With my first ever layout nearing completion I am reasonably pleased with the outcome.

I've enjoyed many aspects of creating the layout and I am trying to resist the urge to continue tinkering with it in the hope that one day I will be 100% satisfied - some chance!

So with thoughts on a second layout, and all being well work to commence in early 2014, I am considering asking a third party to do the electrical work on the new layout for me!  Simply put it was my least favourite part of the layout and extremely frustrating!

The new layout will be DC, 3ftx2ft with two ovals and some interior sidings etc with the scope to run two loco's at the same time.  Here is an image...



Considering the above does anybody know of a North West (England) based firm or individual who might consider dealing with the electrics on my behalf with suitable recompense for their valuable time and expertise?

.....seems like tumbleweed blowing through this post Lionwing!

I'm afraid I can't answer directly either, but have you thought of contacting one of the organisations who advertise layout construction in the various magazines - they might do it.

It seems a simple enough layout to me to wire - with dead frog points it is only a few wires and a couple of switches, an evening's work  - what do you dislike about wiring?  Is it working out how to do it or actually soldering?   If the former I'm sure you can get help here.

Or are you counting point motors as well?  If so you might consider wire-in-tube instead of electrical which I think would be better anyway for a small layout.

Cheers  Jon   

Cheers   Jon 

Thank you for the reply.

It's more the working out where to connect the wires.  I have done it on my current layout and it works as I would like but I get the feeling it's more by luck than design!

Any help on wiring the above much appreciated with a thought on running it on DC with two trains at the same time.

I'ill just get the brush and sweep this tumble weed!

How's this:



I have shown three controllers as you have a head-shunt in the goods yard, so you could be shunting as two trains run around the circuits.  However, if you only have two controllers, you could still wire as shown, using the switch to connect the goods yard to controller B, pending an extra controller.

If you want to transition a train from goods yard to inner loop, you switch it to controller B.  Similarly you switch the outer loop to controller B if you want to use either of the crossovers.

A final thought is that you might consider "flipping" the layout - currently a train driving into the goods yard will result in the loco being trapped.  If it was the other way around the train would reverse in, hen be able to shunt using the headshunt.

Just a suggestion - open to enhancements or corrections by others....!

Cheers  Jon 

Just to add agreement to Jon's post in every aspect

Quote from: lionwing on December 03, 2013, 08:20:52 PM

I'ill just get the brush and sweep this tumble weed!

...although it's hard to be a cowboy in Rochdale, I believe....

Thanks for the replies.

It will take me a while to follow the logic of the wiring...I really have to sit and think about it!

Does the wiring diagram above presume the use of "Peco Insulfrog or Electrofrog points" ? Manually operated to answer a question asked on the topic?

I'm like you. I don't understand electrics at all (indeed many of the "simple" electrical diagrams often shared on this forum leave me totally perplexed!)and I don't enjoy wiring things up.
Having said that my layout is not too dissimilar to yours and runs well with two simple controllers.
I think you could attach one controller to the outside loop and a separate controller to the inner loop. You can use track connectors so no soldering needed.
If you utilise Insulfrog points (as I do) they will act as circuit blocks.
The only problem I see is that the siding that goes off to the left (from the 2 right sidings) will not work as no power will get to it.
Others may see problems with what I suggest but I think it will work and you will be able to run two trains at once and also shunt the sidings .

Quote from: lionwing on December 04, 2013, 09:54:16 AM
Thanks for the replies.

It will take me a while to follow the logic of the wiring...I really have to sit and think about it!

Does the wiring diagram above presume the use of "Peco Insulfrog or Electrofrog points" ? Manually operated to answer a question asked on the topic?

If I am right the points you have used are SetTrack, which only come in insulfrog.

Obviously I haven't included point motor wiring.  In any case the wiring is exactly the same for each motor, (unless you choose to wire crossovers in pairs).

You could simplify it as Port Perran suggests - except that you would need the orange/grey feed for reasons he notes.  You could just wire each of these directly to the controller; but this means a slightly less than ideal situation when transiting from one loop to the other as you have to coordinate the controllers.  No big deal, but better to use the switches.

If you wired direct to the controllers you could always add the switches later if you felt you needed them!

You don't absolutely need the extra blue and green feed at the top, but you would find a loss of power with certain route settings!

Cheers   Jon   

ownly note i can make is it dpdt switches not spdt  yours kenbury

Mea culpa - you're quite right - well spotted!   

Of course they are DPDT - as drawn!!!   

Cheers  Jon   

Ok...slowly but surely I am getting a understanding of how this layout will be powered...but..

The two sidings which come toward the centre from the top of the layout (for a station)....how does the power get to those two tracks?

From the lower blue/green power feed, round the inner right hand track, through the points - and Bob's your uncle!

Of course, only to the platform that the points are set to, and if the points are set to the main line not at all (which is how insulfrog points work)

Did you pick up in a post above that there is a typo on the diagram - it should say DPDT instead of SPDT - guess I'm a  too!!

Cheers

Jon   

Can I butt in here (since I saw the word 'electrics') in case someone can correct my latest idiocy?
I've spent the afternoon wiring the control panel for the track. With a Gaugemaster twin controller I'm trying to use SPDT switches with the power from the controller(s) to the outside terminals and the feed to the track sections from the central terminal.
Doesn't work.
Bypassing the switches gives me a circuit. I'm getting a reading across the common return and the "common" feed to the switches but the switches themselves appear to be dead.
What 'male chicken' (changed by forum)-up have I made this time, please?

How large are the switches? When I was wiring my signal control box I melted a whole lot of small switches...
Have you measured the resistance across the switch terminals, that'll tell you if the switch is working.