John Patrick posted:Just getting back into setting up my old Lionel Train. It has been many years. After our move I finally have space to set it up. I have been watching the videos for wiring the layout. I see that Lionel talks about using 16 gauge braided wire for the bus line for both hot and ground to the track. I plan to use the Lionel power wire 6-12053 as the feeder to the track. In looking at the literature I cannot find what gauge that power wire is. Someone told me it may be 22 to 24 gauge. Is there any problem in attaching a 22 to 24 gauge power wire to the 16 gauge bus? Also since I will have some 16 gauge wire left over from the bus I was planning on using that 16 gauge wire as a bus for my accessories. Lionel also talks about using telephone wire for the switches in that they use very little amps. Again is there any problem to using the phone wire red hot wire to the 16 gauge accessory bus?
The Lionel wire is too small of a gauge - it is only 18awg You can get the terminals to crimp onto the wire to make connectors for FasTrack.
Here for non-insulated and here for insulated The crimp is different for non-insulated, some tools do not have it.
The easiest wire to get in one cable today is called thermostat wire - the telephone wire of today is computer Cat5 or Cat6. 4 or 5 wire thermostat wire. 5 wire provides a spare in case one goes bad. Some like the flat 4 wire cable that few train vendors sell. It is a little more expensive.
