I am just about to wire up an expansion to the layout. I had planned to use these mini terminal bars to quickly hook up both the drop feeders/bus wires AND the switch leads.. I checked to see that the small gauge switch leads will be held tightly by the terminal blocks…and all is fine in that regard.
But I got to thinking…these contacts are very open to the air and perhaps to tarnishing and corrosion from ordinary household humidity. The layout is in a pretty well controlled environment, but perhaps even so over time the contacts within these blocks might fail.
Has anyone an opinion or experience hooking up the wiring this way? I have seen these used well for the bus wire set up, but worry more about the tiny wires for the switches.
I am just using Atlas HO code 83 snap switches…have had no problem with them in the past in any regard.
I have used barrier strips (which I believe is the proper term) for years without any problems. I find them easier and faster to install than soldering, but the big advantage with any kind of terminal block is the ability to make changes if necessary and to troubleshoot electical problems one circuit at a time.
Don’t over think the problem. I have had terminal strips and barrier strips on my railroad for years and never had any problems. Also in my business, TV post production, hundreds of wires were held in place with barrier strips and never any loss of signal. Go ahead and use them - easier to make changes when necessary.
Not to worry. When the screws are tightened down on your wires (or terminal lugs) the copper squishes out a little bit and all the air is forced out of the joint. Air is what does the tarnishing. oxidizing and rusting that you are worried about. The joints are “gas tight” and will not corrode.
I used them extensively on my previous layout for as long as nine years (i.e. age of oldest terminal-strip connectors) and had ZERO problems, never had to re-screw a connection due to any connectivity issue. So don’t worry.
My only negatives with screw terminal barrier blocks were:
screws loosened and fell out over time, almost always in the unused terminals. I’m not sure why at this point. These were terminal blocks mounted to the underside of an O27 layout with track screwed directly into the 1/2" plywood. Could have been vibration with the trains running, vibrations when the layout was moved (gets bounced pretty good going across country in a moving van), or just dumb me forgetting to tighten all the screws after loosening them to install bus strips.
paying Radio Shack prices for these things - another dumb move on my part. When will I learn not to buy at Radio Shark?
I would use them again because of the ease of making changes to the wiring. I prefer to break the various bus periodically at terminal strips, and connect my feeders there, rather than soldering feeders to a continuous bus. Since my layouts are small, and no DCC so far (although I plan to change that), the slight extra resistance introduced by breaking the bus is insignificant. And I will check all screws at a terminal strip each time I work at one from now on.
The style you show are probably less prone to having screws loosen, and are cheaper to boot. They are just not as easy to convert to a distribution terminal block.
My experience: All of my wiring is done terminal-to-terminal. The only solder joints are at the rails, the solder lugs of switch machines and other ‘end user’ devices on the layout and the solder lugs of panel control switches. In decades of use (my oldest date from 1980,) I have never had a terminal-related electrical problem.
Both systems have failures from time to time. Do what you like, but the key is to do a proper job of it.
I think that failures have a lot to do with expansion and contraction over time. Things heat up seasonally and then cool. Things heat up during shorts, and then cool. Things swell and move apart when ambient humidity rises, and then revert, or try to, once the humidity returns to the previous level. And so on. Having lived a few years, I know that these things cause screws to back out, but they also cause solders to break and let go.
Life’s tough. But, there’s always model railroading! [:D]
You will not be able to avoid soldering all together some joints are best soldered
But like you I have used various types of chocolate block connectors without problems.
The variety I have found most useful is the plug and socket version which can be separated into two halves like a plug and socket ( they are not cheap ) making it very easy to track a short or open CCT
I use both terminal bars that you mentioned as well as solder when necessary, and I also use the 3M Scotch Locs for connecting my buss wire to track leads. I have had no problems with any of these electrical connections.
I like this thread, mainly because I HATE soldering under a layout. So, I’d like to cut down on it as much as possible. I have a question… I’m no expert so bear with me. I was under the assumption that you’re ‘supposed’ to keep track wires as short as possible, so in this method are you running the track leads from several soldered spots on the track down to the terminal block and from there making one soldered connection to the main buss?
