ok been a model railroader for years but worked with n scale and z scale mostly. how do you guys wire your track and switches underground???
I’m looking to build a 3 seperate loop layout with a few connecting points connecting 2 loops. I was looking at using electrical pvc but that would put a lot of piping under everything? help?
I ran conduit along the right of way, I run long, heavy trains, so power feeds are 10 gauge. Switches are pneumatic, so 1/8" od hose is all that goes to a switch, buried in the ballast.
Greg
I used the zip-cord for outdoor landscaping lights as a “loop” for continuous power with several connection points. My track is 200 feet.
I just buried landscape lighting wire in a bundle to get to the railroad. Then I ran one wire (a single conductor) along each side of the track. I tapped into that wire for my power feeds to the rails, and buried the wires in the ballast. Al of my wires are landscape lighting wire that is designed to be buried in the ground. All of my splices are with wire nuts, sealed with silicon sealant, and the connections to the rail clamps are with ring terminals, also sealed with sealant or RTV.
Direct burial!
Robert Becker said:
ok been a model railroader for years but worked with n scale and z scale mostly. how do you guys wire your track and switches underground???
I’m looking to build a 3 seperate loop layout with a few connecting points connecting 2 loops. I was looking at using electrical pvc but that would put a lot of piping under everything? help?
Robert
We have a whole lot of wire under our railroad.
We use 4" pipes to go to the house and 1" pipe under our bridges.
All other wires are at the bottom of a 7" x 6" gravel trough under the track.
All the track wires use normal stranded wire. We have a large distances so wires from the power station areas to the junction boxes are 10 gauge, track bus wires are 10 gauge and feeder wires are 12 gauge.
We use 18 gauge lamp cord wire for our RS485 wire and direct burial wire for our phone and high speed network runs.
Some wire has been out there over 25 years with no problems.
One note: for the piping we have left holes at the bottom draining into a gravel bed to drain any water. We recently dug up up a pipe that was 25 years old as part of a layout enhancement project. We put this pipe in before we put the center drainage in and it had been filled with water the entire time. Since we had no problems the drainage may not be necessary but we will continue to do it.
Is all this overkill. Yes, but then again we have never had a wiring problem.
Hope that helps.
Stan
I used landscape wire for 18 years, then went to battery.
Don
Don & Craig Hofsheier said:
I used landscape wire for 18 years, then went to battery.
Don
I did that as well, but not quite that long. My track power cable still exists. I am thinking of using the track as bus-bar for structure lighting.
Our layout changing all of the time with new ideas over the years… So as a retired Elect. and contractor , we use a lot PVC in the ground and is a very good idea, but lots of work cutting in or moving stuff on a Garden R.R. like ours.
So we use a lot of low voltage wiring like that is used for Malbu light around the yards for Switches and building Lighting.
On the track power side… we make 8 inch trenches with sand base and lay in 12/2w/G Romex as feeders to many parts of the layout… Then lay 1 x 4’s boards over the them and fill back in with sand and dirt. It easy to work with and wires are good for 20 amps @100 ft. Anything over that we go with 10/2W G to keep a 20 amp max we need. “We use a lot of block sys and this works out well for us.”
Our 3 power supply doesn’t put out much more the 12 amps each on parts of the layout.
Not sure what your are running on your track powers but on ours we sometime we run maybe 6 USA mix Loc’s. like…F-3’s,GP9 and GP-38 with no Problems with very long trains that doesn’t look good waiting for the darn end of the train to show up But some people like to run some long trains that has caboose is with 3 or 4 inch from touching each other. lol.
Romex usually …even in wet/water area ( along as not cuts in the casing) will work well in wet places as long as the wire doesn’t get wet on the ends to connection seal up… We have a lot of low voltage stuff like intercoms, ph, lighting and etc using it and that was put in 30 yrs ago and look like new when dig up to move or take out, still look like new. .
Anyway Romex and Malbu wiring can work well for changes over the years use on our R.R.'s.
What Noel said. Our weather is pretty mild, so if you are in other parts of the country, you may need to do something extra. I use Malibu light outdoor wiring from the power supply to the track. Then 180 degrees from the primary input I added a jumper. So I’ve got two connections to the track. My outdoor lighting is done the same way, although over time I’ve removed the 7W bulbs for 4W, and now for LEDs that plug into the Malibu lights.
I also have some 120VAC lines out to the RR for my waterfall pumps and filters. It’s pretty much jury-rigged for now, but it’ll go direct burial when I get the chance, but it will involve digging under the RR.
