How I Install DCC Power Bus Wiring

[@peterperkins2624]

This is the best, simplest video I have seen about wiring bus (buses). I makes since to see what you have shown.

[@tanzj]

Thank you Peter for watching and your comments……John

[@johnnyrailer]

Very cool update on how your doing your wiring. Yes bulk is cheaper! Great tip on the tape. Keep up the great work!

[@tanzj]

model railer More wiring stuff to come.

[@juergenamlinger4410]

Show a video. On how to make your districts and do you use a booster for each district

[@tanzj]

Thanks for the question Juergen. No I don’t use a booster for each power district. I use an NCE 5 amp Power Pro DCC system that feeds 8 DCC Specialties PSX circuit breakers that then provide the power out to each district similar to the way a home has a breaker panel that sends power out to each circuit. I also have 4 PSX-AR auto reversers that are powered by the same 5 amp system. I have constant voltage throughout the 15’ x 25’ layout (N scale). As for the each individual district (4 in staging and 4 on the main level), all I did was try to balance out the number of track feeders in each of them. I did not calculate how many engines and other items that would be drawing power in a given section of the layout. This layout was planned and designed in 2012 using a cad program where I laid out everything and marked where each feeder was to be placed and numbered using a MSFT Excel spreadsheet. I also use SPDT power cutoff switches on all of my 26 staging tracks plus 17 on the main level. This also removes the power draw for engines, especially the sound equipped ones. Does that help answer your question?….John

[@SkipRoGlo]

Great video. One question: I have planned one track that has it power wires at least 4’6” from the bus wire. Is it too far away? Will it lose power?

[@tanzj]

Thank you for watching and your question. It would depend on the gauge of wire you use. For example, I used 12 for my main bus and if the feeders were too far from it then I connected 14 to the main bus and then distributed the power from a barrier strip that was connected to the 14 and then up to the feeders. I have a large N scale layout, 15ft x 25ft, and have constant voltage throughout all of my track. In any event, I would recommend going to the “wiringfordcc” website. He has lots of information pertaining to voltage drop with various gauges of wire as well as a lot of other DCC wiring topics. I found that most questions that I had were answered on that website. Hope that helps answer your question…..John

[@SkipRoGlo]

@@tanzj thank you

[@tanzj]

@@SkipRoGloyou are very welcome

[@uptownphotography]

Excellent video. What brand wire are you using for your buss and what gauge is it? I need to buy buss wire and looking to buy hopefully a large amount to get a better price as I need to wire about 350' to 400' of main line. Your brand wire and if solid wire (or twisted) would be helpful to know before I buy..Thanks in advance. Phil

[@tanzj]

Hi Phil, I used 12 awg stranded that I bought at Home Depot. I got the large reel as it was less expensive than buying the smaller ones. My layout (N scale) is 15’ x 25’ so I did not want any voltage drop. I have 8 power districts with each using the 12 awg as their main bus. My dad was an electrician so I sort of wired the layout like a house, i.e., from a central location with a circuit breaker for each district. Using the 12 awg stranded wire gave the layout a standard 14 volts no matter where it was measured. I would not recommend using 12 solid as it would be very hard to bend. The website, wiringfordccdcc, has a great discussion on recommendations for wire gauge based on size of layout. I hope that I have answered your question. If you have other questions please ask. Thanks…..John

[@uptownphotography]

@@tanzj Thanks for the detailed reply, It is very helpful. I actually have high grade copper oxygen free 12awg stranded wire that I bought about 3 years ago, (I have about 200 feet of 2 conductor wire so I am glad to hear that will work. That will save me from buying solid wire. The DCC Guy on his channel used the stranded also and has a great video explaining this. So basically it sound's like I need to find a Central location so that I can fan out in two directions to use the wire more wisely as to not waste it. I am not sure where that location is yet as my layout will have about 400 feet of main line when all the track is laid. (I have about 250 feet laid right now). Not sure how I make the districts yet without having to run wire in the same direction multiple times to divide them mainline into districts. Thanks very much for you information. Appreciated. Phil Jersey Shore Area

[@tanzj]

@@uptownphotography Many DCC people will say that you have to calculate how much power you will be requiring for each district based upon all of the items that draw power such as engines, turnout motors, passenger cars with lighting etc. I just tried to balance the number of track feeders between all 8 of mine. I have 4 in staging and 4 on the main level. I just picked a place for the power distribution that was sort of in the middle of the layout and close to a plug….John

[@uptownphotography]

@@tanzj Thanks John. Good advice and helpful. Enjoy your Sunday. Today, I am working on my harbor scene and also some scenery. Happy Modeling... Phil

[@WeMustRebell]

John, great video. Just what I needed as I am in the beginning stages of a new layout. How do you connect the 12 gauge wire to those tiny connectors most DCC boosters or command stations have?

