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Explaining how to wire a DC layout for a begginer


Guest JRCModelRailways

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Guest JRCModelRailways

Currently I operate DC and DCC locomotives on a temporary layout (well a train set format two ovals and some sidings) I am now going to begin making an end to end layout (the Hornby Magazine Operation Built It layout where I will follow the track plan but will be using Hornby points instead of Peco points as they do). Due to the cost of purchasing decoders to operate DCC locomotives and this extra cost I have being considering the use of DC control instead. I thoroughly understand how to wire a DCC layout but this is not the case with a DC layout. I understand that there needs to be some insulation involved and that there needs to be switches  Despite this knowledge though I do not understand how I would wire a DC layout: where I would include the insulation, what the use of the switches is for,how I would wire the layout to run more than one locomotive on the track and how I would supply power to sidings. I was wandering if anyone could light the way with this I know that this has probably being asked many times but I have searched multiple times on here and YouTube but it isn't really what i'm looking for. It would be greatly appreciated if anyone could help, thank you!

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Probably the best book is Brian Lambert's Newcomers Guide to Model Railways or you can go to his website which has got all the information that is in the book.

 

http://www.brian-lambert.co.uk

 

Brian posts on this site and usually responds to queries like yours. Personally, I consider going back to DC as a retrograde step as it does not offer anything near the flexibility of DCC and as you already allude involves a lot of switching sections off and on hence the more complex wiring.

 

As I duck below the parapet!

Richard

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Hornby Magazine, issue No 77, Nov. 2013, goes into wiring the layout. Diagrams showing placement of insulating rail joiners for both DCC and analogue are shown, together with sections. I'm building this layout myself, but with a double slip in the yard to save a bit of space. It's not a lot different wiring DC or DCC. except DC has more wire + switches.

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Guest JRCModelRailways

 

 

Probably the best book is Brian Lambert's Newcomers Guide to Model Railways or you can go to his website which has got all the information that is in the book.

 

http://www.brian-lambert.co.uk

 

Brian posts on this site and usually responds to queries like yours. Personally, I consider going back to DC as a retrograde step as it does not offer anything near the flexibility of DCC and as you already allude involves a lot of switching sections off and on hence the more complex wiring.

 

As I duck below the parapet!

Richard

Thanks for the help it is much appreciated  I have had a read of one of the pages (http://www.brian-lambert.co.uk/Electrical.html) on that website and it has greatly helped me . However, it mentions that you can feed the power for the switches from the controller but I was wandering how I would go about connecting the switch to the controller to feed power from?

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Guest JRCModelRailways

Hornby Magazine, issue No 77, Nov. 2013, goes into wiring the layout. Diagrams showing placement of insulating rail joiners for both DCC and analogue are shown, together with sections. I'm building this layout myself, but with a double slip in the yard to save a bit of space. It's not a lot different wiring DC or DCC. except DC has more wire + switches.

I was looking at that wiring diagram last night and I understand it and it helps greatly but I was wandering for the DC wiring (diagram C) if I was to wire power feeds to this location would this mean that each of those sections has power going to it but would there be any switches involved. I do understand the necessity of having the insulated rail joiners though.

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Guest JRCModelRailways

I will probably buy one of those if I need further guidance but at the moment I am thankfully understanding of the wiring of a DC layout. But thank you for your guidance which may come in use to me (most likely it will!) :)

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I am slightly curious as to why you would use the toy like Hornby points instead of Peco?  There is little in it length wise between a Peco 2ft radius and a Hornby 2nd radius but the track spacing is a lot closer with the Peco 2ft so saving a lot of width, for appearance and good running especiallr reversing with Hornby tension lock couplers I would stick with 3ft radius.

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Guest JRCModelRailways

I am slightly curious as to why you would use the toy like Hornby points instead of Peco?  There is little in it length wise between a Peco 2ft radius and a Hornby 2nd radius but the track spacing is a lot closer with the Peco 2ft so saving a lot of width, for appearance and good running especiallr reversing with Hornby tension lock couplers I would stick with 3ft radius.

I do understand that but I am using Hornby points simply to reduce the cost of creating the layout as I already have enough Hornby points for the layout that aren't in use. Therefore, using these would save me money from having to buy Peco ones. I do have 2 Peco points but they are for the other layout I will make at a later date. With this Operation build it layout I was not planning to make this layout up until two weeks ago. Therefore, I have planned this as a basic layout to enter me into layout building therefore, I will use Hornby points as I have them and fit the job of points for my first layout.

