Transformer and track hookup for proposed new layout. Request by a semi-retired true novice

Your 1 gw180 is more than enough power for 2 6'x9' ovals.

Forget the 18 GA wire. Go with larger wire i.e.16 or 14 GA and solder it directly to the terminals underneath the fastrack.

Each piece of fastrack has power terminals underneath.

I would put 2 pairs of feeders at opposite ends of each oval.

There are two ways you can do this. Connect the transformer to your terminal strip and run the four pairs of feeders out from the terminal strip to the track.

Or: Run a pair of buss wires. This is a loop of hot and common wires out of the transformer around the underneath of your two loops of track back to the transformer.

Then you simply splice in your track feeders where needed at the opposite ends of each loop as I mentioned.

"Suitcase connectors "work well to splice the feeders into the buss wire. They can be found at any local hardware store and online.

Ricko, much thanks,

Barry

  You have plenty of power.  Use the larger gauge wire for the bus. For the drops to the tracks the heavy is best, but stepping down a gauge is ok with multiple drops too. 12g would be a step up if you have it already,even 10g, but 14g/16g should be fine on a 6x9. Since you only run newer , I'd fuse/breaker it at 6a-7a too though.

   I'd do a drop in 4 places on each oval; next to or in the curves to give the most consistent running. Curves are where the power is really drawn hardest, even in command. I'd do one loop with halved CW blocks; or, siding or spur on it's own CW block. Could be useful with older accessories or cars sometime in the future; for testing, etc.

  Even with new roadbed track many folks do one drop every third or fourth track section to lessen the chance of ever really needing to mess with or find any weak track to track/pin connections over time. Some drop to every one.(I did eventually on just under 20ft of acient rusty tube track. Soldering and drilling another wire hole can be easier than pin & tube cleaning and definitely lasts

To use transformers together safely, they should be phased.

Not too hard, I did it by phone with Gramps when I was a kid. You can search YouTube with " Lionel phasing transformers" for a good Lionel corporate video explanation of why and how. Also fairly entertaining vs a dry how to.

Adriatic,

Thank you for this advise!

Barry

Me personally I would tend to have buss wiring, have a hot and a return buss then do drops from that, it is a lot neater to me than doing the terminal strip with drops fanning out from that. the buss could be located under the table "between" the two loops, and feeders could then easily be brought to the track and connected to the tabs under the track. Personally I would say the more drops the better, I would use a 14 gauge buss and have 16g drops, and do it every X sections of track (maybe 4 or 5). Some might consider that overkill, but given that connectivity between track sections can cause opens or drops, the more drops you have the less chance that a dicey track connection will cause problems. 

The transformer will be fine, the 180 could be used for track power and the other one for accessories/lights/etc.