I have a simple question.
My layout is approximately 18 x 14', will have 4 mainlines with 2 yards, approximately 20 buildings of different sizes with lights and about 10 powered accessories.
I was wondering if anyone had advice fior the gauges of wire that I should use.
Should I use the start wiring pattern?
I am using MTH DCS.
I have 1 Z-4000 and other power supplies but I can add on to this.
Thanks for your advice.
Sincerely,
John Andrefsky
Replies sorted oldest to newest
Simple answer with Minority view:
See Wire gauges using some scrap and some new.
Star wiring is Majority view. I favor Buss Wiring for several reasons.
For more extensive answers see above links on my website. Start with the Run Room Photo Tour if you wish.
Yes on the star. Use 12awg to the mth 24 terminal and 16awg to you blocks. I think 5-7 tracks to 10 track joints for a block.
Accessory and track power can use different methods. Buss for accessory.
You need Barry's book to answer this and the other questions the will arise if you will use DCS.
majority view per Barry
I used OGR wire, it is perfect for wiring for DCS and good wire too. I used #14 to my MTH terminal blocks and #16 to the track blocks. I followed Barry's book (DCS O Gauge Companion) on the star wiring for DCS. It all works extremely well with no problems. It's my first permanent layout and it works much better than any of the temporary layouts I have had in the past where I just wired it up and wasn't as particular with the wiring.
Currently my layout is 6'x16' with two main lines. There is an expansion planned for this fall to at least double that size. I have two channels left on my TIU and I will follow the same wiring as I did on the first half. I am using Lionel Power House-180's for power, one to each TIU channel.
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| AWG gauge | Diameter Inches | Diameter mm | Ohms per 1000 ft | Ohms per km | Maximum amps for chassis wiring | Maximum amps for power transmission |
| OOOO | 0.46 | 11.684 | 0.049 | 0.16072 | 380 | 302 |
| OOO | 0.4096 | 10.40384 | 0.0618 | 0.202704 | 328 | 239 |
| OO | 0.3648 | 9.26592 | 0.0779 | 0.255512 | 283 | 190 |
| 0 | 0.3249 | 8.25246 | 0.0983 | 0.322424 | 245 | 150 |
| 1 | 0.2893 | 7.34822 | 0.1239 | 0.406392 | 211 | 119 |
| 2 | 0.2576 | 6.54304 | 0.1563 | 0.512664 | 181 | 94 |
| 3 | 0.2294 | 5.82676 | 0.197 | 0.64616 | 158 | 75 |
| 4 | 0.2043 | 5.18922 | 0.2485 | 0.81508 | 135 | 60 |
| 5 | 0.1819 | 4.62026 | 0.3133 | 1.027624 | 118 | 47 |
| 6 | 0.162 | 4.1148 | 0.3951 | 1.295928 | 101 | 37 |
| 7 | 0.1443 | 3.66522 | 0.4982 | 1.634096 | 89 | 30 |
| 8 | 0.1285 | 3.2639 | 0.6282 | 2.060496 | 73 | 24 |
| 9 | 0.1144 | 2.90576 | 0.7921 | 2.598088 | 64 | 19 |
| 10 | 0.1019 | 2.58826 | 0.9989 | 3.276392 | 55 | 15 |
| 11 | 0.0907 | 2.30378 | 1.26 | 4.1328 | 47 | 12 |
| 12 | 0.0808 | 2.05232 | 1.588 | 5.20864 | 41 | 9.3 |
| 13 | 0.072 | 1.8288 | 2.003 | 6.56984 | 35 | 7.4 |
| 14 | 0.0641 | 1.62814 | 2.525 | 8.282 | 32 | 5.9 |
| 15 | 0.0571 | 1.45034 | 3.184 | 10.44352 | 28 | 4.7 |
| 16 | 0.0508 | 1.29032 | 4.016 | 13.17248 | 22 | 3.7 |
| 17 | 0.0453 | 1.15062 | 5.064 | 16.60992 | 19 | 2.9 |
| 18 | 0.0403 | 1.02362 | 6.385 | 20.9428 | 16 | 2.3 |
| 19 | 0.0359 | 0.91186 | 8.051 | 26.40728 | 14 | 1.8 |
| 20 | 0.032 | 0.8128 | 10.15 | 33.292 | 11 | 1.5 |
| 21 | 0.0285 | 0.7239 | 12.8 | 41.984 | 9 | 1.2 |
| 22 | 0.0254 | 0.64516 | 16.14 | 52.9392 | 7 | 0.92 |
| 23 | 0.0226 | 0.57404 | 20.36 | 66.7808 | 4.7 | 0.729 |
| 24 | 0.0201 | 0.51054 | 25.67 | 84.1976 | 3.5 | 0.577 |
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