Lights and Accessories Power Distribution

I did the bus thing, It did not turn out to be too much of a PITA.  Here are pictures.  You can see I have things like most working accessories and flood lights on the ZW.  The 1033 and 1034 are covering the items that like odd volts such as 10 volts (drum loader) and 17 volts (bubbling oil field).  the computer power supply covers the DC items- currently only using the 5 volts output for Menards bridge and Miller signs.  fuse blocks on all outputs to the bus and the terminal strips.

Quite like Hokie 71, I provided power at various voltages to accessories, lighted buildings, and specialized circuits.

* MTH power supply "brick" -- 14v AC output to terminal blocks for 11 switches and many action accessories
* MTH power supply "brick" -- 14v AC output for lighted buildings
* 4.5v wall warts for sound circuits installed in accessories without a built-in sound effect:  a modified Lionel Bandstand (for brass ensemble music), MTH Country Church (for church bell and pipe organ music), and a diesel horn (for Menard's Rocket Diner).
* Computer power supply for DC voltage through three adjustable buck converters for track power to three separate bump-and-go trolley lines
* DEPT 56 low-voltage power strips for most of my 35 DEPT 56 North Pole Village lighted porcelain buildings; a few DEPT 56 animated buildings require 110v AC, which I provide with perimeter power strips.

I provided track power by one Lionel 135w "brick," which is connected to a TMCC Command Base and a PowerMaster. There are no other demands on that transformer. It's sufficient for my medium-size, 15x19 feet L-shaped layout.

Carry on, regardless ...

Mike Mottler    LCCA 12394

I found the devil in the details with this stuff. Some of the wire coming off the lights was so small that it was difficult to crimp connectors on it. I started with a buss plan. But my bus was poorly designed and I was sloppy about labeling and color-coding. I also tried to do too much on one bus. So I had trouble with crossed wires.

Now I think I am closer to what you guys are doing. I have some spare 180W Lionel bricks that I will use for 18VAC power for the lamps. I am using a good ham radio 12VDC supply for the LED bus. I saw some fused terminal blocks designed for marine use that I am testing for fuse protection. The tiny light wires will go into screw-terminal blocks--that eliminates crimping and stacking one crimped connection on top of others.

I'll send pix once I get closer to what it should be. Thanks for your kind replies Hokie and Mike!

Don Merz

Don,

You can see I used wago connectors for small (and not so small) wires.  For instance, DZ1000 connections- those are small wires!  Wagos are worth the money and connect a variety of wire sizes, such as buss to small.  I often ran the bus to the terminal strip and then jumped from there to the wago to make several more connections.  They can also be used as a bus connection since you can get up to five wire connection versions.  They make wire compatibility simpler by far. Many threads on them but most advise to avoid buying the knock offs.

Google: "in line fuse holder" for anyone who feels that he needs to provide a fuse at or near an accessory and doesn't have the room or inclination to mount a surface-mount fuse holder.

Here's another perspective ... https://ogrforum.com/...-system-installation

Tom