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Track Wiring Solutions
Karl (a new member to model trains and the Online Model Train Club) asks:
“Does anyone have an suggestions for keeping under-benchwork wiring organized and tidy. I am just starting off in HO and am worried I’m going to end up with a confusing mess below the surface. Any suggestions appreciated?”
9 Responses to Track Wiring Solutions
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Very nice layout looking forward to add mine
The best way to keep wiring tidy is to use either plastic conduit saddles or those plastic loop (used to hold cables or small pipes etc. Have them large enough to add wires to.
Screw them to the under side of the lay-out (carefull not to go through).
Feed wires through these loops as you go.
Now I keep my bus wires and lighting wires separate .
This stops interferance from one to the other, and also makes it easier to trace when things go wrong – as they do.
If you need ot want two or more power supplies to the extras, run each on their own. Again makes for easier tacing.
Cheers Derek.
Clips that electricians use to hold wires together or plastic cable ties to keep wiring together against the baseboard and colour coding or taped labels for your wires will help you trace them if there is a fault.
Robert
The statement by Mr Robert Morey about color coding is really important. I used a lot of “sprinkler cable with 8 conductors in side each wire (conductor is color coded but I forgot to code the ends of the cables. Trust me when you have a problem, or in my case wanted to move a few turn outs with more then seven cable coming into my control box I had to figure out which cable was which. Color code the ends of the cables (both ends). and make your self a sketch or list of which cable (and color) goes to what.
Use plastic zip ties or plastic loops with holes at the end so u can mount them into the plywood.
if you will have multiple isolated blocks and/or independent loops of track, consider wiring each loop separately using 16-2 wire. and color code each independent loop with colored tape. Wire the 16-2 to individual terminals on your Transformer so you can control each one independently. ie. Loop A = Red tape, Loop B = Green tap, etc. Use 20-2 to drop down to each corresponding 16-2 loop to power your track sections. Use a similar wiring setup for all your building lights, one for all your turnouts. another for your operating accessories, etc. Use zip ties and electrical clips for neatness,
This way, when you add, modify, or troubleshoot, you can quickly trace back via the color coded 16-2 that feeds the particular section.
All of the above mentioned suggestions of bunching your cables by function and color coding and labeling them are really good ideas to follow, but there is one other suggestion that they have not mentioned that is important in it’s own right. That is of providing strain relief loops at each point that the wiring is secured to the underside of your layout. The relief loops provide flexibility for the wires and allows you extra wire length when you need to add a new connection.
A lot of times, people miss this idea and end-up rewiring a portion of their layout, just to add another connection because their old wiring came up short after their new connection is made. The strain relief loops do not have to be too large. My loops are large enough to allow me to put two fingers in them. This allows me room to add new connections to the wires on either side of the loops.
My large main feed wires under the layout are color coded and the track wiring down thru are like color coded and all track wiring kept neat in one grouping. All my wiring for lighting is also kept color coded as to purpose and +/- ie: building lighting, street lighting, special accessories. Switch wiring is the same . . all separated and color coded in like groups. Every one of the above replies are valid and especially R. Olivarez’s as all my wiring is held in place by straps and my wiring would sag about 6″ without them. makes it easy to work on any one area by removing the strap and having work room.
try not too use too much wiring where it is not necessary e.g. look at house light wiring all are looped together on negative wire but positive runs thru switches which would be on your control panel to turn on different accessories and or isolate track the best method would be to have a continuous negative wire loop for track and one for accessories back to the power source then run out your positive wires from control panel switches to various points (remember to ensure there is extra pick up points around your track to ensure continuous power to track if running a single continuous track or to blocks if isolating sections remembering that negative is continuous and not broken, only positive which is controlled back at the switches of your control panel, this keeps the need for wires to a minimum for negative which may only require 3 wires e.g. 1 for track 1 for lights 1 for accessories/switches ) you could also look at feeding wires through holes drilled in your base board supports with a small amount of droop between each for stretch or any of the methods above depending on cost for you, all lights, track and accessories would be connected to main bus or feeder wires by droppers from layout above with only separate wires needed for individual switches and possibly crossing arms and do remember to use one colour for one use only eg negative green , light yellow, track red, switch blue etc
well that’s my take on it hope it was helpful and not too many disagree with my points which ever method works for you have fun and remember the best layout comes from good planning for wiring as well as track and scenery so draw a plan of where wires are to go as well and it will help you keep it to a minimum when complete
keep trackin
Allan