I was thinking about this for under the roundhouse and all the tracks around it but would love to apply it everywhere.
I try to keep my track leads in most cases to no more that 6"-8" in length from the buss to the soldered connection on the track rails. In my previous post the last image shows an example of where I have wired several tracks to the buss with 3M Scotch Locs (suitcase connectors) and these feeder wires are no more than 6"-8" in length. My buss wires run the entire length of benchwork and generally are centered near the majority of tracks, I also keep enough slack in the buss to allow for it to make gentle bends where needed for the feeder track drops.
When I have to run a buss in multiple locations from the main buss I use the terminal blocks to split the buss in several directions.
As long as your layout is not subject to a lot of humidity, etc, connectivity should never be a problem.However there is a really great product made called ACF 50, which is sold in spray cans for anywhere from 15 to 20 dollars.It totally prevents corrosion, and will dissolve and stop any that has started.It can be bought through Aircraft Spruce and Specialty.
If you are really worried about corrosion, you could pick up a can of battery terminal spray from an auto parts store. Frankly, you should not have a problem with corrosion for those connections, and if corrosion is a problem, it is certainly hurting your track and locos and solenoids that much more.
I’m an old solder nut, but on my recent rewire I used a number of the new connectors available from Lowes or Home Depot. They do work, and are easier to use, but I still check the circuit with a simple connectivity tester.
By the way, there is some “goop” available that you can brush on solder connections to insulate them. It is like a liquid tar, smells a bit and takes a few hours to dry. I’ve used it in a few places and its ok, but I am not totally trusting of it in wire congested areas.
When I was in the Air Force, I was an Avionics Technician, so I’m used to soldering in tight places. In many cases, I’ll “pair” the drops so they straddle a joint, about 2 or 3 inches from the railjoiner so I only have to do the following about every 6 feet. I actually cut the buss wire and slip a piece of heat shrink tubing over one end, then do a western union splice to the buss wire. I bring the ends of the drop leads to the splice, twist them over, then solder the whole thing. Then slide the heat shrink tubing over the joint, heat it to shrink, and the joint is done. It probably took you almost as long to read this as it does to do it. Each buss wire is connected to a terminal strip labeled for its block, then the wire is fed to the panel. A properly labeled terminal strip will make troubleshooting much easier when you need to do it. (notice I didn’t say “if”)
I don’t worry too much about the length of the drop lead, I make them fit the situation. If you’re worried about the amount of current through the smaller gauge wire, consider that even if all rail joiners fail electrically, it will only be powering your loco(s) as they travel 3 feet, then there’s no current through them.
For leads to short tracks like for a roundhouse, I usually don’t use a buss wire. I si
Have you tried heat shrink tubing on your soldered joints as nesassary far better than the brush on stuff.
It can be trusted in multi wire situations a lot more than the brush on goop no nasty smell either unless you cook it.
One point not mentioned so far by anyone is keep your wiring neat tidy and well marked.
Also draw a diagram or by the time you do have problems you will have forgotten what does what
If you can use a definite colour code red & black in only definite + and - situations, and say blue and white with a blue trace up main line track feed purple and purple with white trace down main track feed, and so on repeating the code in every same situation
Keep to the colour coding you set up so it aids fault finding.
You want to play trains not spend forever sorting out faults
I have had some issues with wires pulling out of the euro style connectors if they are too small for the connector. Otherwise, those connectors are great and avoid any possibility of an accidental short.
I use one for each tortoise and wherever I have stuff I expect to change around… for instance where the bus reaches the DCC booster, where my stationary controllers go to the switch machines, that sort of thing. Just make sure you get one sized appropriatly for the wire you are using to avoid drop outs.
Remember, you can trim them to whatever size you want… sometimes its more economical to get one larger then you need and use what you trim off for something else. It can also be helpful to tin any stranded wire you plan to stick in them.
For everything else (track feeders mostly) I solder, but I like soldering. I think if I didn’t enjoy it I would likely be using suitcase connectors and terminal strips for more of my other connections.
. I checked to see that the small gauge switch leads will be held tightly by the terminal blocks…and all is fine in that regard.
