I like the Atlas controllers that I saw in this thread but I kept it simple. I have 2 CW-80s. I’ve built one switch “panel” so far by getting a 4 place gang box, coverplate and simple on/off switches (wall switch) from Lowes. 10-12 bucks. To show off I mounted RCA type female jacks on the front and side 1 on the side for power in 4 on the front for power out. I have an extended oval with a very long siding, with folded over figure 8 inside, 2 switches for transfering between.
Works OK for the size of the layout, gangbox is a bit bulky but the layout is in the open and younger kids can play with it. If you get double pole switches you could tap off auxialary power and and hook up mini light bulbs to also indicate which is powered though the switches are large enough to tell from a glance.
I run one CW through the gang box for the outer loop, the siding and the parallel mainline, blocked after the switch, the back straight and the last switch goes to an ON/OFF/ON which lets me control which CW powers the crossover section. The second CW handles the inner over and under (needs it, too).
I have the parts to make one more, I will do so for my next layout but will go to smaller switches after that.
You didn’t mention what kind of track you have, I’m using Fastrack roght now, plenty of connectros under the road bed, you’ll need 18 gauge slip on conenctors. Otherwise you need lockons or yes, solder to the bottom, which is what has been suggested for my SuperSnap.
As I understand it the “buss” wire is connected to the outside rails. I didn’t run enough (lessons learned from this first go around), you probably want to run that one all under the track and bring it up every few feet and one line back to the black or common terminal…
At a minimum you need one center rail wire for each block, depending on length, two or more would be better. You’re creating a kind of buss for each block. What I would do, run the
Strictly speaking, you should use 14 AWG for everything that is protected by a 15-ampere breaker, including the lamps. However, it is less of a sin to cheat on the wire size to the lamps, since an overcurrent there is much less likely than in the track circuit.
Bob two questions if I may. I know you’ve explained installing a 15-ampere breaker a hundred times, can you set me on the path one more time. There is an Oreilys and an Adavanced Auto Parts in town and I believe you said you can get them at an auto parts store. As far as installing it, is it pretty easy? For my track power I go to a terminal strip from the transformer than branch out to the differen blocks, does it go between the transformer and the terminal srtip or somewhere else?
Secondly your opinion on how many track switches can be used off a single terminal. I have three O-22s going to the B terminal and two O-72s going to the C all on fixed voltage plugs. Will it be ok to combine them to one terminal so I can free the C or B to handle the operating accessories I currently have and open up the other throttle to follow your suggestion of handling another train?
I only wanted to use th ZW for track and switches but confused myself in introducing another transformer to handle the accessories that use the inulated track to operate so I just used the open throttle. Hope I made sense. Thanks again.
A circuit breaker goes between your supply and the load that you want to protect from overcurrent. So, if you wire a transformer terminal (A, for example) to one terminal of a 15-ampere circuit breaker and then all your track feeders, whether directly or from a terminal strip, to the other terminal, all the wiring connected to that second terminal is protected at 15 amperes.
Except for the instant when you throw it, the only current drawn by an 022 is by the lamps, in both the turnout and the controller. So you can figure out what that load is just by adding up the currents drawn by the various lamps. The extra pulse of current when the turnout is thrown doesn’t matter, even if it pushes the total current over the circuit rating, because the extra heating during that brief a time is very small. This is one of those situations where traditional transformers and thermal circuit breakers out-perform modern “transformers” and fast circuit breakers or fuses, which will fold back, trip, or blow, respectively, when there is no need to.
Thanks again. Does anyone have an example of how you hooked up the circuit breaker? Is it just dangling between the transformer and the terminal strip or is there a good way to mount it?
Some automotive breakers have mounting lugs, some are designed to plug into fuse holders. Go to a parts store and see whether they have something that tickles your fancy.