Will you electronic people help me with this question? I have a 1 booster HO layout with 10 detection blocks for signalling with gaps cut in both rails. Each positive rail has a #14 going back to the main wiring area where the booster, detection boards and other electronic boards are mounted. My question is can I run a #10 common bus wire to pick up all the commons of the detected blocks or do I have to run back a common for each block. I would T off the booster 25 feet each leg of the T with a 5` run to the T split.
FOr detection you usually only need to gap one rail, so you cna run a single common to all one rail . The only palce you need to gap both rails are for reverse loops, divisions between sections powered with different boosters, and divisions betwene sections powered via different circuit breaker sections.
–Randy
Also the single common doesn’t have to be larger. 14 gauge wire will do for that also.
I assume you are using current based detection. (Wire wrapped around a field magnet coil), or possibly a voltage drop (two diodes joined parallel on a board)
If this is the case, then you can use a #10 common bus for all 10 blocks. Obviously make sure the detection circuit is on the side that is gapped.
On a side note, I would personally break that into at least two breaker regions. It is likely a 10 block main will hold more than 1 train at a time.
At the club I’m helping rewire, we have a breaker for each block (12 per line) The breaker can be programmed to shut off power to a block if a train runs a red light.
Yeah as the others have sort of said but not asked, Is there a reason I am not understanding that you broke both rails instead of just one?
There would be no need to run a heavier wire to the other rail than is used on the “signaled” side.