How to practically install a power bus?

Biased turkey Apr 26, 2010

  1. Biased turkey

    Biased turkey TrainBoard Member

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    I understand that the power bus is 2 heavy gauge wires running on the back of the benchwork, and in my case about 1" apart.
    How do you, fellow model railroaders, practically secure those 2 wires to the benchwork and with enough space to solder ( no suitcase connectors please ) the wires from the rail feeders to them ?

    Jacques
     
  2. Mike Sheridan

    Mike Sheridan TrainBoard Member

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    The red and black wires are my DCC bus. The main bus is 1.5 or 2.5 square mm solid core (UK mains cable) with smaller feeders going off to the track and frogs with 10-15 Amp fuse wire for the final hop through the baseboard.

    I used a fairly old fashioned ply base with fibreboard topping, so the bus and other joints are supported by pushing copperclad or brass pins into the plywood base, taking a turn round them with the wire and then soldering.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    (These pictures are a couple from my website which has more pictures and written info if you are interested.)
     
  3. retsignalmtr

    retsignalmtr TrainBoard Member

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    I use 14awg stranded wire for my buss. I also use European style pass through barrier strips that I cut into small sections and place them about every 3 feet under the layout. They can be purchased at allelectronics.com ,part # TB-35, cheaper than radio shack.. I only strip the insulation where the wire passes through the strip, pull the wire taut and tighten the screw. When I add feeders to the rails I add them to the same strips without having to solder or wrap wires around terminals. Each buss segment will hold one 14 gauge buss wire plus several 20awg track feeders.
    On my clubs layout i'm wiring a new track buss on the outside of the facia with the same strips, so now no more soldering or crawling under the layout
     
  4. Biased turkey

    Biased turkey TrainBoard Member

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    Thank you Mike and retsignalmtr ( ??? ) for taking some of your valuable time to reply.
    Both proposed solutions, studs and barrier strips , are exactly the kind of information I'm looking for.

    To Mike: I was curious about the 3 red cams on the picture, but visiting your interesting website gave me the answer.
    Thanks for making the switchlist spreadsheet available. I'm using Linux Ubuntu that includes the Open Office package, so I'll give it a try on my 23" X 11" microlayout.
    You mention Jack "Shortliner", once in a while we exchange some private emails about microlayouts. He is a very nice person and always willing to help.

    Jacques
     
  5. Fishplate

    Fishplate TrainBoard Supporter

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    One fast, cheap, and easy way to secure bus wires is with heavy-duty staples and wire ties. Tape a .060" styrene spacer to the staple gun to prevent the staples from going in all the way. Drive staples parallel to the wire run. Then use small nylon wire ties to fasten the wire to the staples.

    [​IMG]
     
  6. Mike Sheridan

    Mike Sheridan TrainBoard Member

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    I'm not developing that any further myself, though it is quite usable as it is. However, someone else has I believe (and with my blessing as an 'open source' program) taken it onto a Yahoo group - 'Operations' I think, (I'll have to check when I can get to my old e-mails) so there may be some more development done on it there.
     
  7. Biased turkey

    Biased turkey TrainBoard Member

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    Thank you Steve for another suggestion.
    My idea is to keep the 2 bus wires separated but of course your staples technique can be adapted to that situation.
    Now I have 3 options, not bad.
    Jacques
     
  8. Mike Sheridan

    Mike Sheridan TrainBoard Member

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    Update to my post above - This is the info about the switchlist's new home:
    It can be found in the "Files" section of the Yahoo group called, "Ry-ops-indistrialSIG". I believe it is necessary to be a member in order to gain access.
     
  9. Arctic Train

    Arctic Train TrainBoard Member

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    Hi Jacques,

    I'm using 14 guage stranded speaker wire for my bus wires. Where I want to attach the feeders I use one of these: http://rsk.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/pRS1-6980456t98.jpg
    to seperate the insulation and solder them in place. After I got the feeders soldered then I attached the bus wires to the underside of the layout tables with a dab of hot glue. Not as pretty as others but it has worked well for me.

    Brian
     

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