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Electrickery!

Ray Von

Entry posted by Ray Von

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April 30th

 


Strewth! It took some doing, but one or two hours and a few minor injuries/profanities later......

 

The points all have their own allocated switches!!!!

 

I absolutely loathed the prospect of tackling the wiring and electrics on my layout, and my hesitance was not completely misplaced - despite doing my best to avoid the dreaded soldering and therefore buying myself the pre-soldered Peco wiring looms, I still had my work cut out for me.

 

I won't say it started well, as I found myself getting my wires muddled up from the off! So deep breath, a stern talking too - and try again ....bit better, not much. The issue seemed to be that I wanted the row of switches to reflect the order in which the points are placed on the layout (that's not too much to ask, is it??). Well, "yes" as it turns out.

 

However, once I got my head round the fact that my layout was upsidedown ​and backtofront in relationship to the left-to-right order of the switch panel things went, adequately.

 

I decided at the off to replace the connector blocks with larger ones, as I would be putting two wires in one terminal in a few places. That was a good decision, except the ones I got (from Wickes) were made of a very brittle plastic, and at the screwing in of the last point motor wire in the block - SNAP! Two quid in the swear jar. Moved every wire in the block down one, and set about fitting the wires for the switches, gingerly.

 

Well, once it was all wired up and powered and the right way up - I tested all the switches (five switches for six sets of points with two sharing one) Fine, fine, fine, fine, CLICK BUZZ. Was it too early for alcohol? Probably.

 

Layout over - wires jiggled, swapped, disconnected, re stripped, re inserted. Nothing, "set of points number one" - the ones that refused to work with a surface mounted motor, the ones that only seemed to cooperate with the green wires reversed was at it again. One more go, CLICK CLICK! Ooh. CLICK CLICK! Hallelujah!

 

Layout back the right way up. CLICK BUZZ!! CLICK BUZZ!! What the ....Dickens?!!

 

Right! Layout BACK over, threats of "A Damned Good Thrashing!" administered, wires re jiggled etc etc etc until - wire jiggling and switch throwing coincided and, hang on, when I hold the wire and throw the switch ....CLICK CLICK! A loose connection! A loose connection in the Peco wiring loom green wire! And I'd accidentally bought too many - yes!

 

New green wire fitted and, my God, I needed a pint. ALL of the points were working, the spare room looked like an explosion in Frankenstein's lab, but - they ALL WORK!!

 

Have I changed my mind about wiring? Well, let's just say that I know to expect the unexpected now!

 

Cheers!

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Ray Von

Thanks Kris, it was really just to preserve my sanity and eyesight - it looked like an unravelled cardigan before I tackled it! I've kept all the cable tie off cuts too, they look useful...

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Knuckles

I'm currently wiring my 2nd layout. It'll be my 4th layout but the first two had track feed wires and nothing else - explains why they hardly worked!

 

You sound like you need that pint after all.

 

Electrics have always been a stress point for me, I read about 4 or 5 books on model railway electrics before any of it made sense.

 

Half the time it didn't make sense but the sub conscious was taking it in then one day BOOM! Something clicked and I wired my first layout (the small P4 one) without a plan or diagram. Upon testing I only had to change one wire.

 

This second layout I'm wiring is going the same way yet I'm using Seep point motors not Tortoises so it is different.

 

Once it is fully done will I have made a royal pigs ear?

 

Hope not! I'm no electric boffin that's for sure.

 

I inherently do not trust non soldered connections for your Green Loop reason though.

 

Hope it all works out for you. The board looks neat so far. :)

 

 

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Ray Von

Cheers Knuckles, I appreciate your support. I'm sure that one day I'll grow better at wiring! I've really enjoyed designing the layout and building the baseboard, that's something I feel strong in. The wiring is a necessary part of the production and as such I will need to get better at it as I want to move onwards and upwards! Thanks again for the comment, it is really helpful.

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