If I want to build a ladder type yard in DC, do I have to wire each track extending from the first switch? I am basically asking that if I have 13 tracks, will I need 13 power supplies. OR, will power be supplied when the switch is thrown? Iam very ignorant of a lot of MRR terms so please make it simple to understand…Thank you.
If you’re using Atlas turnouts each track will be powered as you add the turnouts. Since you’re using DC, you may want to use insulating joiners for each siding. Not the tunouts just the sidings. That way you can put feeders with electrical switches to each one to turn the power on or off and store your locos there. BILL
If you’re not very familiar with DC MRR wiring, I’d strongly suggest that you buy Andy Sperandeo’s book. The price will be more than repaid in minimizing frustration.
reklein makes a good point. Isolating all or some of the tracks is a good idea. those tracks would require feeds but you control the power to each track with a toggle switch from your panel.
Is there a guide online how to do this, I didnt want to buy a book just to wire a yard. I know I can do it I just need a diagram. Thanks guys so far
If the turnouts aren’t “power routing”, then all the tracks will be electrified, regardless of how the turnouts are thrown. If they are “power routing”, only the track that you have the turnout thrown to will have power…so if your tracks are set to route an engine into the fourth track, only the fourth track will be getting power.
So yes you can wire it up with only one set of DC connections to the track…but it probably would work better to add feeders to each track. Turnouts aren’t 100% reliable on letting power thru. By adding more feeders you spread the power out and make for more reliable running. (I like to use “bumpers” at the ends of my yard tracks, and wire them up so power is coming from both ends of the track.)
Plus you may want to put insulated joiners on at least one or two of the tracks so that they are a separate power block, so you can run an engine into one track and turn the power off to it.
Seems like you might have other questions down the line, but suit yourself.
Yes, there is:
Check out the section on wiring (menu column on the right).
Not to talk anyone out of buying one of my books, but why not just assemble a couple turnouts into a simple ladder, hook up a powerpack, and try running an engine to see what happens? That’s what I did way back when, when all this was new to me. (For those who might be interested, ask for Easy Model Railroad Wiring, Second Edition, from Kalmbach Books, and thanks to “cuyama” for the recommendation.) – Andy
Andy beat me to it. That is what I was going to suggest. I learned a bunch in grade school when I used to just play with track in this fashion. Of course that was back when Atlas turnouts had hot frogs and fiber ties.
Alligator clip type wire jumpers are great for experiementing.
You do need a book for this, because you need to understand how and why it works as it does.
Just following a diagram won’t help when you need to troubleshoot.
You might check the book out of the library, if you don’t want to buy it.
Collecthem,
May I offer you a suggestion…
I have found that when I generate a posting and “ask the question” in the subject heading, I get answers more quickly - and from folks that are knowledgeable in that area.
I’ve asked a whole lot of questions on this forum (and answered a lot too), and this is the best way to go!
ENJOY,
Mobilman44
I would think the book would be a good investment, But I keep forgetting this IS the computer age.
When you say power supply, do you mean a seperate power pack for each track, NO, a good power pack can power a fairly large layout if you use several feeder wires to several points around the layout.
As for the yard. If it is for car storage one electrical scource is fine, but as stated above it woould be a good idea to attach wires to each track for good electrical contact. To store locomotives while others are operating on the layout, you will need to insulate each track and an electrical switch for each of those tracks.
Good luck,
Most of the time you want power to all the yard tracks. The only exception is when you want to leave a locomotive on a yard track and have it stay put while you run another locomotive on the main line. Many turnouts feed power thru to both diverging tracks all the time. Some too-clever-for-their-own-good turnouts (Peco) switch the power to the diverging route when the turnout is thrown. Trouble is, the electrical switching is done with the turnout points, which are not very reliable conductors of electricity. I wound up adding feeders to my spurs to insure they had power all the time.
Answer. lay the track. Run some trains. If you have trouble loosing power on the yard tracks, add feeder wires until the trains run dependably. If you want to turn the power off on the yrad tracks (not everyone does) put double pole switches in the feeders, and cut insulating gaps or use plastic rail joiners at the turnouts.
Sorry guys, Im old school so I meen power packs. I have also heard peoplr supply power ever 3 or four feet, how is this done? I think I will get that book also.
“Bus wire” connected to power pack terminal – several smaller drop wires fastened to bus wire in some way that conducts electricity.Drop wire soldered to track at suitable intervals.
For DC - keep straight which bus and which drop wires are the plus wires, and which are the minus wires. You don’t want to have e.g. the right rail be plus on one section and minus on the neighbouring section - that creates a short (and/or a sudden stop) when your train passes from one section to the next. Or maybe even creates a short the moment you turn on your power pack - depending on whether you have an isolation joiner or conducting joiner between the two neighbouring sections of track.
For DCC (which is not DC, but rather square wave AC) - keep straight which bus which drop wires are “A” wires and which are the “B” wires, for the same reason.
Very good call.
Grin,
Stein
All they mean is a power feeder every three or four feet. This is done by running a long wire from the power pack down along the track (called a bus). At three or four feet intervals that wire is tapped with a short wire that runs to the track. When people are talking about his they are also usually talking about DCC. Don’t worry about this at first.
For a yard normally a bus wire would be run sideways (90 degrees) to the yard track and one short wire would be tapped for the one side rail of each yard track. A second wire would run the same for the opposite rail. However, since we have no idea what type of turnouts are being used this could cause a short circuit.
One must figure out what they are dealing with first before they start worrying about common bus wires.
On a more general level, these days a power supply does not equal a power pack. A power feeder does not equal either one.