I want to be able to easily disconnect my control panel from the layout and am looking for plug type wire connectors that will facilitate this. I have searchd model RR suppliers like Walthers, etc. but have not found what I am looking for. I have found a variety of types of plugs for single connections and multiple connection type plugs with wire already attached but not multiple connection plugs by them selves. The type of connections I am thinking of are what would normally be used on a DC layout - rail power feed (#14 gague wire), turnout control wiring, etc.
Does anyone have any suggestions for a source for these?
For high current I use Euro style terminal blocks for multiple low current connectors I use Computer connectors, DB25, DB37 & DB50. For power distribution I use buss bars/shorting blocks.
LED-Switch.com has a good selection of connectors and buss bars at pretty good prices.
I believe they go up to 12 pins. And if you build the connectors yourself, you can arrange the M’s and the F’s so that you can’t plug in the wrong ones. Although I think I’d color code them, also. Just to minimize the square plug/round hole impass.
So you could pretty much have as many wires as you want.
There was a modular layout at Timonium that had color coded connectors that you could join together side by side to have multi connector plug of various colors.
If you go with the Molex, you could use 3 12 pin plugs and one 9 pin.
They only go up to 18 ga. For the short run you are using, I don’t see any problem. And by using 18 ga., you’ll have a lot less clunky “cord”.
I would recommend getting some 18 ga. THHN stranded for the job. It’s flexible. The insulation is tough and durable. And it’s “petite”. You can tie them together with cable ties.
The question of how to wire the turnout controls is resolved fairly easily: I am going to use 20 gauge speaker wire with DB connectors. The question of how to wire the track power, however, is a bit more complex, primarily for two reasons. First, I have already run the 14 gauge solid wire so, by hook or by crook, I have to figure out a way to connect it to the panel. The second complication is that I have purchased mini-toggle switches for the block control and now notice that 18 gauge is about the largest size wire that they will accommodate.
My current thinking is to run the track power lines into molex connectors and then use 18 gauge flexible wire out of the connectors to the mini toggles - about a 2’ maxium. I have some old molex connectors that, according to the labels cannot accommodate wire larger that #18. However, I experimented using the #14 wire in the connectors and it worked fine. I don’t know why they were listed as only handling up to #18. Is there something that I as missing on this?
I should note that I plan on running an old (30+ years) Boswer Mikado steam engine with probably no more than 10 cars, and a maxium of 4% grade, so I am assuming that the wire sizes I am considering will be more than adequate.
Use #14 throughout. Layout side to molex or powerpoles. Then more #14 on the other side to go into the control panel. Inside the panel, terminante the wires with terminal strips - screw the #14 wires from the plugs to one side, and screw the #18 from the toggles to the other side. This way you cna make up the harness with plugs that gets connected to the panel side at the workbench, and also wire each toggle up at the bench before installing it in the panel.
I thought the point here was to be able to disconnect the panel from the layout. So the fact that the layout is already wired with #14 solid is really unrelated to the cables the will connect the two things.
What you do is you run all your layout wires to what folks call terminal strips but are really barrier strips. It’s placed on the layout. The ones Mel uses are pretty good. Look at his pictures.
You also run all your panel wires to another barrier strip on the panel.
Then you build an output cable from each of the two barrier strips. You put connectors on the ends.
Voila! You can disconnect the panel from the layout.
The sizes of the wires that you use for the layout and the wires that you use for the panel have nothing to do with the size you use for output cable wires. That is taken care of by the barrier strips.
You do NOT want to use solid wire for the output cables. Or jumper cables. Or whatever they’re called. You should be using something that can be bent repeatedly: stranded. I would use #18, as I said.
Henry is correct! Document your wiring, if you don’t I grantee you will regret it down the road. I label everything as well as making schematic drawings, that will help preserve your hair when “Murphy” unfixes something on your layout. “Murphy” is always lurking over your shoulder.
EDIT:
Ed is correct, I thought I could use #20 solid wire between my switches on my folding control panel and the DB connectors thinking they wouldn’t be flexing enough to break. I was wrong, I had to rewire the panel to the DB connectors using stranded #20. The DB connectors and barrier strips that are fix mounted will work OK with solid wire.
I’m the vice president of the club at Timonium that uses stackable connectors. We follow the NTRAK standard with Anderson Powerpoles. You can build color coded plugs of varied sizes and configuration. Link to a supplier was already posted. Stop by our layout at Timonium weekend of Feb 4 and 5.
Ours has PowerPoles too - RCTHS. Maybe as many colors as yours, too. While we don’t run the multiple main lines of N-Trak, we do have various auxiliary power as well as the track power run through so most any section has 4-6 pairs of wires carried through with PowerPoles on each end.
I wouldn’t worry too much about the loss of 14 gauge to 18 gauge at the connector so much. Molex type connectors are usually rated for high amps. And the distance is so short the voltage drop will be minimal.
Inside the panel I would use spade, ring, or european style
Anderson Power Poles are now standard for certain jumpers between Free-mo modules.
They are certainly neat. All those colors to choose from. I ordered a whole pile. You can build up a connector one at a time. I expect you can even have something like a 4-4-2 that won’t mate with a 3-5-3. Or something like that.
They are going to be more bulky than the Molex. And, since you build them up a pole at a time, they can disassemble. Seen it happen–irritating. Adding the special pins only stops that on one plane. Perhaps wrapping the assembly with heat shrink would help.
