Wiring A Nightmare.....want a laugh?

WOW, reminds me of this place.

 

 

 

Let's see, insert the white wire next to the blue one, then I wonder where this one goes?

Wow! The platform looks awesome! Especially for a "temporary Christmas layout" as you called it. I am a newbie so I can't really say much but that is a horrible mess! Lol. I am in the process of wiring my table now and I am labeling everything so future jobs will be easy. Also have cable clamps for wires to run through. They keep it looking organized anyway... I am quickly finding out that a 4 x 9 platform just isn't big enough and I am already thinking of expanding my layout! You have a great size room. Is that your garage? How big is your layout?

Greg, I think we share wiring techniques!  Looks just like the underneath of my layout!

My layout is about 5 years old, and the wiring still looks like that. My Father, an 32+year electrician, just looks at it and shakes his head. I would post pictures, but I don't want the insurance company to see it

DCC! Just TWO WIREES they said...

 

Just TWO I TELL YA!! TWO!!!! argh wait what you doing with that white jacket? wait.. whoa...

After looking at those photos I'm hungry for spaghetti

Thanks for the laugh, cngw

I feel way better about my wiring now but am envious of that temporary Christmas layout!!

Hi, I am from the Fire Marshalls office, and I hear that you have a temporary Christmas layout that needs inspecting.........

I guess your "engineer" ing title by the Forum seems appropriate in this case. Would you like to meet my friend Rube....

 

http://www.rubegoldberg.com/

 

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-50...blow-you-away-again/

Greg,

 

   I kept looking at your pictures, going downstairs looking under my layout, coming back upstairs, looking at your pictures, going back down stairs looking under my layout, coming back upstairs, again and again...  Can someone tell me what the problem is??

 

Kevin

Can someone tell me what the problem is??

 

Well you and others like you will NOT know until you have to troubleshoot!

Troubleshooting is not a problem!

You just start with the wire at the device which is failing and work your way back!!!

Nothing to it!

"But 'Ushoe curve',they are color-coded for easy trouble-shooting?"  

My only suggestion would be to undo those tightly coiled power cables. It may look tidy, but it adds an unnecessary fire risk and sometimes can even generate radio interference.

While most of the wiring pictures looks, at least like it could use some TLC, my biggest concern would be mixing voltages. Accessory and Track is not a big thing, can cause problems, but can be fixed with minimal damage. Mixing line voltage (110 volts with track voltage), while a remote possibility, can be an issue.

My biggest concern on a project like this.

Mike CT 

 

Troubleshoot? Troubleshoot? You kidding?

 

If you wire it up correctly the first time, there is no need for that. It all worked great, right out of the box so to speak, the first time!!

 

No device failed/did not work since I tested as I went. Except for those stinking MTH switches, and those problems had to be solved from the topside of the board.

 

Right now, I have the heat on out in the shop (it is 41 and rainy here in Berlin) and I am going out to have fun shortly.

 

Later, I will post about the NTSB crash test on the MTH 2-8-0 steamer, a real durable engine. Did I mention that I put a lift out in this layout?

 

Enjoy the wiring picts, at this point, I am not sure that I will do another layout next Christmas - you could be looking at the last one.

 

Later, Greg

Never a problem. It only takes me a split second to tell I grabbed a 120v  line vs. an 18v line!  I am a fast learner.

 

Note: If one can't keep it straight, and do it safely, one has no business wiring up the board.

 

Greg

John; That picture looks like the wiring closets at work when I took over the phone and DP connection duty.

cngw,

 

That looks like my layout wiring underneath the table, also not color coded.

 

Lee F.

Mine ARE colorcoded! Generally, red is DC+, blk, blue, green and maybe deep purple are DC-/gnd and white or orange is the 110! Easy for me.

Probably some standard used in some country, somewhere. Maybe Somalia!

Greg

Boy, my hat off to you all for showing these bird's nests. I really try to pride myself on my wiring. It is not as bad as some bird's nest. But I cannot come close to the pristine wiring of MikeCT on the forum.

 

But like everyone else, if it all works the wiring is WONDERFUL no matter what it looks like.

As much as possible I try to keep 120 volts off the main layout. I use low voltage lighting on the layout, G.E. Mazda lights or radio Shack 14.4 volt bulbs, the old time screw-in bulbs that I run with 14 to 18 volts wired in parallel, from an accessory post on one of my transformers.

 

Lee F.

I only have one COMMENT:  O MY GOODNESS!!!

 I have friends that would take months to wire that up. It would look spectacular. However life is short. Just "Get er done". We'll straighten up later!!

I am with you Joe! It has looked like that every Christmas and worked great. I can do it right, it just is no need for a temp layout. And DCS! A feed to each loop from each fixed output, then isolate the loops, and it seems to continually give 9's or better each year. Nothing to it.

 

Though I will say, I normally only wire up about 5 houses w/ 110. This year, I even wired bulbs into the MTH buildings w/ the 110 drops. Wire nuts, and patience and care and it is easier/faster than running back to the transformer. Not for everyone I am sure, but it works well for me.

 

Gotta run. The kids and grandkids will be here in an hour, and the train is "leaving the station" as they say!! Gonna have some fun.

 

Later, Greg (I know some of the guys you are talking about that would have it looking pristine! I used to be like that.)

Easy to trouble shoot...demo it all out and do it right LOL

You do realize that this is temporary....and in a couple of weeks it will all be "demoed" and stored until next Christmas.....right? This is a right as it gets for a Christmas garden that will be up for about a month, at least in my neighborhood.

 

  Greg