When I constructed my original layout, I used 12/2 gauge UF wire alongside the tracks under the ballast in order to make connections every 25 feet or so (due to some grades). I found the wire to be hard to work with as it was quite stiff and difficult to bend or flex. With my new elevated layout I’m constructing presently, I am using 12 gauge Malibu wire as it is adequately weather resistant and more flexible because it is stranded/twisted wire and easy to manipulate. I never went to the expense and trouble to run wires in conduit as I felt it was unnecessary in our drier climate here. I’m placing the Malibu wire under the elevated bench work of the new layout with splices to the track. Also like David, I’m using wire nuts at the splices and sealing with silicon. Same at the track. This new layout will have when finished, about 400’ of track with switched sidings to park inactive trains while others are running. Most of my trains (passenger) consists of six heavyweight or streamliner cars and the freight runs are about 20. Connection spacing on the new layout will be about every 50’ on the mainlines and separate connections on the switched sidings. I use Bridgewerks power supplies and do not anticipate amperage drop problems with the increased connection spacing as the track work will largely be level. Depending on your climate, Malibu wiring is an easier choice. Connection spacing may depend on your grades and number of curves. At least that’s how it has worked for me. Good luck with your project!
Like Rich Niemerer said… I have a lot of 12/2 w/G UF wire and I had the same problems yr’s. ago on taping, splicing on moving tracks Cir. around. UF cable is very good stuff and will almost last your life time. I think like Rich N. R.R. just keep changing around.
We also use the wire nuts for easy access later on and then seal them up with plastic elect. tape and make a tab bent over to get it off again. We found out after 10 yrs or so that wire nuts look like new and dry.
Guess this for us as a Electrical Contractor, goes back to the old day of Lumber and shake mills up in Wash. Every thing is temp. and ya wet that have to move or make changes all of the time.
This offensive post has been deleted! (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
Wishing everyone a glorious day!!
Richard
Sigh, topic on underground wiring and someone has to post about battery.
I went track power and it’s so much better than battery it’s sad. I can run forever, with smoke, lights, sound, never recharge batteries, and my wiring is 10 years old and works great.
Better than that it cost me less money than buying batteries for 40 locos and a bunch of chargers or dumb trailing cars.
Happy now? Why did you post that? How is it courteous, helpful, or in the spirit of the hobby?
No one threw down a gauntlet and said track power is better than battery, no one asked for opinions on battery.
Richard Mynderup said:
I bit the bullet and went RC/Battery from day one . Haven’t regretted it at all.
And this deserves a long winded rant??? Sheesh…(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
Greg Elmassian said:
Sigh, topic on underground wiring and someone has to post about battery.
I went track power and it’s so much better than battery it’s sad. I can run forever, with smoke, lights, sound, never recharge batteries, and my wiring is 10 years old and works great.
Better than that it cost me less money than buying batteries for 40 locos and a bunch of chargers or dumb trailing cars.
Happy now? Why did you post that? How is it courteous, helpful, or in the spirit of the hobby?
No one threw down a gauntlet and said track power is better than battery, no one asked for opinions on battery.
Glad you got that off your chest, Greg? (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
14/2 mnd laid along conduit which contains wire to electrically powered turnouts.
Now Greg E. Maybe he has a better way to run trains by wiring up a batt. charger wiring to tap in to his batt. car on difference place under ground on his layout. Also maybe lot of money for all of his trains and lots of spares batt. Maybe, setting up Batt. in place for extra change outs… Also maybe extra batt. to turn his turn outs SW’s. in hard to get to places with push button from batt’s. along his layout… And ya, Maybe he has a better idea to keep running long trains for every??? lol He must of had a better idea and not hear it yet???
It can be Maybe??? "Alway looking for new idea. "
Until then, we are blocks and track power with long running trains with up to 5 units pulling at a time until something is better idea.
I guess he is saving power from his house to maybe by just charging gain up batt’s. and doing it only once in a while.
He is saving money until batt. poop out lol.
At one time, I had track power supplied by the same wire sold with Malibu outdoor lights. I ran connectors to the track every six track connections. I never had a problem with voltage drop. I tried to bury it, but it seemed to find its way to the surface each year. I finally gave up and let the ground cover overwhelm it. I pulled it out when I pulled up the track in anticipation of a move. The wire is still hanging in the basement. I won’t say why, as I don’t want to increase Greg’s blood pressure. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-innocent.gif)
