reversing loop wires

[raptor106]

could i use red wires that come with ez track reversing loop pack to suppy power from one ez track terminal/rerailer to another ez track terminal/rerailer to spead even power on big layout?

[Doneldon]

rap-

Yes and no. Yes, this would present no electrical matters. No, the physical connections do not allow you to both connect to the track and run a feeder to another terminal track. A better idea would be to use one red wire from your power pack or DCC controller to a terminal track and then tap into that wire to run additional track connections. If you cut your second red wire in half you will be able to attach two additional feeds to terminal EZ Tracks. Just strip some insulation from the direct from supply to track, strip the ends of the insulation on the two half-pieces, twist the three wires together (make sure that you keep the polarity the same), and then solder the joints and cover them with electrical tape or (better) liquid electrical tape. If you strip the direct wire in areas which aren't across from one another it will be easier to avoid a short at the junctions. If you do wind up with a short just reverse the black plugs where they attach to the terminal tracks one at a time.

The best option is to run a heavier wire, like lamp cord wire, from your power source to roughly around your layout and then run short red wire feeders to your tracks. You don't have to use the expensive terminal tracks if you know how to solder. In that case, you can solder directly to the rails or to the rail joiners. You can hide the feeders if you solder to the bottoms of the rails or rail joiners, drill a hole from under the EZ Track or joiner to your solder joint, and drill down through your layout to the underside where you can attach your feeder to your buss wires.

Good luck!!
                      -- D

[raptor106]

ok cool. what about useing termainal/rerailers as feeder? i place 3 around my layout and since termains/rerailer come with red wires with spads at one end if i got ez track extesion wired and connection barrier strip and put three spad wires on one left side screw and three spad wire on next screw over. then on other side i hook power controler wire with spad on it on screw that the wire hook ot the track. could that work?

              +
controler +
======+==========/to ez track terminals/rerailer.
              +
              +

[Doneldon]

rap-

If I understand you correctly, you want to attach the spade ends of your t/r wires to a junction block and the black plastic female connectors on the male plugs of the t/r tracks, with another red wire as the "main" connection between your power supply and your terminal block. Yes, you can do that. It's not an ideal arrangement, however. Power is lost in the process of transmission, more so with DC than AC. (That's why we have AC in our domestic wiring.) The amount of loss increases with the length of the wire and with the size of the wire. Smaller wires eat more electricity than larger ones so the mainline from your power source should be a larger gauge wire and it should go as close as possible to the points that feeders are sent up through the layout to the rails. These feeders should be as short as possible, ideally no more than 8", with a maximum of 12". These can be quite small wires so Bachmann's red wires are a good choice for this.

There are two problems with using the Bachmann wires for everything. First, the red wires are quite small so they will decrease the power you can deliver at the rails compared to a larger gauge wire such as lamp cord. Second, you will be using much more wire than you need unless your layout is substantially larger than the 4x8 or so I am guessing for a first layout. That extra wire length will also eat some of your power (a la the first concern). If you plan to use the red wires, I urge you to cut them to no longer than what you need and either attach new spade connectors or wrap the wire ends clockwise around the screws on your terminal block.
                                                                                                             -- D

[raptor106]

ah ok cool cool my layout is 15x11 size layout. and i just using one terminal/rerailer at this point. i haven't seen any dead spots yet but i read it good idea to have more track feeder to even out power around big layout.
question i have e-z command controler that i'm using. now i went out and got the e-z track turntable and it awsome. anyway it came with extra redwire with headphone jack at one end like i got with e-z command controler. so i took extra redwire that came with turntable and i cut off the flat black part that connect to terminal/rerailer and put spad on both wires, will that damage the e-z command if i hook it up to terminal bock?