goofball:
> Well I'm reading "Building a Model Railroad Step By Step - Second Edition" by Model Railroader Books and getting excited about finally learning about this hobby. My mind was wandering off to different layout plans, eras to model, scenery to tackle, and trains to run. All was great . . until hell came . . . the chapter on wiring track! Uh what? Totally lost here and second guessing if this is what I am going to do - that's not good!! Frogs, huh? Solder wire to wire rails huh? This chapter not only has me lost and frustrated but there is NO WAY it is written for an absolute beginner - NO WAY! I was under the impression that a DCC set-up was like a DC set-up in that you just hooked up a couple of wires here and there and you are good to go. Obviously that is not the case. So any ideas on how to get through this? Or a CHEAP/FREE ABSOLUTE 100% beginners guide to wiring track starting with the definition of track? :dunno:


 You might want to reference Alan
Gartner's DCC web page on DCC wiring for HO train layouts.
Good luck there now!
Regard's,tr1


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## tr1 (Mar 9, 2013)

*Wiring upgrades?*

I feel and understand your frustration on wiring up your layout. When I first started out.DCC was not an option at the time. So I wired up my layout for single engine operation.Per variable dcv power supply.(18AWG)
Now, the times have changed.And I want to upgrade to DCC. So now I must rewire my previous wire job >which included single engine operation per mainline.I have a double mainline figure eight along with a small yard, & possible passenger service along with freight service.
Initially it was wired up with AWG18 for (single engine operation). It is now my understanding, I should
add a bus that follows the rails underneath the~ 3/8" plywood and cork road bed.So.....I'll be able to add additional drop wires of 18 American wire gauge (AWG) size.
After referencing Alan Gartners web page regarding DCC wiring. I believe he recommended these drop-wire lengths to not to exceed ~6 to 8 inches in length. 
the colors will be per NMRA standards. I'm thinking the main bus wire gauge will be ~10 AWG for undoubtedly future expansion of around the walls double mainline extensions. :dunno:


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## Mark VerMurlen (Aug 15, 2015)

tr1 said:


> I want to upgrade to DCC. So now I must rewire my previous wire job >which included single engine operation per mainline.I have a double mainline figure eight along with a small yard, & possible passenger service along with freight service.


Do you have just one DC throttle now or two? If you have just one, you should be able to simply swap your current DC throttle with a DCC controller and you should be good to go. If you have two throttles, I assume you have a switchboard to switch certain portions of the tracks from one throttle to the other. The switchboard for selecting throttles will no longer be necessary. You should still be able to use some or much of the wiring you have. You could just remove both DC throttles and put the DCC controller in place of one of the DC throttles and leave the other unconnected. Then just throw your switches to use the DCC controller.

I think that people are going way overboard with the gauge wire they're using for a bus. Size 10 AGW wire is way overkill. Most people's houses with 115 VAC and 15 amp circuits don't use that heavy of wire. I think that 14 AWG is more than enough for your bus. Copper wire is very expensive these days and people shouldn't be paying high prices for wire that makes no difference.

Mark


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## Lemonhawk (Sep 24, 2013)

TR1, if your layout worked on DC then you do not need to rewire much of anything to convert it to DCC. If your currently using a single power pack, just disconnect the wires that go to the track from the DC power pack and connect them to the DCC track outputs. Unless you have 400' of track or more I would never use 10 AWG wire, that's really overkill. I use 16 AWG wire for the "bus" wire and 22 gauge for the short "drop" from the track to the "bus" and easily run 3 sound locs. Using 12 or 14 gauge wire is an advantage cost wise as you can use house wiring, but that solid copper wire can be difficult to use compared to stranded wire. As people said, a picture or diagram of your layout would help us to help you. Most people way over spec there wiring.


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Thlorian

You have been 'victimized' by an excess of 
knowledge.

As you have discovered, the published materials on model railroad wiring
can be presented in such a way that it all looks
like only a rocket scientist could build it. 

As mentioned, some of what you have read applies
to huge layouts with some very extensive and
complex track plans.

Most layouts are not that way.

Here is all you need to know:

You have a DCC controller or DC power pack that
will provide the juice for your layout.

