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This is my first layout outside of a basic square.  The way I wired those layouts makes me cringe.  I’d run feeder wires individually to the transformer.  

My new layout has about a 30’ run.   I can’t do what I’ve done before, nor do I want to.  I’m looking at using a multiple terminal buses.  I found some out there with 5 dual rows.  Some have more but I’m using  5 as an example  

Do I run them in a series?   More specifically connect transformer to terminal 1, slot 1 and terminal 1, slot 5, to terminal 2, slot 1, terminal 2, slot 5 to terminal 3 slot 2, and to the next, ect. This seems like it would lose power as things continue   Might be the easiest  

Or

do I run each terminal back to transformer?  So, run slot 1 to transformer and have 4 feeder wires.  Not much better than what I was doing  

or

a hub.  have a main terminal bus (hub) that connects to transformer and have other terminals buses connect to it?  Then run feeders off the minor terminal bus’s  

im kind of thinking option 3..a hub   Am I even remotely close?   I have a zw and will be running some conventional snd Lionchief  

thanks Jeff  

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Thanks Mark.  I found where someone posted a video and a link on what to buy.  I saw on the video you want to get the terminal with the  piece to connect all sides at once.  I didn’t think you needed that at first.  He was connecting in a series but the star method should give more even power.  I think I’m getting some ideas on how this will work for me.

As I understand it, MTH recommends the "star" pattern for distributing track power around an O-gauge layout so that all the track power wiring from the main hub to several track connections are exactly the same length; thus the DCS signal strength is equally present all over the layout.

My layout is Lionel-oriented with TMCC.  I ran a track power wire from the output of the Command Base to a Direct Trackside Device. Its circuitry quickly reacts to a short. It is housed in a trackside shed. Then the main track power wire goes to a distribution hub, and then to four traditional track lockons around the layout.  Those wire runs are not of equal length, but all my TMCC-equipped  locos run fine without voltage "drop-outs" anywhere.

Mike Mottler    LCCA 12394

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