WATCH THIS before you wire your model railroad!

[@toddarmstrong.trackside.action]

Great looking wiring Mike. I love my WAGOs...

[@randygates364]

These things are great. They make a solid foolproof connection. So much easier to use than RDC connectors, especially for an old guy like me who doesn’t like crawling around under his layout!

[@SecondSectionPodcast]

Even us young guys don't like crawling under the layout! The less time down there the better!!! Thanks for watching - Andy

[@kenr86]

I've been replacing a lot of terminal blocks with wago connectors at our club layout - got rid of lots of intermittent power issues. They are certainly the way to go.

[@dundasjunctionmodelr.r-jam8267]

Excellent you solved a problem I was trying to figure out, I use the Waco connectors but have improved the way to hook up feeders and your buss wires

[@jdietrich9102]

I use Wago connectors super glued to the sides of my Tortoise motors. Solder leads from the motor board insert into the Wagos. Now connect, disconnect and reconnect multiple feeds to the Wago all day long with no problem.

[@doug4932]

Wired in a new PM4 on our layout last year, Used these to connect the wires. They are awesome. Use them at work as well to test run productsBeen opening and closing same ones for 2 years not. still good

[@dodo1opps]

I can Daisy chain 2 or 3 of these in series for the power and 2 or 3 more for the common as I DCC rewire of my layout.

[@SecondSectionPodcast]

It's a cool way to wire up your layout. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@JeffShultz]

I've been doing a lot of wiring under my layout recently, both on the DCC bus and 12v accessories bus. I now have a lot of both types of 5-wire lever locks on both buses. The mounting brackets are hard to find and kind of spendy, but the actual lever locks are great.

[@johnpadams8079]

The small rectangle hole on the top of the connector is a test point for a volt meter probe in case you were wondering 😊

[@bncsystemsshortline]

Wow this is awesome!!!! I never new of these. Thanks for sharing this!

[@larryjanson4011]

simple suitcase connectors are quick, cheap. and can be used any place. even reused as needed. you can even add them in after the fact. no need to cut/strip wires to add another one of these thingies. worried about open wires after removing a suitcase. just apply a tiny dab of liquid electrical tape.

[@RonStanek]

Good how to, info video Mike.👍

[@stewarttrains98]

Ive been looking at using these on future layout work myself. While it cost money, the time it takes if you need to change something later is way easier. Thats the plus side is flexibility over soldering under a layout.

[@SecondSectionPodcast]

These have been a godsend

[@johnbarrett1028]

I use the gray 'knock off's & they are very reliable. I believe a more accurate concern is the more mechanical connectors U subject Ur main bus to, the more voltage drop U may have the farther U go. What could greatly reduce that is to solder in a drop from Ur main bus in the same guage by stripping a small section of the bus-NOT cutting it-& soldering the 'drop' on. In a recent Email w/ NCE, they confirmed this.

[@patrickd9551]

Ever since WAGO style clamps were popularized here the price dropped significantly. A box of 50 can be had for 15 euros around here. 7 dollars for a box of 10 is just theft if you ask me, if you look around I'm sure you can get them cheaper. I personally haven't seen any electrician that doesn't use them.

[@davebnsfnscale4433]

Been using both of those types,easy peasy

[@MrWolfmantim]

Thanks Mike! I run Little WORLD Charity and am learning on the fly about setting up a 400 square foot O scale display. My question is, using 14 gauge for my bus wire, and 18 gauge for feeder wires, can I put two feeder wires into one connection hole (and thus get two feeders coing from one connection hole)?

[@billbruff9613]

I know these are popular but I would encourage people to also look at the Anderson Power Clips which are impossible to cross connect, so no shorts and no fire hazard.

[@1mash]

This is awesome!

[@morganfbilbo462]

I found out about WAGO back in 2018. Those older style ones. But they are great. Now if there was a way to connect a feeder to the rail? LOL

[@patrickd9551]

Lol Imagine having everything in sight clamped. That'd be one ugly layout to look at :D Personally I prefer to presolder pcb ties with a long lead and then attach them to my track, giving me ample room to work with. My modules were fairly small that be easily flipped and I don't care much for large scenery so I didn't have to be too careful, so wiring isn't much of an issue. However would I have larger heavier modules I'd probably use PVC conduit which is cheap and readily available.

