22 guage wire ok for feeders

[basementdweller]

I am using HO scale, DCC. I was using 20 guage for my track feeders and now I need more wire. I have plenty of 22 guage solid wire, will this be heavy enough? I have been running a feeder to each piece of flex track.
Thanks

 

[Clerk]

I use 22 gauge to some of my spurs and it works ok.

 

[engineshop]

The guy in my electronic shop told me that I could run two wires parallel to get the effect of using a thicker wire.
Roland
www.engineshop.org

 

[davidstrains]

I used #22 for feeders on my layout - about 200+ ft - every other section of track and it seems to work fine.

 

[Gary Pfeil]

#22 is fine for feeders, assuming you are only using it from the rail down to a bus wire below the roadbed, say no longer than 6". Particularly if you have feeders frequently, I like to feed every rail tho that may be overkill. Voltage drop over short lengths will be insignificant. Your bus wire should be heavy, I use 14 gauge.

Gary

 

[Russ Bellinis]

Particularly if you have feeders frequently, I like to feed every rail tho that may be overkill.
Gary

Actually it isn't overkill. You don't have to have a voltage drop to need frequent drops. If you don't have a feeder soldered to every section of rail, you are asking a rail joiner to carry the power from one rail section to another. Rail joiners make mechanical connections, but are lousy electrical connectors. If you use a feeder drop for every rail, you'll have good reliable power for the entire layout.

 

[Gary Pfeil]

All too true Russ, and the reason I feed each rail. But sometimes I'll solder a feed to a joiner which is in turn soldered to both rails it joins. In that case you can have feeders every other joint, leaving the other joints unsoldered.

Gary