[@tanzj]

Thank you for watching and your comments. The 12 gauge wire is not directly connected to the booster/command station such as the NCE Ph Pro 5 amp system that I have on my layout. The output from my booster (18 or 16 gauge stranded) goes to a euro style barrier strip and then is sent to the 8 circuit breakers and 4 auto-reversers via 12 gauge wire. The output from the circuit breakers creates the 8 main power buses on my layout and it is all 12 gauge. The distribution from the main buses to the feeders is a combination of 14 gauge to euro style barrier strips and from there power is distributed to the feeders with 18 gauge connected via bayonet connectors to the 22 gauge feeders that are then soldered to the tracks. I know that is more than you asked but I thought that it might be of interest. The entire layout has the same voltage everywhere. I thought that the 12 gauge main bus structure was important since my layout is large. Let me know if you want more information…..John

[@Deltabravo604]

Everything I have ever read said do not twist your bus for DCC. It can cause an electric field which can interfere with your DCC signal.

[@tanzj]

Hi & thanks for the comment. I have read many articles that talk about large layouts (one of which is mine) that states that twisting the track bus wires help to reduce inductance. A excellent source of this is Mark Gurries web site and his article about DCC Best Practices, Snubber & RC filter and then paragraph 11 where he discusses large layout track bus wiring and twisting the cables. I am not an electrical engineer so I am not going to argue the point. Your method may work just fine and in some cases some of the DCC requirements are based on the system that you use.....John

[@rogersrailroadproductions9185]

@JohnTanzillo Does the brand of the bus wire matter?What specifically am I looking for when I buy bus wire from the store...I actually started working at The Home Depot and have an oo gauge model railroad at home.I know some wires say car stereo wire and others say something else...what kind/style/brand am I looking for? Thanks for your help!

[@tanzj]

Roger, Thanks for your questions. I just look for stranded wire and the brand is immaterial. I have purchased all of my 12AWG & 14AWG plus some 24 AWG speaker wire from Home Depot. They don't carry 18AWG or 22AWG stranded so I have to get them from either on-line or sometimes from Ace Hardware. Since I am in N-scale, I use 22AWG for track feeders which is probably what you want to use for oo gauge. The stranded wire is easier to work with (my preference) but there is no reason that solid can not be used. I'd recommend looking at this website wiringfordcc.com for pointers on wire. The key thing with DCC is to maintain the voltage throughout your layout. That website will have a lot of discussion concerning voltage drop with different gauges of wire. Hope that helps.....John

[@michaelstanco8508]

you never show us the wire just the color insulation...I am looking to know if their is 12 or 14 gauge SOLID CORE wire available in red and green insulation....why I watched the video....does any one know the answere to my question...ps don't twist wire dcc corruption.

[@tanzj]

Michael, It is 12 AWG stranded. The solid core version of 12 AWG wire is too hard to bend. You can use solid if you want but I prefer stranded. The color of the wire insulation is not that important just as long you are consistent, i.e., due to the availability of the 12 AWG stranded wire, I've had to switch the red to black and the green to white, especially with 18 AWG wire. Usually, when I switch a color, I will put a wrap of electrical tape to reflect the color it has been switched to. For example, a piece of green tape on a white wire. Additionally, the bus wires for all of my 8 power districts all have color coded strips of tape on them every so many feet (as they are twisted) to indicate which bus it is. All of that information is written down near my command station/booster. The DCC power bus per several DCC websites (as well as from the NCE website) require twisting every so many feet. I do not use snubbers at the end of each bus......John

[@bricefischer4667]

Great info !

[@tanzj]

Brice, There are lots of ways to wire up DCC but this is the way that I did it and it still works great. There is basically very little voltage drop around the entire layout. Typically I measure 14 volts on the track. I prefer stranded because it is easier to work with & it was less expensive to buy the wire in the larger reel since it is very easy to use 100’ of wire. I believe that there’s around a half a mile of various gauges of wire under the layout from 22 up to 12.....John

[@FBMRR]

Thanks for sharing. Awesome size layout. What are those breakers u are using? Im having trouble with the NCE breakers right now.

