What is your wish list for train room electrical items?

[Specter3]

This may end up needing to be moved but here will get the most initial views.

We have been in the new house for two years and things have wandered to the point that it is time to start planning the upfit of the train room. It is currently studs with minimal outlets and lighting. But it does have a washer dryer hookup which I can poach the circuits off of. I can split the 220 into two 110 circuits and along with the washer circuit should have plenty of amps available for what I want to do. So if you have a blank slate, what do you want in your train room electrical setup. Layout will be 15x18 double deck with lots of scenery between LDEs. Helix on one end with a nolix connecting the other end of the decks. Staging on a low subdeck accessed at the one helix.

Let me hear your wishes.

[Santa Fe Guy]

Plenty of double power points around the room for ease of using power equipment during construction.
Where you might place a small comfortable spot for a work bench a couple doubles,where you decide to place your DCC system a bank of two doubles.
This allows for DCC system, Computer for Programing, LED lighting over bench, Dremel charging station, possible signaling system, soldering iron station etc.
Then there is layout lighting to think about.
Ask me how I know.
Have fun with the build.
Rod.

[peteski]

Yes, what Rod said.  The train layout itself DCC, building lighting, animation, etc. (excluding ceiling lighting) does not require much wattage, but having lots of outlets accessible around (and even inside) the layout is very desirable.  it is also very handy to have all the outlets dedicated to the layout be controlled by a wall "master switch".  That way when you enter or leave the room you can kill or turn on the power with just a flick of a switch. Makes things so much easier.

That is how I wired up my friend's layout room.  Outlets about every 7 feet and all on a master switch at the layout room.  If you want it both ways, you can split each double outlet and have one on switched and the other on unswitched feed.  That way you can have always-live socket and a switched socket in each outlet.  Then consider the lighting. With today's low-power flourescent or LED lights you won't need a 20A circuit, but make sure to include the lighting in your overall design.

[MK]

In wall Ethernet or whatever RJ jacks your DCC system uses.  All run to a patch panel. 

[Cajonpassfan]

I wish I had thought through the details of the various electrical systems (layout, layout lighting, room lighting, tools and equipment, accessory room airconditioner (added as an afterthought). A master kill switch for the layout, but not other things. Solved the problem by installing nine dollar remotely controlled plug switches from Home Depot.
Otto K.

[Specter3]

Lighting will definitely be LED. Going through the light selection process now with my other big visible hobby(125 gal planted aquarium). Having played with a bunch of the rope RGB LED lights for Holloween and party applications, I will be using them for layout lighting.

[ksmiley]

I'd plan for a spray booth venting to the outside.

[John]

I had two 25 amp circuits added to the basement for all the crap I have to plug in ..

[mmyers]

If you have room in the panel for an extra circuit or two, I would definitely add them for layout power, lighting , and tools. I would not split the dryer circuit unless doing away with the dryer.

[aikorob]

separate circuit for layout ONLY---maybe get a line conditioner from Grainger or electrical supply house to smooth out the incoming AC


visually different (plate/outlet color) circuit for construction/other use
count up how many tools you could possibly have on the layout at any 1 time----drills, soldering iron, task lighting, etc.............and double that amount of plugs
consider running some of those normal circuit plugs to the front of your fascia----so you don't have to crawl under to plug in a soldering iron

[Specter3]

Lots of good ideas, please keep them coming. Dryer hookup exists. Including the already installed spray booth vent. But we have never had a dryer down there. I think the first people who built the house had it put in but they fell out with builder and the lady we bought it from was who finished the build and took possession. She was single and apparently did not need the basement hookups. She just used the 2nd floor laundry room.

[C855B]

As a reminder: https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=26087.msg453812#msg453812

On the wall in back of the camera the duplex outlets are 4' apart. The center of that wall - the planned home of the JMRI computer(s), DCC central, power supplies and other support bits - are four quad outlets on two different circuits. I'd like to avoid power strips, but it's appearing that the best way to manage booster power supplies will be on their own switch that may be connected to panic buttons on each peninsula.

I don't believe in a master "off" switch for everything. DCC and computer support do not like the rug being yanked out from under them, they require an organized, procedural shutdown.

[peteski]

I don't believe in a master "off" switch for everything. DCC and computer support do not like the rug being yanked out from under them, they require an organized, procedural shutdown.

Yes, I agree. That is why I also proposed only one of the duplex outlets be hooked up to a master switch.  The switched side can be used for all the wall-warts or other electrical devices which do not need a shutdown sequence.

[Cajonpassfan]

Slightly off topic if I may...I could use a little electrical enlightenment.
I have a 5 amp NCE system that I wired, per instructions, with two On/Off switches; one between outlet and transformer/power supply and second between power supply and base station/booster. Over the years I got into the habit of just using the first switch and leaving the second one on, essentially having a master DCC switch. I never experienced any issues, but reading this thread and comments about "the rug being pulled out from under DCC", am I at risk of damaging the system by not shutting off the low voltage input first?
Thanks,
Otto K.

[jagged ben]

Slightly off topic if I may...I could use a little electrical enlightenment.
I have a 5 amp NCE system that I wired, per instructions, with two On/Off switches; one between outlet and transformer/power supply and second between power supply and base station/booster. Over the years I got into the habit of just using the first switch and leaving the second one on, essentially having a master DCC switch. I never experienced any issues, but reading this thread and comments about "the rug being pulled out from under DCC", am I at risk of damaging the system by not shutting off the low voltage input first?
Thanks,
Otto K.

I don't think so.  I think Mike was talking about the computer.  That's the item that can be 'damaged'  (mostly on the software side) if turned off suddenly.   At the club that's the item that has to be shut down first, using the operating system, before turning the layout off.  (We do have a master switch).  All the actual DCC items have no problem being turned on and off at the 120V power source.