You will need a PAIR of wires to connect that device
to your track. THAT IS ALL there is for a simple oval of track.

But, perhaps, you want a larger track plan. When the track
goes a distance it can lose power. Line loss. To avoid
that you use your PAIR of wires as a BUSS. You connect
wires from the track to this buss every 6 feet or so.
Nothing complicated there.

Turnouts don't usually require complicated wiring.
To move the points you have a 'motor'. It needs
a common wire, plus a red and a green. The color
wires determine whether the points are straight or
divert. You have available commercial controls for
them but most of use use ordinary push buttons from
Radio Shack.

The other mentions of wires around turnouts is
related to the type of FROG they have. The Frog
is where the diverting rail crosses through the straight
rail. Electrically, that would be s short circuit but many
frogs are plastic and thus no problem.

That's just about all you need to get a small layout
going. 

However, you will have to realize that a model railroad
does operate with electricity. You should have a little
cheap multimeter (free often at Harbor freight). This
simple device tells you if you have a good connection or not.

And, electric wires must be connected to devices. This
is best done using solder. A small 25 watt soldering iron
costs around 20.00. It is easy to use and with just a few
minutes practice and you are are a pro.

And, lastly, here on the Forum you've got a team of model railroaders with
decades of experience in all phases of the hobby. You
can use these guys to guide you in all that you do as you
build your layout.

Don


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## Thlorian (Jan 10, 2017)

Mark VerMurlen said:


> Do you have just one DC throttle now or two? If you have just one, you should be able to simply swap your current DC throttle with a DCC controller and you should be good to go. If you have two throttles, I assume you have a switchboard to switch certain portions of the tracks from one throttle to the other. The switchboard for selecting throttles will no longer be necessary. You should still be able to use some or much of the wiring you have. You could just remove both DC throttles and put the DCC controller in place of one of the DC throttles and leave the other unconnected. Then just throw your switches to use the DCC controller.
> 
> I think that people are going way overboard with the gauge wire they're using for a bus. Size 10 AGW wire is way overkill. Most people's houses with 115 VAC and 15 amp circuits don't use that heavy of wire. I think that 14 AWG is more than enough for your bus. Copper wire is very expensive these days and people shouldn't be paying high prices for wire that makes no difference.
> 
> Mark


Hello Mark, I am a complete newbie and have nothing built yet. Learning phase is going on right now. I will be purchading a DCC system once ready but need to know how to use it and set it up and that won't happen until i understand what needs to be wired and how. There has to be something out there that starts with the abc's on wiring track.


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## Thlorian (Jan 10, 2017)

DonR said:


> Thlorian
> 
> You have been 'victimized' by an excess of
> knowledge.
> ...


Thanks Don! This helps but sadly I ask what exactly are points?


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## MtRR75 (Nov 27, 2013)

Thlorian said:


> Thanks Don! This helps but sadly I ask what exactly are points?


Don't be sad. All of us started out at some point in our lives knowing nothing about model trains. Just keep asking.

The points are the moving parts of the rails that divert the train to one pathway or the other. See diagram below for some other names for parts of turnouts


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## irontodd (Aug 28, 2014)

Thanks for posting that pic mtrr75 I for The life of me couldn't remember The name of the closure rails the other night

Eastern Plains - Holyoke, Idalia and Towner (EPHIT) Branch build thread http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=102266


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## Thlorian (Jan 10, 2017)

MtRR75 said:


> Don't be sad. All of us started out at some point in our lives knowing nothing about model trains. Just keep asking.
> 
> The points are the moving parts of the rails that divert the train to one pathway or the other. See diagram below for some other names for parts of turnouts
> 
> View attachment 271186


Thanks!


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## flyboy2610 (Jan 20, 2010)

They are called points because the ends are pointy!


