David98 posted:I am designing and seeking bids on a garage addition with a second-story project/fun room, which will have a train layout in part of it at first, among other things, and perhaps become an entire train room when my son goes to college. My contractor has questions that I am unable to answer - primarily, how many amps of service will I need?
On a side note, I saw a post a few years ago where someone made a good suggestion - to have a separate master/relay switch of some kind at the entrance to the room, tied to a separate light, so you can tell definitively and at a glance whether ALL power to ALL transformers, accessories, &C is off when you leave the room for the day. Also useful when doing electrical work on the layout, I would imagine.
So ... while a more modest layout is planned for now, in the (perhaps dubious) event that I do some day get to build the fantasy layout, I do not want to have to deal with a new circuit box and more amps down the road, but am trying to plan ahead and have it done during the construction phase. Can anyone suggest how much electrical service would be needed at the high end to run a large 3-rail layout with heavy scale trains and accessories?
And are there any other suggestions out there from those with experience? Things you either did later, or never did but wished you had thought of at the construction phase?
Many thanks!
David
David, as a retired master electrician, I was able to do my own electrical from design to completion for my basement Run Room. I installed a sub panel fed off a 220V breaker in the main panel. The main purpose of the sub panel was ease of wiring. Your major load upstairs will be your lighting. Standard household 15 amp circuits makes wiring easier and more practical for switch wall receptacles. Switch bottom half of plugs.
See power control wall switches in Run Room (for 6 15A circuits). Upper switches control can lights. The lower row of switches controls the bottom of wall plugs that are spaced around the room according to NEC (code).
I'll be happy to go into specifics off line if you wish.
