Hey guys,
Can anyone here recomend me a good toy train wiring book? I have gone long enough without really knowing what im doing. Im looking for a good book that goes from the very basics, such as terminology of what the diffrence between amps and watts are, to more advance toy train wiring techniques.
Does anyone have a book that they highly recomend??? Its time i learned this stuff for myself as i am looking to build a small layout at one point in the future.
I have found this website quite useful.
http://www.wiringfordcc.com/wirefordcc_toc.htm
Peter Riddle, Wiring Your Lionel Layout Vols 1 and 2. These are often available at local Public Libraries. Only complaint/issue is these are tailored to wiring conventional control and do not address issues related to modern command control layouts, specifically the star wiring often required for DCS and they do not really address power distribution issues as it applies to TMCC (books covers Block Power issues related to conventional control quite well but command environment is a little different).
Hmmmm, yeah, im looking for something that covers the command aspect of everything a little better, and after his last article in CTT im a little yeary on reading anything involving command control from Pete Riddle.
I dont have anything conventional that i run really, and when i do start collecting a few postwar childhood favorites i plan on running them on a basic lop with no advanced operations
To be fair to the author, that article was very atypical. Most of his work is hallmarked by common sense, great illustrations, and a writing prose that is easy to understand. The basic principals layed out in his earlier work is still valid and a good starting point for principals of basic electricity. Some of the newer books do a better job on more advanced electronics but seem to gloss over the basics.
Biggest problem conceptually has been when users try to apply Post War techniques to modern digital command control systems. Older layouts could be viewed as giant analog plug board computers with the insulated rails/wheel sets and relays/thermal trips as the hard wired logic to control the trains and layout. Modern command control does this things in a different fashion.
Peter Riddle also made wiring your layout volume 3. I have all 3 volumes,. very useful. Also, any new books coming out about wiring that are advertised in CTT are good too. I still dont understand how use relays and all, but I will get there…
Mark
I believe the Riddle books were largely incorporated into a single volume, and I’m not sure if any of the three previous books are even in print. I believe his third volume covered TMCC, but I think the first three vols were prior to DCS being released.
Third volume has a basic intro to TMCC, but it mainly deals with things like replacing mechanical E-Units with electronic, adding sound systems, and how to install the early QSI control/sound system (of which PS-1 was an early off shoot), detector systems and advanced non command control, and wiring catenary. Vol 3 is well written but skips the basics.
is this the newer combined book that you guys are talking about???
Yes!!!
Okay, and you guys say its pretty good then huh???
I think im gonna put it on my christmas list for my wife to get me … LOL
Check to see if its at the local library. I checked out the original Vol 1 and 2 so many times they were thinking of letting me keep them 