Wiring

[RI541]

I was just thinking that there doesn't seem to be alot of talk about wiring.

I have found that a 100' extention cord for a telephone provides me with four wires neatly rapped. I started useing it for my switches as the wires are red,black,green and yellow.

The first section of my layout was done with your basic Atlas switches with the red,black and green wires, With 17 switches in the area and all the power feeds to the blocks it looked like a jungle.The phone cord realy cleaned things up.

The added benifit is that you can connect the three wires at one end then connect ithem to your switch at the other running just one wire under the table,and thier color coded correctly so you can't cross your wires.

Now I've got to clean up the power feeds.

Compared to the price of hobby shop wire the phone wire is cheaper and neater.

Shane

 

[kf4jqd]

Hi Shane:

Greetings from the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee! (Visiting my parents and using THEIR computer )

I see you are using telephone wire. That's great! Last winter I posted using telephone wire because it is neat and cheap! I use 8 conductor telephone wire that I baught at Wal-Mart. You can't beat 100 feet of wire for under $10!!!

Here's what I do if I only need a conductor or 2. I will cut about a 12 foot section. I then will strip the out insulation off. The wire that I use are wrapped in bundles of 2. I just pull them apart!

I agree with you about using them on electro-mechanical turn outs. THEY WORK GREAT! I also use this wire for signal lights. Plus bring power to my lighting blocks that I have position around my table.

I highly recommend using this wire for these things.

Andy

 

[Matthyro]

Yes it is good for many things but for track power like a walk around throttle such as MRC's Contolmaster 20 or DCC then you need a much heavier gauge wire to carry power to the tracks

 

[RI541]

I'm using 22 gauge stranded wire for power to the rails.I like to make sure I've gut the power when I need it

Shane