[@rdanscale3416]

Second Section.. Good Video i as well are using the Wago's i bought some a few Years ago at MY LOCAL Electricians DISTRIBUTOR store's Sunflower Electric 🌻 Stanion Electric & Greybar Electric sells 1 or both connectors but i found the Wago's at my Local Home Depot all the sizes this includes there inline connectors i use Wago's Ferrulls to protect the integrity of stranded wire i use which is Kato 24 Gauge wire, for my Buss wires i also use Wire blocks but the Wago's are certainly worth the money & are on my Layout.. Thanks for Video! Allen D RDA N Scale

[@johnbarrett1028]

Also Mike, I don't know which manufacturer it is but at least sells little orange brackets that fit into those little diets built into the gray connectors. They have a hole on the other end & screws so U can secure them to the bottom of Ur benchwork. 😊 ThankU for the vid.

[@bernardc2553]

Yuppers sure are handy dandy little buggers

[@Stussmeister]

Very interesting and informative. I'm looking to use these on my own layout, though as the track I'm using uses white and blue feeder wires, I was wondering if I could put the white wire in one port of a WAGO connector and the blue wire in another port.

[@AngelusGB]

No. The blue side of the track would need its own connectors for the blue droppers / feeders and corresponding bus wires.

[@RonStanek]

Mike have you ever used the brand Cold Heat soldering iron. Or heard any reviews on them?

[@openeyes-411]

IMHO the biggest advantage of these is not having to solder upside down under the layout... 2nd would be trouble shooting & changes/expansion. And these should be WAY MORE reliable & efficient than suitcase connectors, due to vastly increased contact area with the wire - IF they stay closed! So I must ask Mike, wassup with the partially open lever???😂

[@railmus]

Just run your buss wires at the front of your layout.

[@theMudFather]

So Mike, I''m a neat freak, are you going to just let them hang or is there a way to fasten them to the deck or frame structure???

[@cbirailroad]

super glue

[@cbirailroad]

but doesn't this introduce many more possible sources of current interruptions by cutting the bus wire at every track feeder?

[@T4Van-E-daycamp]

What about droppers?

[@johnbrubaker2033]

I’m going to have to disagree here. Mechanical wire connections are often unreliable. Get a good soldering iron made for electronics and the proper solder and learn to use it. It’s far more reliable in the end. Larry Puckett, The DCC Guy has some KZbin videos about soldering that are very good.

[@SecondSectionPodcast]

I think Larry may be moving away from soldering connections too...he did a video on this topic too: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p3u3goGbprOof5I

[@thomasaustin316]

I’d agree with Mike here. I’ve used the solder-less connectors for a bit…no issues with them. I still solder feeders to my rail…but these speed up wiring tremendously…and allow the installation of detection and such with ease.

[@rdanscale3416]

Do you use a Solder Iron to solder home wiring when your bundling in a wire box i think not Electricians use Wire Nuts & some are now using Wago's) if these connectors are UL listed for home Wiring I'd think they'd do the same for model Railroading, Ideal products which is Huge Electric products company is also making lever Wire Products just like the Wago's!

[@jschafer000]

With respect, I disagree about problems with LeverNuts when used correctly. As an Electrician I have installed hundreds of WAGO LeverNuts in many, many houses in recent years, including my own without problem. I have read serious research about the difference in current carrying capacity and operating temperature between LeverNuts and traditional wire nuts that says LeverNuts are as efficient and safe as wire nuts for loads of 10 to 20 amps with #16, #14, #12 and #10 solid copper wire. Note that I said “solid" wire, not stranded. These connectors are not suitable for connecting stranded wire per manufacturer’s instructions. In my opinion the slight gain in conductivity offered by using a proper solder joint to connect drops or make splices is more than offset by the ease of modifying or altering connections made with LeverNuts. Plus, I have never burned myself or a tabletop installing a WAGO LeverNut, nor have I melted any insulation on a wire. NOTE: I am only speaking here about WAGO LeverNuts with the cam-operated mechanical connection. I am NOT a fan of the push-on style of mechanical connectors also offered by these manufacturers. The load-carrying and temperature specs for these connectors is some 20% less than the lever-style according to testing. Also, it is not as east to disconnect and reconnect the push-on connectors as it is with the cam-lever style.