DC layout wiring plan

I need help wiring my layout. To be honest, I don't even know where to begin. I will be using DC instead of DCC. Here is a picture of my trackplan and also an RTS file. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Ral file

 

You want to isolate all the sidings, so you can park trains in there. You also work out where you want trains to stop, and have to isolate that section of track - EG sidings, or passing tracks.

So once you isolated it, you need to run power to those sections. Run it through a 3 way switch, that has
EG:
left is power trains to go left,
center is power off - nothing moves
right is power trains to go right.

There is more to it than that, but have a go and mark on your layout plan there, what I've mentioned, and see how you go

this is a quicky I did, Im on way out door to job interview, but gives you an idea, others will yell at me for not getting it right, but its a start, gives you an idea of what is needed.

Good luck Mr.



[ June 22, 2005, 08:02 PM: Message edited by: virtual-bird ]

 

I second what Virtual bird said. I'll add this. don't buy your switches at your local Radio shack, you'll go broke. I bought my SPDT from Ebay. I got 20 for $0.40 each. I also bought 20 each sp momentary PB for switching the turnouts for about the same price. Another alternative are ATLAS Cab Control switches about $5.00 each for 4 blocks. I didn't know where to put blocks either, mine still aren't in their final places but what I did is take my layout diagram, see where I would want to stop trains, where I need a passing block etc. The layout above is pretty good. Also reccomend buying Atlas or Kalmbachs wiring your model railroad. Good luck ask lots of questions. Dave

 

I got carried away Bill

 

Looking back in time, DC wiring is much more complicated than DCC wiring.


Stay cool and run steam.....

 

It is certainly not needed electrically, but maybe operationally? That is why having a concept of operations will help you determine where the blocks should go. Having too many blocks does not hurt, but it does cause more switches and wiring. Having a gap/block there just isolates the turnouts to the right. Seems it would not be needed.

Perhaps I would add that... notice how virtual bird has not gapped any track in the middle of a siding. A good policy, I think. A concept of operations will tell you which end of the siding to gap. If you gap both ends, you create a section where turnout position is not relevant to power in the siding, and that may be more convenient or better for your operation.

For N scale, I would not gap any stub siding less that about three feet long. Thus, I rely on turnout position to route power into that stub siding.

[ June 23, 2005, 12:46 PM: Message edited by: sapacif ]

 

It is really not so complicated. There are 4-5 rules to follow and you are on your way. I am sure it is more complicated than DCC wiring, especially in a big layout, but this layout for DC is simple to understand. No reverse loops here, too.

The DC wiring in a big layout is not complex, either, but boy is it repetitive! Bundles of wire everywhere and my fingers going numb from stripping that stuff!