Sixty-four dollar question everyone. Just got back into model railroading (now retired and have time plus the money) and finally building that layout I have been planning for all these years. Going to use DCC this time around and have some very basic questions. I want to get this right the first time and not spend a lot of sleepless nights pounding my head against the wall trying to fix a very basic or simple problem so bear with me if some of this may seem elementary to most of you. I purchased a MRC Prodigy Express DCC throttle and plan to use it for this venture, so here goes. Oh, my main line run is approximately 17.25 feet long (see drawing below).
Do I need to install a main feeder bus wire under the layout?
If so, how many feet between feeders to the track should I space them? I am going to use Atlas Code 83 terminal joiners to accomplish this.
Should I insulate/block the main loop of track (main line) into separate sections or just leave it as one big continuous loop?
Don’t buy Atlas terminal joiners, just get some wire, #20 or so, and solder it to joiners. You cna make 100 for the price of a pair of the ones with wire already on them.
On something this small, one bus run across about where the view block goes horizonatally should be good. If those are Atlas turnouts, then apply joiners with feeders to all 3 legs of every turnout and maybe one more at the top center of the main line. Should be plenty for reliable power on that size of a layout - should be 12 feeders.
No need to break anything apart, no insulated joiners necessary
Actually, you can probably power the whole layout with 2 feeders without a bus. If that doesn’t work successfully over time because of benchwork and/or track movement in an environment with wide swings of temperature and/or humidity, you can always add a bus and feeders. You don’t need to feed all 3 legs of the turnouts, but if the turnout frogs are not isolated, you do require insulating gaps in the crossover rails between the turnouts of the crossover.
If you use Atlas joiners (which are looser fitting than some others such as Walthers/Shinohara), solder your feeders to rails, not joiners, unless you solder the joiners to the rails (which is a good thing to do on your curved track; join the straight sections of flex before curving them).
Don’t make more work and expense for yourself unless absolutely necessary.
Heck, for a layout that small and compact, just use a pair of the Atlas terminal joiners. That should work just fine.
No need for bus wires, blocks, or soldered connections. No need for gaps or insulated rail joiners. Keep it simple because your layout isn’t complicated.
Wow, thanks a million everyone. Guess I was over thinking this a bit. Going to now just put a feeder on each switch lead on either end of the siding and call it good. Oh, I am using Peco Code 83 curved #7 turnouts with insulated frogs and Blue Point manual switch machines to power them. My rail jointers are the Walthers/Shinohara variety. Thanks for the heads up about the slop in the Atlas rail jointers. Seem to recall they were a little loose when I was a kid. Everyone have a safe holiday (Thanksgiving and Christmas) and a prosperous New Year. It’s going to be a great winter this year.