# First Layout - Wiring



## avidesk (Mar 6, 2012)

I just got done laying a portion of my track, a main outer oval with a few Walthers 'DCC-Friendly' turnouts. I am waiting for my Zephyr to show up so I connected an old DC powerpack to the track using a couple wired rail joiners. There is a section of track between two turnouts that is not powered. Either I misunderstood how DCC-Friendly turnouts work, or maybe one of them is defective. If I manually touch a wire across one of the turnouts (one end on either side of the frog) the entire loop is powered. Here is a diagram of what I have:

Red is the dead area, red circle (lower left) is where I am connected to the powerpack.










Am I having issues because I am using a DC powerpack? Do I have it wired incorrectly or is there an issue with one of my turnouts? Thanks.


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## waltr (Aug 15, 2011)

Exactly which turn-outs do you have. There is a bit of variance among turn-out makers.
Most likely the turn-out rails past the frog get power from the points touching the stock rail. This, in my experience, has never been reliable. 
The best is to have power feeders to each section of track or at least jumpers across the frog area.

The issue is not your DC power pack. Power gets to each section of track the same way whether you use DC or DCC.

Do you have a multimeter? If not then do buy an one (an inexpensive one will work fine). Then use the Ohmmeter function to ensure continuity to all track sections. A multimeter will come in handy many times so its one of the basic tools when working with layouts.


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## avidesk (Mar 6, 2012)

They're the Walthers Code 83 turnouts, 2 #4s and a #5.

Yes I have a multimeter, I will take a look after work tonight. Sounds like I have some messing around to do.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Easy fix just add feeders to the dead section, For DCC you should run feeders every 3 feet or less and I also run feeders on all sides if a turnout!


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## avidesk (Mar 6, 2012)

Yes I have been reading that it is good practice to run feeders regularly, that is probably what I will do. If I can solve my problem and follow good wiring practices at the same time that sounds like the way to go.

Thanks


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## johnd603 (Mar 4, 2012)

Hi avidesk,

As a fellow newbie, you can take what I'm going to post with a grain of salt, but still working on my first layout, I can tell you that don't only follow best wiring practice, but as importantly - keep "under the table" wiring organized and well laid out. After wiring my turntable spurs, along with many of the switches and wire feeds, the underside of my table looked like a virtual "rats nest". When I had a short, it took me a long time to figure out what the heck was wrong.... And it wasn't pretty. 

I ended up disconnecting everything - headed to Radio Shack for a bunch of terminal connectors - and rewired everything. I wished I'd set out the wiring plan at the same time as my track plan.

Not sure this helps, but hope it does,

John


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

John, 
That's why it's a good idea to run a bus line and attach all the feeder to it a lot less mess! and better conductivity too!


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## johnd603 (Mar 4, 2012)

NIMT said:


> John,
> That's why it's a good idea to run a bus line and attach all the feeder to it a lot less mess! and better conductivity too!


So I learned the hard way . BTW - where were you when I thought I'd cast the whole neighborhood into blackout with my first short and rats nest wiring???? 

Ha!

Best to you!

John


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## Southern (Nov 17, 2008)

there are three turnouts on that layout. One is working and passing power. Two are not. If they are the same, and the rail joiners are good the the problem is with the two that are at the end of the powered section. On that small of a layout you should have plenty of amps, and volts to the whole track from the one feeder.

I set up my layout before anyone told me that I needed feeder to every four feet. It works fine, but my longest power "block" is only five feet.


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## avidesk (Mar 6, 2012)

Southern said:


> there are three turnouts on that layout. One is working and passing power. Two are not. If they are the same, and the rail joiners are good the the problem is with the two that are at the end of the powered section. On that small of a layout you should have plenty of amps, and volts to the whole track from the one feeder.
> 
> I set up my layout before anyone told me that I needed feeder to every four feet. It works fine, but my longest power "block" is only five feet.


Yeah once I thought about it a little bit and did some messing around last night I realized just what you said, that both of the turnouts on the right side of my image are not passing power beyond their frogs. They are all the same brand (Walthers), the two on bottom are #4s, the top is a #5. Since yesterday when I posted my original message I added another turnout immediately after the turnout shown on the top of the image, it passes power no problem. Seems to be a few randomly defective turnouts.

This might explain the great deal I got on eBay.


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## Kwikster (Feb 22, 2012)

Word of caution using a DMM. Due to the high impedance (usually 10 mega ohms) you can get a faulty result. double check using a test light. Been burnt by this before.

Carl


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## manchesterjim (Dec 30, 2011)

johnd603 said:


> Hi avidesk,
> 
> As a fellow newbie, you can take what I'm going to post with a grain of salt, but still working on my first layout, I can tell you that don't only follow best wiring practice, but as importantly - keep "under the table" wiring organized and well laid out.





NIMT said:


> John,
> That's why it's a good idea to run a bus line and attach all the feeder to it a lot less mess! and better conductivity too!


John is absolutely right! Organization under the table will help you later when something doesn't work quite right. Here are some pics:

Here's a view under one of the two yard modules, looking west. The next module down is my corner. Notice 1: The buss-lines and 2: the feeders. Also notice the terminal strip at the end of the module. I put one on each end and I purchased some 9-conductor power supply connector from all-electronics. (I'll have to get another picture of them.) They come pre-assembled with molex connectors. Male on one end and female on the other and they are about 12 inches long. I cut them in the middle and then attach to the terminal strips you see there.









This pic is a little messier. This is the joiner between the two yard modules. You'll see the first version of interconnectors I used....some Home Depot stuff that may work, but they get expensive when you buy them in the quantities that I need.









Here's a looking east down the other end of the yard. Notice the loco-net wiring. Its not tacked up yet because I've not been able to find the right staples. I'll get around to that at some point.









Two points to be taken from this. The first is that organization will make diagnostics easier for you and the second is that, should you have to dismantle the layout for moving or something like that, you'll have an easier go of it.

Jim


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

*"Spring Coil" Wire Feeders*

Very neat / nice wiring.

One suggestion, per an "eye spy" tip that I learned at the Bay State (Boston area) club open house I attended last weekend ...

Whever they have a "feeder" wire run from the under-table bus up through a hole to something on the layout, they will wrap the feeder wire around a dowel or something 20 or so times (and then remove the dowel). This turns the wired into a "coil spring", of sorts. The wire will hold its coiled shape nicely, but there's plenty of excess wire neatly "coiled" away if you ever need to service the gizmo on the top side of the layout.

I haven't tried this yet myself, but it's in my "cheat sheet" notes, now, and I thought I'd pass the idea along.

TJ


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