When rewiring locomotives, or repairing them, it’s handy to use the very fine wire that the manufacturers use more and more today. Is there a good reasonably priced source of this wire in bulk? Micro Mark has short lengths for like $2.00 / ft but that doesn’t seem right. Digi Key has 1000 ft rolls, way more than I need.
I think this is 32 Guage AWG stranded wire.
Modeltrainstuff has a 10 foot bundle containing one each of the standard 9 NMRA colors for about $10. Search for digitrax decoderwire
–Randy
Train Control Systems sells their decoder wire in multiple colors, but only in 10 foot lengths.
http://www.tcsdcc.com/public_html/Customer_Content/Products/Supplies/Wire/Wire.htm
You are looking for “stranded wire” not “braided wire”.
Hi Redore
I have found a great source for very fine, like 22 to 30 gauge wire to be in old computer cables and internal wiring. Over the years I have accumulated lots of super flexible wire by cutting the ends off printer cables, mice, monitor cables, cat 5 (usually solid) and the like. Strip off the outer jacket and you have a trove of multi color fine wire. Some computers had ribbon cable inside that you can peel off as many conductors as needed, though its nearly always gray.
Often there is a bare ground or shield wire in there too and that makes a handy common wire when wiring multiple lights inside a structure.
There’s a bin full of this stuff where I work plus what I’ve amassed in tinkering with computers over the past 15 20 years! Maybe there’s a computer recycling center near you or ask around for old devices that you can cut the cords off. Sometimes this stuff is only about 3 feet or less but it fits the bill for much of our model use.
Have fun! ED
Yes, today at work I was looking at a box of scrap ethernet cable. I took a 4 ft section. Ten minutes later with the Xacto and I had four twisted pairs of very fine wire. More than I will ever need. Solid wire, but that fine, who cares? Problem solved.
Better than that, grab and old mouse and cut its tail off…no, not a furry one, one like the slick one next to you keyboard. Mouse wire is insulated, multi-strand and very flexible.