DCC/Booster requirements and wiring for a G-Scale layout

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saw151@gmail.com - 19 Nov 2008 17:28 GMT

Hi Guys,

I'm finally getting around to building my train layout inside my
house. I've been building all of the supports and wooden track to
suspend the system from the ceiling and the walls and I am finally at
the part where I need to look into how I am going to power the system.

I want to use DCC or some variant so I can run two engines on the
layout at the same time and have full control over them. My layout
is somewhere around 175 feet of track and I'm going to be running 2 of
the rogers 2-4-2 aristocraft engines on it. I was hoping I could
get a couple answers here about the size of a booster I need and can I
get away with wiring all of the track off of one booster? (How many
feeders do I need? I was planning something like one every 30 feet).

From what I have read I think I could get by with one 5 amp booster,
but I'm not sure. (Do I really need 10 amps ?)

I don't plan to run any accessories off of the track other than the
train and a couple of switches. All of the buildings/lights and such
will be on their own power supply.

Thanks for the help,

Scott

http://www.rohnerusa.com/public/scott/train/

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Puckdropper - 19 Nov 2008 21:21 GMT

saw151@gmail.com wrote in news:6b6d745f-49b7-4270-9fa1-8e1d51d7d6c7@
35g2000pry.googlegroups.com:

> Hi Guys,
>
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> get away with wiring all of the track off of one booster? (How many
> feeders do I need? I was planning something like one every 30 feet).

That's way too few. A good rule of thumb is that every piece of track
should be soldered to something, whether a feeder or another piece of
track. If you're using Aristocraft track joiners or something similar,
I'd definitely want a lot of drops.

It's always easier to go overkill on the drops before the track is
installed and ballasted.

> From what I have read I think I could get by with one 5 amp booster,
> but I'm not sure. (Do I really need 10 amps ?)

A more powerful booster is usually cheaper than a second less powerful
booster. You might have to buy a power supply, so you might as well go
with a more powerful one. Circuit breakers or light bulbs will protect
your train from shorts.

> I don't plan to run any accessories off of the track other than the
> train and a couple of switches. All of the buildings/lights and such
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> http://www.rohnerusa.com/public/scott/train/

Take a look at the website Wiring For DCC:
http://www.wiringfordcc.com

Puckdropper

Signature

If you're quiet, your teeth never touch your ankles.

To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm

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Bob May - 19 Nov 2008 23:04 GMT

Power level of the booster is determined by the amount of locos you are
going to run with it. Even caveman era motor only drew about 0.7Amps of
current so there isn't much of a problem with two of anything on any of hte
boosters.
The big thing is to make sure that the track is well fed with the power.
You should be able to trace back every foot of rail to a soldered connection
to the rail and the only exception to soldering is to have crimp lug
terminals on strips for connections. Also try not to have too many of those
as any joint is a resistence point which will drop the voltage. Also, long
lengths of rail will also cause voltage drops.

--
Bob May

rmay at nethere.com
http: slash /nav.to slash bobmay
http: slash /bobmay dot astronomy.net

> Hi Guys,
>
[quoted text clipped - 23 lines]
>
> http://www.rohnerusa.com/public/scott/train/

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saw151@gmail.com - 20 Nov 2008 16:25 GMT

Thanks for the replies guys. I'll head on over to that DCC page. It
sounds like I should solder my track together as well. I am using the
aristocraft joiners with the screws to keep the track together, but it
sounds like I need to beef up the connections.

-Scott

> Power level of the booster is determined by the amount of locos you are
> going to run with it. Even caveman era motor only drew about 0.7Amps of
[quoted text clipped - 45 lines]
>
> >http://www.rohnerusa.com/public/scott/train/

Reply to this Message

Chuck Kimbrough - 20 Nov 2008 16:43 GMT

A 5 amp booster should work for you, your engines will probably draw mor
than .7 amps because of sound smoke and G gauge. I would recomend the
Aristocraft clamps rather than the joiners. They are more positive and
reliable. You can drop a feeder from any of them without soldering.

> Thanks for the replies guys. I'll head on over to that DCC page. It
> sounds like I should solder my track together as well. I am using the
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>> Power level of the booster is determined by the amount of locos you are
>> going to run with it. Even caveman era motor only drew about 0.7Amps of

snip

>> <saw...@gmail.com> wrote in message
>>
>> news:6b6d745f-49b7-4270-9fa1-8e1d51d7d6c7@35g2000pry.googlegroups.com...
>>
>>> Hi Guys,

snip

>>> From what I have read I think I could get by with one 5 amp booster,
>>> but I'm not sure. (Do I really need 10 amps ?)
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>>> Scott
>>> http://www.rohnerusa.com/public/scott/train/

Reply to this Message

Wolf Kirchmeir - 20 Nov 2008 18:20 GMT

> Thanks for the replies guys. I'll head on over to that DCC page. It
> sounds like I should solder my track together as well. I am using the
> aristocraft joiners with the screws to keep the track together, but it
> sounds like I need to beef up the connections.
>
> -Scott

The page in question shows how to add bonding wires across the joints -
just like the real railroads do (they use them for signal circuits.)

HTH

Signature

Wolf Kirchmeir

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PV - 20 Nov 2008 23:25 GMT

>Thanks for the replies guys. I'll head on over to that DCC page. It
>sounds like I should solder my track together as well. I am using the
>aristocraft joiners with the screws to keep the track together, but it
>sounds like I need to beef up the connections.

I doubt you need to do that - just run a big fat wire alongside or under
the track and occasionally (say every 6 feet or so) run a smaller wire to
the track and solder that. Bear in mind though that your G-scale engines
pull more power than HO, so don't use HO wiring standards! Use something
like 16 gauge for track feeders and 14 gauge for the buss lines. If you
want to go a little overboard, use 14 and 12. I've heard that many G scale
builders use the same wire that low-voltage patio lighting uses.

Personally I hate soldering track connections - it makes maintenance a
hassle and it won't look nice with the brass-colored track.

As for boosters - digitrax makes high-current decoders and an 8 amp booster
for G scale. Those engines pull a lot of power, and you've got a lot of
distance to electrify, so I'd go with the higher capacity. A normal 5 amps
probably isn't enough for two engines to work well. *

Signature

* PV something like badgers--something like lizards--and something
like corkscrews.

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Charles Davis - 21 Nov 2008 00:19 GMT

Yup! You need to beef up the ELECTRICAL portion of the connection.
Soldered jumpers across each rail joint. NOT soldering the joiners.

'Thermal expansion/ contraction' flexes the 'rail/ joiner/ solder' and
over time will/can break the connection [this will be very hard to spot
physically].
A wire jumper will allow for 'flexing' of the rail joint while
maintaining the electrical connection.
Another way of accomplishing the desired end result [some ways a better
overall solution], is to run 12ga or 10ga feeder buss wires under the
track, and provide EACH piece of 'running rail' with it's own 'drop wire'.

Chuck D.

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Model Forum / General / Railroads / November 2008

DCC/Booster requirements and wiring for a G-Scale layout