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I'm still pretty new when it comes to wiring for carpet layouts. Now that I am expanding past a simple oval with a siding to something that will weave from the living room into our guest bedroom in our apartment, I would like to know how you guys hide your wiring? The same layout style of layout will be done when I have a basement to work with "carpet on a raised table and shelving." I would assume it would be beneficial to have a bus for the track power. Also, for lit accessories, do you generally use track power or accessory?I understand using track power would be simpler but I like to have my accessories constantly lit and not depending on my track voltage. All my switches will be O-36 Manual for cost and simplicity. 

 

Also, I am thinking of building a smaller, control stand that will have my CW-80, room for a future dedicated accessory supply and maybe accessory switches for the floor layout. 

 

When I am able to build, I will have bus lines under my table and shelving for both track and accessories for 12,14, and 16 volts with 12 being the most common. 

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If I recall, you will be using FasTrack.

 

You can run a track power bus under the track. Many of the molded bays have notch. Those that don't, I cut one in with diagonal wire cutters. A cut on each side and bend the tab until it breaks off. I did this for my grandson's 4' x 8' loop.

 

He likes to crawl under the table. I didn't want wires under there. So, only two from the transformer near the edge and up through a hole.

 

Accessory wires, they're another story.

Tom, no need to worry, the wires will have plenty of air and will not be sandwiched between material. In the long term scheme of things, i will have on my table drilled holes to feed my wires to a bus. the bus wiring will be a minimum of 14GA, terminated in terminal blocks and the track feed wire will either have their own terminal blocks or using suitcase style connectors. I am no stranger when it comes to electronics.

 

Moonman, You are correct. Fastrack is what I am using. I do have a few feeder sections that have a notch in them. 

 

The one member that pops in mind from the layout I have seen would be Ohio State and his carpet layout. That would be a good example of what I am trying to accomplish, just with a layout that goes into multiple rooms.

If you burn the wife's carpet with the hot wires or get oil on the her white carpet.  YOU HAVE BIG PROBLEMS..........................

 

I got oil on the wife's carpet and she made me build this.....

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I have not gotten any oil on the carpet,  just paint, glug and hot solder,  AND she only comes over to the train building a few times a year and has not notice the paint or glug on the carpet.  Life's great when you are 50 foot from the main house

 

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I had a carpet central from hell for awhile. Since I use mats under the track with a wood base the wires ( 14G insulated speaker wire ) along side and running up connecting to the track. I have had no issues with heat or anything else other than spiders crossing the track and getting hit by the trains. See below pic.  As for accessory power. I use a Z4000 and use the accessory power connections. easiest thing to do is run the wires under the fast track to hide them. The wire will come into view at the turn outs as you cant run the wires under them. I use a buss which is next to the transformer ( TIU-Buss- track and power cut of switches for the yard ) It all depends on what you want to do.

 

 

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Last edited by suzukovich

Do the wires for O gauge really get that warm? I would figure using 14  wire, that should be enough to bus wiring for the cw-80. To be safe and future growth, ill use 12 Ga stranded to safely handle future transformers. 

 

I am use to modeling HO scale where the power requirements are much smaller then o. 

 

Suzukovich, 

I assume the mats you used were bath mats? This is the first I have heard of this technique and maybe one worth looking into. 

 

Edit: Found this link https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/t...ly=22547924382665555

Last edited by zackesch
Originally Posted by zackesch:

 

Moonman, You are correct. Fastrack is what I am using. I do have a few feeder sections that have a notch in them. 

 

 

zackesch,

Here's a photo of the notches which make a channel. Not the side roadbed cuts on terminal tracks. Not all have them, so, like said, a pair of cutters will quickly make one.

 

Fastrack Bottom

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If you run #16 or larger wires under your track base, you shouldn't have any heat issues from the wires.  If those wires get hot, you're feeding them with a LOT of current.  You're far more likely to generate heat where the wires connect to the track or at other connection points that can have resistance.

 

In any case, make sure you have good circuit protection at the transformer feeding the wiring to insure any shorts will interrupt the current and not create excessive heat.

 

I have built many floor layouts over the years. I have found that there are ways to hide the wires in plain sight. The key is not to run the wires helter skelter all over the place, but route them together in bundles (dress the wires). I try to square off the corners and route along tracks. If a group of wires must go under a track, I do it all at the same place. I make wire routes on the floor, and as a last step wrap the bundles with wire ties or extra wires. Not perfect, but it helps.  Here is a picture of what I mean

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Originally Posted by CBS072:

If you burn the wife's carpet with the hot wires or get oil on the her white carpet.  YOU HAVE BIG PROBLEMS..........................