[@tanzj]

Hi Rick, Even though I have a NCE 5 amp Pro DCC system I opted to use DCC Specialties PSX circuit breakers.They are not cheap but they work great. There are a total of 8 circuit breakers, four for staging & four for the main level. I spent the time to figure out how many track feeders I had and then tried to divide them up as evenly as possible for each circuit. Some may have a couple more than others but that was the way that I did it. I also have four reversing sections where I used the DCC Specialties PSX-AR auto reversers. They were also not cheap but work flawlessly.....John

[@dougmckay9524]

hi nice video I have to rewire my nscale so iam using a main bust line 14 gage but I don't understand when I come to a switch could you explain

[@tanzj]

My DCC system is NCE and I use PSX circuit breakers for each power district. There are a total of 8 power districts (4 on the main/third level & 4 on the staging level). From each of the circuit breakers, I run a power bus (I used 12 AWG stranded, overkill but that's the way that I do things) the full length of the power district. The feeders for each power district (22 AWG about 3 inches long with a solder-less crimped connector on the end) are then extended to a euro-style terminal strip with a section of 18 AWG stranded wire (the end connecting to the feeder has the other solder-less crimped connector). Jumpers (18 AWG solid wire) are used to connect like polarity. A section of 14 AWG stranded is then run from each end of the terminal strip to the main bus wire for that power district and connected to the bus using 3M IDC 567 suitcase style connectors. The wiring method that I use has made the wiring very easy to troubleshoot due to its modularity. During the wiring process, all connections are tested for continuity and for the correct polarity. As for wiring turnouts, I use Peco (the N-Scale versions are a bit different than the HO versions). Since I do not isolate the electrofrog, the turnout must use either insulated joiners (other means to cut the power) after the frog. Peco turnouts need to be fed power from their base, so after each turnout and before the next one (as in a yard) I usually install at least a short piece of track to feed the next turnout. The website, www.wiringfordcc.com/switches.htm, is a great source of information for how to wire various switches/turnouts. If I missed answering your question, please let me know.

[@elsdp-4560]

THANK YOU...for sharing. Is it necessary to twist the buss wire?

[@tanzj]

Yes at least 3-4 turns per foot. It helps to prevent cross-talk/interference with the command line on my NCE system. Additionally, the command line should cross the bus at right angles if at all possible...John

[@elsdp-4560]

Is that just for NCE or all DCC system?

[@tanzj]

It's recommended for all DCC systems that have long power bus runs. I'd recommend going to wiringfordcc.com/track_2.htm. That is a great web site for helping you with installing DCC. Hope that helps...John

[@tomlawton7087]

If you don't keep the wires adjacent, it increases the inductance of the bus, and therefore the sharp edges of the square wave are softened, which makes the communication less reliable. Good to see this being emphahsised, and also a protocol to keep wiring identified.

[@Makitaization]

Why didn't you use 3 inch thick steel plate for the benchwork? I dont think 3/4 inch plywood is quite heavy enough for those massive N gauge trains.

[@tanzj]

+Makitaization Thanks for the interesting comment. I like the performance of the thicker plywood. I have used thinner (3/8") in the past and found that the thinner stuff was not as stable, especially on curves, due to the lack of plys. In fact, the thicker plywood that I use is cabinet grade (on sale) so it has even more plys than normal 3/4" plywood. It also was a good match for mating the spline helixes with the plywood as they were about the same thickness, give or take a millimeter or two.

[@billrundell2097]

How often in feet, do we need to repower a train track at different locations.

[@tanzj]

Bill, The usual guideline that I follow is to feed power to about every three (3) feet of track or each piece of flex track. I solder all track joints except I don't solder turnouts to the previous section of track. I do that because I want to be able to easily replace the turnout if need be. A good source for DCC wirining is the following website - www.wiringfordcc.com. Hope that helps...John

[@phil36310]

Hi John, how long are your "district" buses ? Is 30 feet either side of a booster the maximum lenght to provide "non poluted" DCC signals and power ? What's your experience ? I'm planning a layout of about 210 feet long main line - kind of dubbel loop. I have only the 'NCE Power Cab' so far. Can I start with this outfit ? Thanks and kind regards from France.

