acrking76 posted:I have about a 35 foot long layout with my TIU placed around the center of it and 2 large wires going off to each ends where there is 2 terminal blocks that go off to the tracks. I am scoring 1-4 on the Track Signal test that Ps2 and Ps3 engines have, I am pretty sure this has something to do with my wiring of the terminal blocks. I have check the individual wires and am pretty sure the problem is the long wires from the main terminal and the terminals themselves not distributing the connection properly.
Photos of the terminals are attached, they have few wires in them because i currently only have a single track down but I plan to have 3 main lines once I figure out my wiring connection problems.
Also, My Lionel engines work fine with no connection issues, and I am planning to try and get MTH terminal blocks and see if they distribute the connection properly.
I use Atlas O track.
Even without individual track blocks, your signal strength should be higher than 1-4, if the track is wired properly.
Based on your own comments, the terminal strips you have may, indeed, be wired incorrectly. I find using the MTH terminal blocks to be very easy to use. Just run your TIU output to the black and red posts on the MTH terminal block and then run pairs of wires from each numbered port to your track drops. Hopefully, this will straighten it out and you can then create individual track blocks, if you find it is necessary. Unless you have a very large run, I would use 14 gauge wire from the TIU to the MTH block and then 16 gauge to the track.
The MTH terminal blocks come in both 12 and 24 port models.
