@Don Merz 070317 posted:Well, you've heard from the prosecution, so let me make a statement for the defense. I LOVE your "invention". In fact, I've been using it for years for all my outer rails. I have copper-clad board at strategic locations around the layout, all wired together and all drops from my outer rails go to these boards using solder connections at both ends.
But all types of connections have their place. For the hot wires, I have 4 junction boxes around the edge of the layout from which I can access any power needed--the center rail for the two nearby local blocks (I use 8 blocks--too many--it probably should have been 4 blocks), 12VDC for LEDs, Miller signs, and etc., and 14VAC for switch machines, accessories and so on. The junction boxes are fed from a cabinet with 12VDC "ham-radio-type" power supplies and a big variac turned way down to 14VAC. At the top of the cabinet is a big line filter that (I hope) cleans the power before it gets onto the layout.
Anyway, pix below. Every setup is different I guess. I just looked for lowest-cost solutions at every step and this is what I ended up with. Everything from copper clad board to terminal strips to spade lug connectors is from my substantial junk box.
Don Merz
Arnold and Don,
Here are two terminal strips/boards that power two rooms full of my table layout. A third, twice the size, came from the old attic layout and powers the third room. Two ZW's, a Z4000, and two small transformers for the trolley lines.
This was over 10 years ago, the beginning of the layout. Pretty crude, but it all works and always has on multiple layouts over the years. Never a problem with these homemade devices.
It's a wire mess under the tables. I'd love to rewire and take advantage of the new connectors and such. It would be nice to clean it all up, color code and label everything but, I haven't the energy or inspiration. The overhead and the new N scale layout get run a lot more than this huge table layout because they are both prominent in the rec room.
Good luck, Arnold, with your wiring project!
Jerry