[@tanzj]

Filip, Thank for watching and your question. Here are a couple of recommendations - I found two places that really helped me, Allan Gartner's web site - wiringfordcc.com. Second, the following KZbin channel, arthurhouston3. Art has an entire section of videos on using various NCE products. General Information - The NCE Power Cab is a nice self contained starter DCC system. I started out with the Power Cab myself and use it as a Pro Cab now. Depending on the scale of your layout, HO or N, will determine how many things, such as engines, stationary decoders, etc, that can be run at one time. The Power Cab is a modular system so if you think that you need more power then you can add another power booster (check the NCE site for the latest one) to your Power Cab. The one thing that you need to really pay attention to is where your command cable to additional plug-ins along the length of your layout. They need to be perpendicular (as close as possible) if they cross your power bus (Art Houston’s channel shows this in detail). Also, make sure you twist your power bus wires (as I recall it is about 3 turns per foot) as this will also reduce RF interference. Also, if the command line (it has to be continuous from the Command Station/Booster) is over a certain length (it is somewhere around 60 to 80 ft as I recall), you will need to add a “wall wart” to boost the signal. I got mine from the Litchfield Station Hobby Shop. I believe that Art Houston’s videos have a good discussion of the command line and how to make your own rather than buying ready made ones as well as how to lay one out. Don't forget to check to make sure you don't have a hidden reversing loop. There are lots of ways to solve it, to include removing it by redesigning the track plan or using an auto-reversing circuit. My Layout Specifics - I put my NCE command station/booster (NCE CS/B) and the PSX Circuit breakers as close as possible to the center of the layout between the east helix (near Union Station) and the west helix that is near the building entry door just opposite the east helix. Within a couple of feet, they are probably about 30 feet in each direction from the NCE CS/B (so to answer your district length question, they are all roughly 30 feet (give or take) long. I have 8 power districts, 4 on the staging level and 4 on the main and third level. All of the main bus wiring starts at the cabinet where I have the NCE CS/B & circuit breakers. It is wired similar to a house from a centralized circuit breaker box out to the 8 power districts. I did not use a "snubber" at the end of any of the power runs but ensured that each end was used as a track power feed and I have not had any issues. I based the size of each power district on the number of track feeders and divided them up as evenly as possible. Any place that engines will be parked for long periods of time, such as in the lower staging yards, Union Station area, and engine facility, all got power cut-off switches. Basically a SPDT switch with one power bus wire going to the switch. This is a really long answer and I hope that I have answered your question…..John

[@tanzj]

Filip, Thank for watching and your question. Here are a couple of recommendations - I found two places that really helped me, Allan Gartner's web site - wiringfordcc.com. Second, the following KZbin channel, arthurhouston3. Art has an entire section of videos on using various NCE products. General Information - The NCE Power Cab is a nice self contained starter DCC system. I started out with the Power Cab myself and use it as a Pro Cab now. Depending on the scale of your layout, HO or N, will determine how many things, such as engines, stationary decoders, etc, that can be run at one time. The Power Cab is a modular system so if you think that you need more power then you can add another power booster (check the NCE site for the latest one) to your Power Cab. The one thing that you need to really pay attention to is where your command cable to additional plug-ins along the length of your layout. They need to be perpendicular (as close as possible) if they cross your power bus (Art Houston’s channel shows this in detail). Also, make sure you twist your power bus wires (as I recall it is about 3 turns per foot) as this will also reduce RF interference. Also, if the command line (it has to be continuous from the Command Station/Booster) is over a certain length (it is somewhere around 60 to 80 ft as I recall), you will need to add a “wall wart” to boost the signal. I got mine from the Litchfield Station Hobby Shop. I believe that Art Houston’s videos have a good discussion of the command line and how to make your own rather than buying ready made ones as well as how to lay one out. My Layout Specifics - I put my NCE command station/booster (NCE CS/B) and the PSX Circuit breakers as close as possible to the center of the layout between the east helix (near Union Station) and the west helix that is near the building entry door just opposite the east helix. Within a couple of feet, they are probably about 30 feet in each direction from the NCE CS/B (so to answer your district length question, they are all roughly 30 feet (give or take) long. I have 8 power districts, 4 on the staging level and 4 on the main and third level. All of the main bus wiring starts at the cabinet where I have the NCE CS/B & circuit breakers. It is wired similar to a house from a centralized circuit breaker box out to the 8 power districts. I did not use a "snubber" at the end of any of the power runs but ensured that each end was used as a track power feed and I have not had any issues. I based the size of each power district on the number of track feeders and divided them up as evenly as possible. Any place that engines will be parked for long periods of time, such as in the lower staging yards, Union Station area, and engine facility, all got power cut-off switches. Basically a SPDT switch with one power bus wire going to the switch. This is a really long answer and I hope that I have answered your question…..John

[@phil36310]

