Wiring Best Practices

[taholmes160]

HI Folks:  Im getting ready to do some more track feeders this weekend, as well as re-working a section of my staging area over the next couple weeks / months.  When I started the layout I was not careful about my wire runs etc, and now have a rats nest, so I am going to be re-working all the DCC Feeders etc to make it neat and functional.  I'd like input on hows best to do it, in terms of routing wires and keeping them neat.  any pics you can post would be appreciated as well

Thanks

TIM

San Luis and Rio Grande

[RickH]

Use terminal junctions to minimize duplicate long runs of wire. Try to a wiring color code and labels to help make troubleshooting easier.

[davefoxx]

To go along with what @RickH stated, here is a shot up the skirt of my layout.  You can see a terminal block in the background where the bus wires are terminated, and my color-coding is black for one rail and red for the other.  I drilled holes in the joists to separate the bus wires, and I use wire taps/quick connectors (these are from NCE) to connect the feeders to the bus wires.



Hope this helps,
DFF

[peteski]

Yeah, neat wiring is important (especially if problems develop long after the wiring is installed).

Here are some examples of friend's layout (I helps to build):













We should all try to strive to be like Tim Horton. Here are some of his photos (I hope he doesn't mind).

[davefoxx]

Holy moly, @peteski!  I can only imagine that the top of the layout looks like this:

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DFF

[peteski]

LOL Dave!

Ernie's layout has a pretty clean fascia and control panels.  The entire album is here.