Happy Labor day!!
Hope your weekend is safe and with family and friends!!
I have a question, I’ve been tearing down my old layout, and getting plans ready for my new one, but where can I get new wire??? Since we don’t have Radio Shack anymore, I would like to know where I could get the wire, clips and other electronic items I will need for my new layout! Thanks Guys…
Any automotive store should at least have suitable stranded wire and connectors, but I usually get mine at an electronics supply store about a half-hour from here. Twenty-or-so Radio Shacks would have easily fit inside it.
It would be a bit of a drive for you, though, as it’s in Burlington, Ontario.
If you don’t have a hobbyshop nearby, it’s likely that you can get what you need from Walthers, though.
If not, send me a PM and I’ll give you an e-mail address for a supplier in British Columbia - good prices, reasonable shipping costs, and very quick service.
They also offer LEDs, arduinos, all sorts of motors, remote control devices, etc., etc.
You’ll also have a good price advantage, as our dollar remains weak relative to the U.S. greenback.
Wayne
Got Home Depot, Lowes, or Menards near you? They all have suitable wire.
–Randy
Hi TrainsRMe1,
A quick search for electrical wire in Oregon found these:
https://www.grainger.com/category/electrical/wire-cable-and-carrier-systems/wire-and-cable
http://aboysupply.com/electrical/
I didn’t spend much time searching each of the above sources but I believe that they will probably have what you need. I’m sure that there are lots more. Just google ‘electrical wire suppliers’, or ‘electrical wire wholesalers’ in Oregon.
Good luck with your next layout!
Dave
What type of wire are you looking for? If you’re looking for 14ga or 16ga wire for track buss then the big box stores (Lowes or Home Depot)should have what you want.
If you need smaller size wire and other accessories, I use allelectronics.com. I buy a lot of my electrical stuff for my layout from them and orders over $75 ship free!
https://www.allelectronics.com/
Disclaimer: I have no financial interest in this company, just a happy customer many times over!
Good luck!
Neal
I got mine from a dumpster. But any hardware,building supply, auto part, or wallmart type store will have it.
Many online vender will sell and ship it to you. Hobbylinc has some on sale almost every week.
Electronics Unlimited is a ggod sousrce of supply. 500’ rolls are most economical.
Otherwise hookup wire is very expensive.
It would coss less to buy 100’ for cat 5 cable, strip the plastic off, and you would be left with four 100’ pairs of wire.
LION googled “25 pair Cat 3 cable” and bought 100 feet of it. LIONS use lots of wire!
Now if you buy Christmas LED sets to get the LEDs do not for get to salvage the wire, You will quickly amass a mass of 18 ga stranded wire as well as the LEDs.
My bet deal on wire came from the old pipe organ in the choir loft. Four 30’ lengths of wires bundled in ropes of 11 wires, and six such buindles in each cable.
Of course this was very old wire, maybe some of you remember the kind that was insulated by waxed string, and the six bundles were wrapped together in more waxed string and all of it coated with a gray string braid.
All of the conductors were white, but I separated it into the 11 conductor ropes. Wired one end an the network interface board, and then tested out each conductor until I had the one that I wanted and wired that to the correct terminal on the layout.
LIONS like complicate layouts.
ROAR
I miss Radio Shack too. For electrical and electronic stuff you can try All Electronics, Digikey, Micromark and Walthers.
Here’s a list of a variety of items for my modest sized HO layout.
Lowes: 16AWG stranded bus wire, 20AWG twin solid bell wire (for Kadee uncouplers)
Hobby Engineering: 22AWG solid feeder wire (various colors & spool lengths)
Mouser: 3M IDC suitcase connectors for bus-to-feeder connections; barrier strips
All Electronics: 24AWG red/black stranded rip cord for 12v tortoise & lighting wire; bi-color LEDs & panel holders; mini DPDT toggles for Tortoise; DPDT for program track; barrier strips & jumpers
Jims Model Trains: Circuitron Tortoise 0.5A 12v DC power supply
Miniatronics: 1A 12v DC regulated power supply for lighting
EBay: warm white 5mm, 3mm & strip SMD LEDs; resistors; fuses & holders; etc.
Amazon: 2.2A 15v DC power supply for Kadee 309 uncouplers
The OP should try his local hobby shops. As the OP says he lives near Portland he could try HobbySmith or Wistle Stop Trains. I have not been to either but I have heard they are great. I suspect they should have wires for model railroad use, all big hobbyshops I’ve been to have!
All the big box/DIY retailers have spools of four-strand wires in a bundle, each insulated in colour code, and covered by strippable white plastic sheathing. Both HD and my local builders’ supply stores have large spools of the stuff. You tell the ‘guy’ you want 20-40’ of it, he cuts it for you, you take it to the till, and Bob’s yer uncle.
In addition to the above, there’s a Fry’s Electronics in Wilsonville, what, about 11 miles from West Portland?
That #20 solid from Lowes or HD is what I use for feeders. Scavenged phone wire is fine for low current things, like driving Tortoise motors or feeding LED structure lights. Plenty of colors of #12 and #14 for main bus wires to chose froom ad the box stores.
Most hobby shops have little spools of small wire, 3 conductor for solenoid switch machines and 2 conductor for other stuff, but wow is it expensive.
–Randy
I have so much wire that I cannot remember where I bought most of it.
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When I need wire now, I just mail order (online) what I need. Online ordering gives you more choices for strand count and insulation size that you will ever get an any big bix retailer.
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-Kevin
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MicroMark has some wire and other items https://www.micromark.com/hobby-supplies/electronic-and-motors
Lowes and HD are great options for wiring. One not mentioned (and has a far larger selection than Radio Shack could ever) is Harbor Freight. I found some in Oregon here:
https://shop.harborfreight.com/storelocator/location/map#or
Their customer service for me is outstanding! They even allow me to use double coupons. Who doesn’t need an extra multi-bit handheld screw driver! You’ll love their wide selection of electrical wiring, clippers, etc.
the type of wire you need to search for is “hook-up wire” The stranded version is more flexible than contruction type stranded sold by electrical supply houses or electrical depts in the big box stores
all sizes (and colors) in both stranded & solid even “zip” type cables
Here in Boise, I feel lucky. There’s a store here that buys and sells used electrical/electronic components. I can get all I need at very cheap prices. All the wire is surplus (probably from large electrical projects) and is new, on the original spools. I can get everything else from LED’s and resistors to relays to switches to small motors for pennies on the dollar compared to other retailers.
For specialized needs, such as DPDT mini switches I go to an online store out of Florida called Marlin P. Jones (mpj.com), who has a very good variety of electrical/electronic components at very good prices and customer service.
Thanks for the info you guys, I didn’t think about Frys in Wilsonville, but Loews and Home Depot, aren’t far from ny house, Wayne, thank you I will PM,