 

I got oil on the wife's carpet and she made me build this.....

100_1809

100_1926

I have not gotten any oil on the carpet,  just paint, glug and hot solder,  AND she only comes over to the train building a few times a year and has not notice the paint or glug on the carpet.  Life's great when you are 50 foot from the main house

 

What kind of oil and where did you put it?? How much oil? probably  not much. right.

Originally Posted by zackesch:

I'm still pretty new when it comes to wiring for carpet layouts. Now that I am expanding past a simple oval with a siding to something that will weave from the living room into our guest bedroom in our apartment, I would like to know how you guys hide your wiring? The same layout style of layout will be done when I have a basement to work with "carpet on a raised table and shelving." I would assume it would be beneficial to have a bus for the track power. Also, for lit accessories, do you generally use track power or accessory?I understand using track power would be simpler but I like to have my accessories constantly lit and not depending on my track voltage. All my switches will be O-36 Manual for cost and simplicity. 

 

Also, I am thinking of building a smaller, control stand that will have my CW-80, room for a future dedicated accessory supply and maybe accessory switches for the floor layout. 

 

When I am able to build, I will have bus lines under my table and shelving for both track and accessories for 12,14, and 16 volts with 12 being the most common. 

Burned wire marks into the carpet one time with a ZW. We were banished from the carpet forever. It may have been the suggestion of making little slits since there were now marks of opportunity showing... Have given kids FastTrack ovals, agree the notching has worked best. Especially when paired with a modern transformer!! 

Any connection in the wire runs the risk, however small, of having a high resistance joint.  That's where the heat will develop.

 

The "perfect" solution?  There probably isn't one.  However, minimizing the number of joints under the track is the best idea.  Where you connect a drop to the track, probably an insulating sheet of some fireproof material would be a good idea

Gregg......  The oil was from the engine and car wheels and the carpet was white.  Not much oil and I had too clean and clean to get the carpet so that she did not notice any more oily carpet.  But 3 years and one move later I got a train building.

 

With the new transformers the problem of hot wires is most likely very small.  Gunrunnerjohn's ideal of using a insulating sheet of fireproof material would stop the wires from burning the carpet and also help keep oil and dirt off of the carpet.

Last edited by CBS072
Originally Posted by zackesch:

Just a wild idea, what if a terminal block is attached under the track. I think that will complement both manufactured and altered wire grooves in the supplied track. with the terminal blocks attached to a 10" straight, it would be nothing to drop a lead and screw it on the bus. 

Almost all of the FasTrack has 2 sets of track terminals. One feed from the transformer and the rest can just jumper from track to track, about every 10'. (small pieces do not)

 

The bus is actually a series connection from the first track.

Originally Posted by zackesch:

I thought about that technique, but my concern at the time was it would still suffer from voltage drop and that the only way to do a bus was to have a main pipeline so to speak and your terminals would then tap off that main. 

It's like hiding the bus under the track. Many good ideas have been presented by folks here.

 

"hiding" the wires in plain view looks good if you twist the red/black or colored pairs.

One gentleman does it that way with his $100k Standard gauge train in a huge room. He likes to change his layout a lot. See Dr. Folb's layout at the end of this thread.

 

Whichever way works for you. It's your layout.

Last edited by Moonman

Very cool link. I can relate with his mindset. "I know how my mind works, I get bored easily and am always looking for new challenges..." I can completely agree with him as I am also always in a "What can be done" and my favorite question "What if" state of mind. In all honesty, because of model railroading, it led to my career as a machine designer. My favorite part of this hobby is tinkering, designing track plans, and the hands on electronics. That is why I prefer conventional control, more electronic projects that I can do. 

Originally Posted by ogaugenut:

 

I have built many floor layouts over the years. I have found that there are ways to hide the wires in plain sight. The key is not to run the wires helter skelter all over the place, but route them together in bundles (dress the wires). I try to square off the corners and route along tracks. If a group of wires must go under a track, I do it all at the same place. I make wire routes on the floor, and as a last step wrap the bundles with wire ties or extra wires. Not perfect, but it helps.  Here is a picture of what I mean

IMGP6451

You have "a few" more wires than mine, but I do something similar with bundling them and then I actually run them under the o-gauge tubular ties.  I find it helps keep them neat and directs them.  if you need to make a sharp turn after the tie, put a piece of black electrical tape on the edge of the tie so it doesn't chafe the wire and cause a short.

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