Hi John, Thank you so much for your very clear answers, recommandations, tips and link ! The picture becomes clearer now. My layout 18' x 23' will be HO - Peco code 100 track (I have a lot of rolling stock from the 80's). Min. radius is 24" but most 'blobs' are up to 30". Max grade 1,5%. Train lenght max 51"; I intend to keep all wiring for signalisation, turnout control etc. on a separate 'bus'. It's a mix of American / European style. (I'm Belgian - Flemish but live in the centre of France). I used to have a Modelrailroad mag. subsciption but now prefer the Model Railroad Hobbyist free emag. A lot of info but seeing a video like yours is tremendous help. I have posted a pre-project trackplan of the Anneliesville RR on page 33 of MHR Trackplan database. I will update the final plan. Thanks again for your 'long' answer but indeed most helpful. Thank you for this effort and your time !!! All the best... Filip

[@tanzj]

Hey Filip, You are very welcome as I believe that this is exactly how KZbin helps all of the model railroaders around the world. Let me know if you have any additional questions as I will be glad to help you or point you to someone that I know can help with any particular issue you may run into. By the way, I am located a little south of Austin, TX. Your layout sounds like it will be a lot of fun to build. I also blog on MRH as I have come to enjoy that magazine much better than MR even though I still have a subscription......John

[@phil36310]

Hey John, I hope you are well ! Thanks for your help, I appreciate your efforts and time. Nice to know where you live in the USA. I'll have a look on Google maps !My Anneliesville is in the 8 dec MRH. I already made a modification to the plan after input from fellow MR's and as you mention it's nice to be in the family of Model railroaders. It is a great source for info and also the friendships. I have to look up your blog on MRH ! Meanwhile I've been studying the Bluetooth train control via a mobile device. BlueRail seems to have a system established that works simple and effecient (Bachmann EZ)... and less expensive than a upgrade on DCC for me. The advantage being the wireless control and just normal 6 to 20 V. DC power supply to the rails. No boosters, no circuit protection etc. A decoder cost about 75$ and it seem possible to transfer the sound into a speaker cube. A parallel system is the Monocacy at half the price - but not a lot of echo on this product. There's a lot involved in building a room-size layout ! But interesting. All the best !

[@gvet47]

This is the first video I have seen where someone has planned out a layout this large and have paper templates made of the whole thing! Wonder what planning software and size of printer used to get this done?

[@tanzj]

Hi, Thank you for watching and your comments. I used software (Mac only) from Germany (you can get it either direct or from the Apple App Store) called RailModeller. It costs less than $40. I tested out a bunch of different programs (both free & paid for) before I picked that one, both for the Mac & PC (I own an older copy of Cadrail) to find out which one I could use to easily understand & document the already built twin double-track helixes (helices). I picked the one that won, RailModeller, back in 2011 (it had all of the templates for various manufacturer's N-scale track & turnouts (I use primarily Peco but some Atlas too). Most of the design programs today, both paid for & free, are probably pretty capable of doing what I did to include a 1 to 1 print out of the design. When I used RailModeller to print my design, it took three (3) reams of 8-12" x 11" printer paper on my Epson home printer. It had a numbering system & witness marks so it was easy to assemble & glue down to the plywood. If I wanted to make a change, then it was easy to go into the program, make the change, and print out just the part that changed. By following the printout, I was able to ensure that the turnouts were in the exact place that was in the design. Let me know if you have any other questions....John

[@LJRLowevilleJunctionRailroad]

I hope I never have to do that, I would be lost forever, lol. Great update, thanks for sharing. Thanks for the sub, I subbed you back, Linda 🚂🙂👍🏻

[@tanzj]

Thanks Linda. It is a large layout for N-scale with 8 power districts & 4 reversing loops so it had to have lots of wiring....John

[@Prathapan75]

Thanks for the Video clip! Sorry for chiming in, I would appreciate your thoughts. Have you heard about - Januke Henatalie Formula (google it)? It is a smashing one of a kind product for operating a model railroad without the headache. Ive heard some awesome things about it and my mate finally got excellent success with it.

[@tanzj]

Thank you for watching and your comments.......John

[@duenge]

Would you like to adopt a 55 year old man?....

[@tanzj]

+duenge Sorry but I'm full up on family members. Are you having issues with DCC wiring (power or command lines)? Before I started, I bought all of the books that I could find on the subject. They really were not much help. However, much of the literature is aimed at small layouts. Remember it is just "two wires" but they fail to really help you understand the nuances. The wiringfordcc website is a decent source as well as asking questions on KZbin or on various forums....John

[@duenge]

Just starting out with a small layout, probably a door. I just bought a Digitrax DCS 51, (Zephyr). I don't even have a loco yet! I really enjoyed your video...thanks.