Just wondering how many here had to add additional electrical outlets or breakers for for their small or large layouts? how did you come to a decision on what to do?
Joeg
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When I started my attic layout I had an electrician come in and run a separate 20 amp line up there for the transformers. So far that has worked for me. I don't have any accessories on the layout. I have another plug up there but have only used it for running tools, hot melt gun and a fan for circulation.................Paul
I did all the electrical in my train room. I was fortunate because my house originally came with an electric stove and my wife said she wanted gas. I used the 8 gauge wire from the stove to power a sub panel. The sub panel powers all the outlets and a few of the lights in the train room.
I ran two new circuits. One for recessed lighting and one for outlets. 12Ga. for the outlets and 14Ga for the lighting. Both the outlets and lighting wiring were run under the layout. The outlets are positioned near the transformers and the dimmer switch for the recessed lighting is attached to my control panel.
I created a 15amp dedicated circuit for layout power. Only 1 receptacle as I run command only and will not have to move the table power & control.
I had to clean up the lighting circuit to move some tie-ins on that circuit. All led lighting. No fluorescents.
There was a dedicated 20 amp circuit for a Jacuzzi in our bathroom running through the attic. I hijacked it for my layout power when I demoed the Jacuzzi. It now feeds a switched circuit with two duplex receptacles.
I have a 60s finished basement without 3 prong plugs. Had to run a ground wire to water pipe to create an earth ground for TMCC.
Spent a lot of money for a dimmer switch for 12 75 watt bulbs in the recessed lighting.
I tapped into the 20 amp circuit for the kitchen outlets as the kitchen is right behind the room I am using for my trains. Will be using the 20 amp line for my transformers and layout power needs.
I have a 15 amp line that supplies the wall outlets but the bathroom is also on that one so that is why I hijacked the kitchen line.
I have added track lighting(two four foot sections with four light heads) to the wall outlet circuit and added switches for each track light. Also replaced the old duplex outlets as some of the outlets would let the plug fall out of them, also found one outlet to have mold on the side of the receptacle, so it was good to replace the outlets.
Lee Fritz
Last year, Patrick and I ran two, 12-3 Romex lines from the panel to a quad gang box in the train room. That was four new 20 Amp circuits, two on each phase. I've assigned them as follows:
- A string of convenience outlets down all four aisles of the layout
- Layout lighting
- Track power
- Layout related electronics and incidentals
One 20 amp for 14 outlets spaced along 135' of around the wall
5 15 amp circuits for several dozen T-5&8 ceiling fixtures.
Dedicated power supply.
Relays to shut all off with one switch.
Warning light in upstairs foyer if train room power down staires is on.
I had to do a total upgrade in my train room I added a 100amp panel and all new breakers and added additional outlets since my garage I converted to my train room I did not wanted to take any chances so when I planned it out I installed outlets under the tables and made sure all the wiring was new and up to the amount I needed for a large layout
Am in the finishing stages of a complete home remodel (new windows, new siding, new deck, all 6 exterior doors replaced, added central A/C, gutted/rebuilt 50% of the interior, new front porch, new stair case to lower level rooms, new landscaping, moved circuit breakers from behind RR scenery, etc.) of our 50 year old ranch house. The first question i asked the electrician was should i upgrade to 200 amp circuit. He said not needed but put my train room on a dedicated 20 amp circuit. Funny thing is that as i was adding an outlet for my new workbench i noticed he only used 14/3 Romex when NY code calls for 12/3; must be he lived in the South too long!
I added 4 new 15 amp service circuits to the layout room, believe it or not the spot lights and light fixtures gobble up the most amount of amps.
It so easy to overload the lighting circuit. I am switching to LED spot lights to eliminate issues that are again overloading the wall rheostat and from my wife yelling down the stairs that the TV is off again and she is missing her shows!
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Two seperate 20 amp circuits
So, it sounds line the consensus here is 2ea. 20 amp circuits for trains and accessories, and not including any lighting.
