Wire Gauge Standards for Model Train Layouts

For most layouts, and most scales, Number 14 stranded wire will work best for your bus. If you have a very long run, you may want to consider Number 12 wire. Smaller layouts (a typical 4 foot by 8 foot being a good example) can usually get by with Number 16 since the length of the run from the power supply to the track is never more than a few feet.

Yes, the train will still run if you reverse the wire connections, but this distinction is important if you want to build a large layout without headaches. The variable-voltage terminal represents the “hot” side of the circuit. It should be connected to the center rail.

How to install feeder wires for a model train layout. It is a simple process that dose not take make much time and makes your layout run much better. If you have any request for a video or have ...

Related video: Wiring a Model Railroad Track. On large layouts, I’ve used buss wire up to 12-gauge (stranded for easier installation) and down to 22-gauge solid wire track feeders that solder to the outside of the rail, hardly seen. That includes the code 55 rail that I use for my Sn3 trackage.

Simple or complex Cab control wiring can be as simple as fig. 2, or it can utilize many more blocks and power packs to let additional operators connect to a specific group of blocks on a large layout.The complex, color-coded control panel shown in fig. 3 operates three different staging yards on Jim Hediger’s Ohio Southern. Cab control of model railroads has been around for decades, and that ...

Model railroads have different scales. Scale is the size of the train and the track that the train is moving on. The most common scale for a model train is called "HO," with 0.14 inch on the model representing one foot in the real world. Wiring will need to be done after you have laid or set the track in ...

Speaking of short circuits in DCC model railroad wiring, some people do recommend that if you have a large layout, you should create 2 or more electrically separate regions of the layout and connect them to circuit breakers, such that if you do get a short circuit somewhere in one region, it will automatically break the circuit to that region only and won’t effect other areas of the layout.

If the design of your layout allows for some shortcuts, keeping the wire bus shorter can provide power and cost savings. Smaller feeder wires connect the bus to the rails at regular intervals. Bus wiring is also a key step if you plan to run more than one train on your railroad at a time, no matter what system you choose.

Summary: Wiring a large layout for DCC requires planning, but is not difficult. This article deals with large permanent layouts, for other types of layout refer to: Main article: Wiring Your Layout