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## flyboy2610 (Jan 20, 2010)

Wiring a railroad layout isn't really too hard. For your power bus, use two 14-16 gauge wires of different colors. I use red and white, but you can use any two colors you choose. These wires run along the bottom of your layout, below the benchwork. You can drill holes in your benchwork frame, or use screw eyes to support the wires. Twist them together periodically to help eliminate electrical interference. Run them along the bottom of the layout in the same pattern as your layout. Every few feet, drill a hole through your layout top and drop a 12" length of wire to the bus. Use a light gauge wire for this, 20-22 works well. It is helpful to use the same colors as you used for your bus, this helps prevent creating a short circuit. Your DCC system will have diagram telling you which wire from the system should go to which wire on the bus.
I'll use my own layout as an example. I use red and white 14 gauge wire for my bus, and I use red and white 18 gauge wire for my feeder drops. 18 gauge is a bit thick for this, but it's what I could find in red and white. It's actually 18 gauge doorbell wire from Menard's. For a simple layout, which is probably what yours will be as a first time layout, use suitcase connectors to connect the feeders to the bus. Suitcase connector are those plastic rectangular ones with a metal clip in the center and a cover that snaps over the connector when it's closed. Your bus wire goes through the open side and your feeder goes in the side that's blocked off in the center. Use a pair of pliers and squeeze the clip down into place. This makes the connection between the two wires. Snap the cover closed, and I always wrap a short piece of electrical tape over the cover to make sure it can't come open.
The thing you want to be sure of is that only wires of the same color are connected together: red to red, white to white. Red to white will cause a short circuit and the breaker in your DCC system will trip. 
On my layout, I use the memory aid "Red is right." What that means is that the right side of a forward facing locomotive will always be on a rail powered by a red wire. Traffic on my layout is clockwise, left to right. 
Do not be daunted by the prospect of wiring. It's pretty easy once you understand the basic concept.
As Richard Simmons would say: "You can *DO* this, baby! I have *faith* in you!"
:smilie_daumenpos: :smilie_daumenpos: :smilie_daumenpos:


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

There is a learning curve to this hobby, as there is with anything else that is worth doing. Even something written for, as it were, the absolute beginner is going to assume some basic familiarity with railroading terms. Stopping to define every single term within the text would make it unreadable. That's why the first thing I do on something like that is to read and re-read the glossary until I have some basic familiarity with the terminology. But it happens to everyone, and it's no shame. I'm not familiar with the book you're reading, but I have Kalmbach's "Introduction to Model Railroading", and it's pretty straightforward.

Don't be frustrated by wiring questions. This is something of a pet peeve of mine. Because electrical gremlins are probably the number one bugaboo that causes beginners to leave the hobby in frustration, everyone tries to overengineer wiring to make sure this doesn't happen. The end result of this, as you've seen, is that beginners get frustrated with all the wiring instructions.

Forget it. At it's most basic level, all you have to do to make your layout run is connect a wire from one output terminal of your transformer or DCC control station to one rail of your track, and a second wire from the other output terminal to the other rail. Period. Done. My son is running an 8x12 layout in DCC with no more than this (and AWG 22 wires, to boot). Everything else, and I do mean everything else, is insurance against or corrections for those electrical bugaboos.

Hook up your track as I describe above. Especially if you have a simple, beginner type layout, it will probably work just fine. If so, you're done, and you may never have to do anything else.

If this doesn't work, or you experience unacceptable slowdowns or stalls, then you may have to do more, but don't kill yourself trying to deal with soldered rail joiners, blocks, bus wires, feeders, powered frogs, reversing loops, crossovers, and so on unless you have to.

On the other hand, don't let these topics strike terror into your heart, or explode your brain with confusion, either. If you don't understand it, work it out, and you will get there. The other basic wiring books from Kalmbach do a very good job of walking you through this stuff in easily digestible steps, and you will start to appreciate why some of the things I listed above are "best practices", but even then they can be overdone.


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## Big Blue (Jan 25, 2017)

*Just getting started with HO!*

Great advice. Am starting to move from O to HO and hoping to start witha DCC system.


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## RonthePirate (Sep 9, 2015)

Hey, welcome to the MTF forums, BigBlue!

One thing I found out TAKE YOUR TIME!
Long story short (haha, pun) I wanted to get my layout running!
So I hurried on the wiring. Big mistake.
A week later, I had smoke coming out from under the table.
A badly taped connection had come apart, and was touching a ground.
I had about two feet of melted insulation.

Again, the moral is: TAKE YOUR TIME! I now have a 20 amp circuit breaker on the main harness.
And this time it was wired slowly and thoughtfully.
No smoke now for at least 6 months.


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