@Arnold D. Cribari posted:Ritchie, thanks for your input.
I used the ground bus wire and terminal strips to reduce the length and amount of wires under my layout and near my transformers.
Your idea of using paired wire would also reduce the number of wires under the layout but, if I understand your approach correctly, I would need a lot more MTH Terminal Blocks (MTH TBs) than the two 12 post MTB TBs that I currently have. Also, I have a lot of lock-ons (35) on my 40 foot layout with 2 main line loops with 4 reverse loops (one on each end) and 9 sidings. I believe if I did what you propose, I would have a lot more long wires under my layout than what I will have when I complete my re-wiring scheme.
You're right that it would use slightly more wire and longer runs but, to me, those are non-issues and more than offset by, a) only having to essentially make one connection from the MTB to the lock-on versus having to make two connections to the lock-on doing it your way - positive from the MTB to the lock-on and negative from the ground terminal strip to the lock-on and b) the ease of identifying which wire goes to which lock-on if you ever have an issue (the MTB comes with a nice pre-printed sheet so you can list which port goes to which connection) - your way you have to make up your own sheet (not a big deal), but then identify which two wires are going to each lock-on.
If running out of ports on the 12 port MTB is an issue, you have two alternatives - one, you can string (daisy chain) together multiple 12 port MTB's by simply using one port on the first MTB to connect to the red and black posts on the next MTB or you can always go to the 24 port MTB's, which would give you 24 lock-on connections per handle/loop and, of course, you can always string more 12 or 24 port MRB's to those if you don't have enough.
