I am finding that several of my small steamers are stopping on my large turnouts on my layout when at slow speeds. So I just want to put a tether between the engine and tender to increase the electrical footprint of the locomotive. I know some have done this. What gauge wire and connector is recommended to do this? Thanks.
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I've not done it but I would use a multi strand flexible 18 ga. with small molex type male and female inserts covered with heat shrink, no housing.
Truthfully, #18 is way bigger than necessary! I use #22 multi-strand and a 2A trip PTC in series. Remember, we're just trying to bridge the power for a very small time period, and the current carrying capability of #22 wire with low temperature insulation is eight amps, it goes up with better and higher temperature insulation.
A clip from an Internet reference.
A 22 ga wire can handle 10A, if it's run through free air at 30C, and has insulation which can handle temperatures above 105C. It will handle about 40 amps before the copper melts (fusing capacity).
Good info. I just happened to have some of that 40 strand or something black super flex wire that looks like 18. So that’s what I guessed. Could be smaller.
Thanks for the replies. Wire is easy enough to find, could I please get some digikey links to the connectors and PTC (Also, is the PTC directional?)? And do you just do this for the center rail pickups and not the ground?
I normally just do this for center track connections, ground is not normally an issue. Obviously, you can add one for ground as well if needed. I use Machine-sockets and pins, see below. A little heatshrink, and you have a slim connector. Obviously, I use black wire for the tether, this set was for an antenna inside a steamer.
The PTC is a Littlefuse 60R110XMR.
@gunrunnerjohn posted:I normally just do this for center track connections, ground is not normally an issue. Obviously, you can add one for ground as well if needed. I use Machine-sockets and pins, see below. A little heatshrink, and you have a slim connector. Obviously, I use black wire for the tether, this set was for an antenna inside a steamer.
I can't find single ones. Are you buying a header and breaking them apart to get the pins?
@gunrunnerjohn posted:
Just looked at this, it's 40 amps. Would it ever trip if my power bricks pop at 10 amps?
@sinclair posted:Just looked at this, it's 40 amps. Would it ever trip if my power bricks pop at 10 amps?
Max rating is 40 amps, that's not it's hold and trip rating.
@sinclair posted:I can't find single ones. Are you buying a header and breaking them apart to get the pins?
Yep, I just cut them out of a longer header, one 40 pin one is a lifetime supply. 
I missed the trip rating, thanks.
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