Advice Request: New Layout Wiring - Feeder Distances for Bus Feeders, Common Ground Feeders

I think three feet is about right for both common and hot.  Hope this helps.  Nice track plan!

Imo 3 feet is overkill. I have 14 ga hot and common feeders every 10 feet.

Short blocked sidings just have a hot going to a toggle.

Legacy does not depend on specific wiring to achieve a good signal. Once the command wire is connected to the outer rail.  The entire layout radiates the signal.

Thank you Brewman1973! I appreciate your input.

Thanks RickO for your inout!

Sounds like I may be able to stretch my 3 ft out some, especially for Common Gnd.

Heres some more good advice from Mike Reagan. Make sure the fastrack connections are positive so your not pulling up track chasing voltage drops later:

RickO,

Wow - thanks for this tip and solution! I read about discontinuity with Fastrack once before but never saw a solution.

I am going to be new to Fastrack when I start laying it down soon - and I bought a lot of it as you can see in my layout plan. Will definitely add this Track Test to my wiring testing procedures.

Thanks again so much!

- Ken

The less you have to disconnect Fastrack, the better off you will be. I would check voltage every 3-4 pieces as you build.

You may want to consider using these black binder clips between pieces, maybe every other piece, to help insure connectivity - I believe they are 0.75" wide.

You might also want to go through each piece and solder tabs for extra protection, especially on switches.

Fastrack O60 switch issue | O Gauge Railroading On Line Forum (ogaugerr.com)

If you are screwing the track down, about every 3-4 pieces should be fine and do not overtighten, especially on switches.

You can also use these blue connectors to make your feeder connections. They connect to the tabs under each piece.

To: RichieC

Good suggestions! I have seen these clips used to hold tracks together - have some in my Amazon cart in case I need quickly. I have the wire clips to crimp on that go into each Fastrack underneath - going to use them vs. solder every feeder - at least for now...

Will keep in mind the underside soldering of tabs too. I can see that happening over my 600+ pieces of new Fastrack.

Thank you again very much! Happy Holidays!

- Ken

@Richie C. posted:

. I would check voltage every 3-4 pieces as you build.

You can have correct voltage through a bad connection without a load on it. I would check resistance at each joint; less than an ohm is good. If you use a .110 connector more than once, crimp the connector ends a little. They always fit looser the second time around.

to John H: Thanks for the resistance checking tip!

My experience is that crimp-on connectors do not age gracefully, especially if they carry a lot of current. Whenever I use them, they get soldered after crimping. Solder joints age well if they are done correctly.

Probably overkill, but I have a damp basement, and some track that has already been down over 20 years. I ran two 12 gauge busses under every track, and dropped 20 gauge feeders from every section, completely eliminating reliance on physical joints between track sections. The only exceptions are some track on bridges, where I directly soldered 20 gauge jumpers from section to section on both hot and ground rails. It's a lot of wire and soldering, but it's one source of electrical trouble I have not needed to track down (I've had plenty of others!).

To: RoyBoy

I appreciate your comment about soldering after crimping. I would hate to have a wire get loose in a crimp and not be easily seen but cause flakey power losses.

I am just learning to solder - if i get accurate enough I will solder the crimp. Thanks!

- Ken

To: Ken Wing

Wow - the HOT and GCND bus below each track and each track attached to the bus - no track separation issues I am sure - a lot of wiring but VERY LOGICAL! It's like connecting your transformer leads to each track (aside from any distance degradation if any).

My layout will be 24' x 24'. I have 611 pieces of Fastrack - about 100 of those are the small 1 3/8" or 1 3/3",

I think I am going to stick with every three (3) feet of track on all loops and sidings.

Thanks for the encouragement input - appreciated very much!

- Ken

Clarifying - Based on input received - I intend to have HOT BUS feeders on every one of 4 loops every 3 feet as well as Common GND BUS feeders every 3 feet.

Yeah, I've lost track of how many 500' reels of 20 gauge electric "dog fence"  I've used, not to mention reels of solder. I've had plenty of electrical issues with switches, relays, ancient transformers, but basic contact to the two rails is not one of them.