wiring buildings and street lights

Nothing says you can't electrify the busbar, they don't know which end of the electrical circuit they're on.   I've seen a number of layouts use those for power distribution.

I use those buss bars for my layout power and return with no problems.

doug

There are two types of bars. A ground bar is usually un-insulated. A neutral bar is insulated, and comes with plastic mounting post.   Either would be acceptable for model train wiring at 18 volts (low voltage wiring). This type of termination worked well to 18 ga solid wire (I used thermostat cable and 18 ga THHN single strand solid conductor for accessory/switch wiring and 14ga solid THHN wire for track power). You may find that 18ga stranded and smaller may not work as well with this type of termination designed for residentual wiring, most likely 14 ga and larger.  Note the two conductors terminated under one screw, acceptable here, but not in standard house wiring (One terminal, one wire). Be sure your termination is tight.      
I used the neutral bars, note the insulation post on the end of the bars.




Working track feeds and accessory/switch motor feeds back to the power distribution center, Commons, usually the white wires,  are picked off and terminated on these electrical connection bars.  Eventually, using automatic non-de-rail switching, track common and accessory common become the same by jumpering between buss bars.
Common termination complete. Track power, accessory power and switch power are handle via other devices pictured.   Note that track and accessory fusing has been added.


Track block fusing upper left, (8) circuits.  Accessory and switch power fusing right.

Two grey IC Controls boxes (BPC's, Block Power Controllers) to the left switch track blocks. (8)
(5) of the (6) grey IC Controls device boxes (ASC, Accessory Switch Controllers) to the right switch Atlas switches. The one remaining control lower left does accessory switching, off and on.   All control is via a Cab1 remote via ACC(Accessory) or SW(Switch) commands.

Important to note that there have been some issues of late on this forum that some of this is too techno...... , way beyond comprehension.    In the "Keep in simple" environment, please note that all of this is done (One Wire, one device,  At A Time)   

Mike CT   

wish my wiring was that clean! nice!

Thank you, with a little bit of luck, maybe some of the forum viewers understand what I'm talking about.   

WOW...

I use the ground bar for my power and common but it does not look anywhere as neat...Very professionally done...

I see I can learn a good deal more on what the underside can look like...

Thanks for the best example I have seen thus far...

Thank you,

Mike CT

Wow,  that is very well designed and impressive.  you must be a profesional electrician.  I am going to either use this or scotch lock on each building to the bus wire.  I am only doing a temporary layout.  but the big one in my garage will use these bus bars then.  I am glad there is no issue.  I did not think there was, but wanted to make sure the material of the thing would not get real hot or something. 

Chris

If the busbars don't get hot in your power panel with 200 (or in my case 400) amps running around, I doubt your trains will heat them up!

didnt think so, but I have to ask.  I decided to run 2 sets of bus wires and split up the loads anyway.  I just used 3M suitcase connectors nice and easy and fast.  hooked it all up last night. 

I do have one question.  with the KW, does it matter which side you hook the pos and neg to on the accessory middle posts?  because with polarity in these anyway is strange.  I can always use the z1000 brick also which does have common and hot labled on the brick.  so I can be safe with the LED's.  I might just do that. 

You're talking AC here, so there is no "positive and negative".  The only issue is, if you were connecting multiple transformers that might interact, you may want all the phases to be in sync.  If both leads are isolated to just the accessory string, either way will work.

no, I just am hooking up the leads to the inner accessory on the KW, but I wanted to make sure that there was no problem.  the MTH Z1000 I have has common and Hot.  so did not want to blow my LED's! 

thanks John

I used 2 bus wires for pos and neg, and scotch clipped the buildings to the wire.  worked well and easy!   roads just made and parking lots from white foam board, needs painted now if the rain would stop!!!!!!  maybe tonight before dark!  who knows.  then the fumes need to air out on porch.  wife will kill with fumes!