JoeG
I have an old house with only 2 circuits in the train room. One 15a circuit has the train transformers (2 x 180w Lionel bricks and one 1033 transformer) plus 16 LED bulb track lights (at 8w each). a second circuit runs another 1033 transformer for my DC track detection system, plus a computer and some wall warts for various uses.
I have never tripped a circuit breaker, just the transformer breakers when a train derails.
I am doing some rewiring of the layout, and will be adding amp meters to my 4 TIU outputs, to see what is really being drawn by the trains and lighted cars. Should be interesting to see. I want the amp meters as a quick way to see what TIU channel has tripped, as I now power all my switches with aux power, so the track through the TIU can be dead, while the switch stands still light up. I will also monitor my accessory transformer amps, as I have no idea if there is a heavy load here, as most items are "off" most of the time, unless an uncoupler is activated or a switch is thrown.
Joe K
A little perspective here....
A Z-4000 provides 400 watts, with both handles at 20V that's about 20 amps (volts x amps = watts) output. On the input side at 120V, that's only about 3 amps (mathematically 2A but there are some losses in the transformer). So a 15 amp outlet could power FIVE Z-4000's. A 20A outlet could power SEVEN Z-4000's.
(2) 20A 120V circuits could power TWELVE Z-4000's !
That's a lot more trains and accessories than 90% of the home layouts I've seen. A dedicated circuit for your train room is a good idea. And lighting could use a lot, so it's good if it's on a separate circuit (think dimmable LEDs). And a separate circuit for the workbench is good too, to provide power for tools, soldering irons, etc.
Most home layouts will easily run on a dedicated 15A circuit, IMHO.
Ed
I ran a new sub-panel into my attic train room. I added three new dedicated circuits . One for the train power, another for the overhead lighting and the third circuit for heat/air conditioning.
When I finish basements, I install 20-amp (12-gauge) wiring for outlets, which I place about 6 feet apart. If area is damp, which mine isn't, I'd install a GFI receptacle if each circuit, in the first box after the subpanel I always keep lighting on a separate circuit, 15 amp (14-gauge). One 20-amp circuit easily handles my layout, with 3 transformers. Having separate 20-amp circuits in the train room allows one to use vacuum cleaners, heaters, etc. without interfering with trains.
I tapped into the 20 amp circuit for the kitchen outlets as the kitchen is right behind the room I am using for my trains. Will be using the 20 amp line for my transformers and layout power needs.
You have created a violation in doing so. Unless the receptacles are grandfathered due to the age of the house, the code calls for one dedicated 20-amp receptacle for the fridge and another dedicated for a counter-top. The rest of the receptacles can be grouped and served by a 15-amp circuit breaker.
Not sayin' that you have created a safety problem, necessarily, but you have put too much load on one circuit. In the event that you need to have an inspection for a refi or a sale, you might get jammed up by an electrical inspector.
When I finished my basement I set up two dedicated 20 amp circuits / breakers to handle the layout demands. In addition, when the electric was installed I made sure that other items in the room were also sufficiently powered - probably overkill - but i have never had a power issue. 2 MTH Z4000's, ZW and KW from Lionel.
When I built my shop and train room I installed two 20 amp circuit breakers dedicated to the trains only.
Mikey
Recheck Arthur's post above. Very important, never tap into kitchen circuits. They usually are already at max usage. When we did kitchens we exceeded code because of all the counter top appliances folks use.
Always run separate dedicated circuits for lighting and outlets. Relay controlled by single switch to cut off everything when leaving the train room.
I added a separate circuit for the layout.
Joe G,
When we took down the Office/Game room layout and started setting up the formal Living Room Christmas layout, I installed 2 new 20 Amp service lines and 2 additional 4 plug receptacles for the train layout and Christmas decorations. Glad now I installed 2 lines, they both get used quite a bit.
PCRR/Dave
