I wired ground, now next step???

My picture did not show it but the layout is 30 feet long.

Hoe many transformers and what type will be hooked to the layout?

Dale H

if you're wanting to run a buss around the layout, run both wires together, the A and U transformer wires. If this is O Gauge, the power is AC and is isolated from ground. Though we do call them com and hot, black and red so as to not mix them up when connecting to outside rail and center rail.

With just one pair of wires, 30 feet long, I would use at least 12 ga or better 10 ga.

Hmm If you get the right wire strippers you can create a short  bare wire spot on the ground  wire  that another wire can be twisted around and soldered ( ex a track feeder for the outside rail)  I think I would also complete the ground circuit right back to the starting point. As you mentioned probably not necessary but...It can't hurt and may even save you an head ache later on.

Ok, thanks guys I will connect the ground wires together and make a full loop. I plan to use mostly all conventional stuff such as post war ZW transformers, two or three but I do have some command control stuff . I have three TPC 300s and would like to know how to set these up electrically also. Should I add the terminal strips around the layout as I have nine of these?

Thanks al, jerry 

Depends on what kind of track you are using, if it is long straights(36 to 42 inch long each) you can provide a power wire to every fourth section of track. Both the common and the hot wire should be supplied at each place.

The color of the wire should be black for positive and white for neutral in an A.C. circuit. In D.C. circuit black is negative and red is hot or positive.

The type of wire whether solid or stranded doesn't matter except for cost. Stranded wire is easier to bend or flex and solid costs less.

Lee Fritz

3 ZWs could put out 30 amps. The 12 gauge wire is undersized for the load. I would use 2 of them together. 

Dale H

Hi all,

Sorry that I didn't add the fact that I will be using  Lionel conventional tubular post war track, 072 around the perimeter for my newer engines that need the larger diameter track. Thank you for advising about the ground wiring. I will add another 12 gauge strand around the perimeter anti into the Transformers.

Can you please advise about how to hook up the black power wiring and where to put it around my layout during these preliminary stages of wiring 

Thanks, Jerry

If you want to keep it simple, use 3M splice connectors(I think the brown color) and splice a 16awg feeder to the outside rail every 10-12 track joints. They could be further apart.

Many other ways to do it, but this is easy and reliable.

Do this for each loop, as common is common everywhere with Lionel.