I am laying track and running conneting feeder wires every 3 feet or so. Here is a schematic of what I am doing. I have two gaps BUT for whatever reason, the feeder colors have been switched on either side of the gaps, althought the feeder colors are consistent within each part of the layout. I prefer to avoid trying to explain how I came to this point, but the word “stupid” comes to mind. If I have to go back and switch the wires then I prefer to do it now rather than wait until the layout is totally laid when the problem will be compounded.
A lot depends upon the size of the layout, how many sets of feeder wires, and how they have been attached to the bus wires. Tell us more. My first impression is to leave it as it is. DC or DCC?
Here is a pic of the review version of the layout which indicates the size and scope of the layout. It has been changed since this version to provide easier access to a couple of places. One gap is indicated along the north track just above the turntable. The other gap is not shown but it is on the left end of the straight 9" track segment just below the turntable. This shows segmented track, but I am using mostly flextrack.
It is HO scale being wired for DCC. There are two busses, 14 AWG stranded, which run along underneath the main line in either direction from the center point +/- of the U. Feeders are 20 AWG connected to terminal strips which are then connected to the busses.
The yard has been laid and wired to the bus and the east side main has been laid about halfway along the extreme right hand side. Feeders have been dropped along the main but have not been wired south of the yard. The quarter test has been passed so far on what has been wired.
The main has been laid along the west side and six sets of feeders have been dropped, but there is no bus yet on the west side. If I had to do any flipping, it will probably be done on the west side portion.
Beleive me this is something that will not be forgotten. I also have rigged up a buzzer that I connect to the tracks when I wire the feeders. And it has prevented some problems when I was wiring the east side.
If your color code is not consistent then you are not color coded at all. If you are not planning to fix it then future wiring should be done using a meter. You could replace your wire color code with wire labels. They are available from most electronics sources. You can ignore the wire color and use nail polish or paint to color the ends of the mismatched wires near any electrical connections.
I read all of your posts but am using this one for the picture value.
First, the bus under the track should be gaped at one of the track gaps and not circle the layout and be attached back to itself, but you probably know that.
What I would do is to continue using the feeder colors you are presently using, as you are using them. Then I would “flip” the bus polarity in one section from the output of the circuit breaker, either the right or the left side. That will flip all of the track polarity in that section, which is what is needed. Then I would get some colored vinyl tape and put a tape flag on the bus wires that were flipped, about every six inches. If the bus is Red and White, put the White flags on the Red bus wire, and vice-versa.
As to flipping the bus polarity, here is how I would do it:
You should have two bus wires coming from the circuit breaker to the layout section. Hopefully you will have a foot or so of bus wire between the breaker and the first feeder. Cut the bus (both wires) in the middle of this section and swap them here. Insulate or tape the splices. Doing it that way, you can look at it later and plainly see what you have done. If you just swap the wires at the circuit breaker itself, you may not know what you are seeing later, and why.
You should also have a Layout Electrical book. I use a loose-leaf binder. In it are layout notes, instructions for the circuit breakers, instructions for any other electronic modules that are in use on the layout, etc. In
Fix it now. The very fact that you posted about it tells me that it bothers you, and if you don’t fix it, it will bother you until you do. You’re doing everything else methodically and carefully, so you’d might as well do this right, too.
If the wires are firmly planted, you could clip them a couple of inches beneath the layout, strip the ends and swap the physical wires. This would let you do the job without disturbing the trackwork. On the other hand, sometimes working under the layout is a lot harder than working above, so each wire might be a different situation.
Of course, clipping the wires a couple of inches beneath the layout and swapping the wires is a less than elegant solution which will probably continue to bother the OP, assuming that he is bothered in the first place as you suggest. If, in fact, he is bothered by what he did, then he should just re-do the wiring right now.
Elmer, thank you very much. And yes, the bus is gapped at those gaps and there will be no connection back to itself. Since I have only dropped some feeders on the left portion and have not installed any of the bus there, then flipping the polarity should not be a problem. I assume that a wire nut and some electrical tape should be adequate to do the job. In fact I could probably just switch the wire colors maintaining the cut as you suggested, but maybe treating it as though the bus was installed at the beginning of the section may be less complicated. I am color coding with a red and black bus and red and white feeders, so it is red to red and white to black.
As for your advice on documentation, I am ahead of you on this one. I have been religious about keeping a loose leaf binder with the information you are talking about as well as updating the track plan with feeder locations, flex track sections, circuit breaker literature, etc etc.
I am definitely on the bothered side about this, but I am inclined to go with Elmer’s solution. I would be more bothered because fixing it on the east side is not an option because 18 feeders have been dropped with almost 12 already wired. And on the west side, only 6 feeders have been dropped with no bus installed. But tearing up track on the west side that has been laid using adhesive caulk with two bridges already installed is also a bother. Getting those bridges aligned, one of which was a kit bashed curved bridge, albeit short, was not a fun activity. At this point, dealing with the issues under the layout as opposed to over the layout is preferable.
Bearman, I must be missing something: If you’re using terminal strips, why can’t you just trade the red for white, or black for whatever, at the terminals??? I dont run DCC, but it has worked for me with 24 blocks of DC wiring. Also, as an aside:
Why not rotate the Turntabel 180 degrees and have a lot less time waiting for a parking spot? I’d also put an Atlat Bumping post section opposite each of the Hot tail tracks of the TT to prevent "Union Station run-thrus. Just a suggestion ; I like the layout and also use RTS for planning and printing purposes. Happy Modelling!! JWH
You are not missing anything…electricity is not my strong suit. The track plan does not show a lot of details, just some of the major structures and the river. For example, there will be bumpers at the end of the sections you mention as well as other “dead ends”. And all the switches will be thrown by Caboose groundthrows. There have been some changes to it as a result of the advice I got on this forum. For example, access issues have been solved with no more than a 24 " reach from anywhere around the table except for one groundthrow, the one that throws the switch to the single siding in the SW corner. That is closer to 30", not optimum but I can live with it. The layout is at about navel height to accommodate some small fry who will be learning about the hobby eventually, so 30" is not that much of an issue.
I enjoy modeling, I hate electricity. Merry Christmas to you.
Gaps or not, there is no reason to have reversed the polarities as you have inadvertently done. In fact, you have caused a mis-match at each gap. You have created two reversing sections, one at each gap. Needlessly, as you must now realize. So, find out which feeders you think you should reverse, and simply switch them to the correct terminals if using strips. It will be a bit untidy for the perfectionist, The only practical alternative is to heat any solders up at the rails that will free the feeders you now realize you must move to the opposite rails. It isn’t a big deal, just time and a lot of internalizing as you breath those nice fumes. Any solder left here and there as you desolder some feeders will be available for the feeders you have to return to their correct rails.
I’d fix it now. Everything you do in the future has a chance of being done wrong. And every time something does go wrong you have to remember: Am I in the red green section or the green red section.
Sure you can write notes, make wiring diagrams, etc. But even if you do manage to keep it straight during the initial wiring it’s still another level of complication. 5 or 10 years down the road when you need to fix or add something it gives you an added chance to make a mistake.