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Guest JRCModelRailways

Hello guys I have attached a wiring plan that I made this morning where this is wired for DC operation for the Operation Build It layout. I have followed the magazines wiring diagram but I have included the use of the controllers (which are the black boxes with the circles in ). I have incorporated three different DC controllers into the plan as I want to be able to operate each of the two station lines and the sidings independently. Each of the controllers are colour coded along with the track where the coloured track shows where I think the power would go from the controller. the red lines in the track are insulated rail joiners and the green lines along with the "switch" text are where the switches and wires will be located to feed power from so that I can have an insulated part of the siding to store a loco.

 

I have one question with the cross over point located at the station of the layout. Obviously when I throw the point over to the other point the power from the yellow controller would be lost so I would not be able to control the locomotive with the controller. Therefore, I have included a wire coming off of the track to supply the point with constant power. However, my question would be do I need to have a switch located there or could I directly run a wire to it. If I did run a wire to it would it be to much voltage on the track or would it be the same and have no effect on the controller. Could you also check that this wiring would actually work or if its just my wishing mind :) Thanks

post-14636-0-75451900-1404824049_thumb.png

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I just can't see any situation where you could realistically have locos moving simultaneously in the green and yellow areas.  And for 3 controllers you would need 3 hands anyway, and a multi-tasking brain  :O.   if you combine those sections your problem with the crossover goes away.  You might want to add extra isolating switches at the end of the green and brown sidings, though isolating locos there could be fudged using the isolating properties of the points. I would also set things up so the track sections can be switched to either controller - that way you can switch both sections to the same controller when you want to run across the section break.  That would need a couple of double-pole double-throw (DPDT) switches - Brian's website will doubtless include the necessary wiring diagram somewhere.

 

Hope this helps .....

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Guest JRCModelRailways

I just can't see any situation where you could realistically have locos moving simultaneously in the green and yellow areas.  And for 3 controllers you would need 3 hands anyway, and a multi-tasking brain  :O.   if you combine those sections your problem with the crossover goes away.  You might want to add extra isolating switches at the end of the green and brown sidings, though isolating locos there could be fudged using the isolating properties of the points. I would also set things up so the track sections can be switched to either controller - that way you can switch both sections to the same controller when you want to run across the section break.  That would need a couple of double-pole double-throw (DPDT) switches - Brian's website will doubtless include the necessary wiring diagram somewhere.

 

Hope this helps .....

Thanks for the help. With the moving of locos simultaneously in the green and yellow areas I am planning to operate one line with one controller (yellow line and yellow controller) and the other with another controller (green line and the green controller). I was thinking about isolating the green and yellow line ends but then though the same about the point so have removed that Idea. However, if I was to do this I would remove the crossover points. With setting things up so that track sections can be switched to either controller I though that with the use of three different controllers to control each section that are separated from each other from isolating rail joiners I would be able to operate a locomotive on each of the sections using each of the controllers. When going across the section break I though it would just be the case of setting the two controllers at the same speed so that the locomotive crossing the section would continue moving at roughly the same speed as it did on the other section.

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Guest JRCModelRailways

One controller:

 

attachicon.gifjunction-wiring-sections-2.gif

Thank you for taking the time to produce such a useful wiring diagram. I am wandering how the suggested break in both rails would be achieved. Could you inform me please? Secondly, would the isolator be in the form of a switch to select off so that no power is fed to that section and select on to provide power to that section? Sorry for the questions :)

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Breaks in rails can be achieved in several ways:

- insulated fishplates;

- removing metal fishplates leaving a gap between adjacent rails;

- sawing the rail with a razor saw or piercing saw.

 

The section feeds in my diagram are via single-pole switches. Each section is therefore independently fed from the controller.

 

The isolators in my diagram are a break in one rail only, usually (by convention) in the 'feed' rail of its section. Turning off the section will take power off the whole section regardless of the setting of any isolators in that section.

 

post-133-0-84964000-1404897805.gif

 

More than one controller for such a small layout is a bit silly. You can control only one train at a time. If you really want two controllers, single-pole centre-off switches will be required to select which controller feeds each section.

 

 

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