Thanks for the info everyone.  My layout is only a 4'x8' layout with two parallel tracks around the perimeter and a small yard on the inside of the tracks.  Jeff, I'm not sure what you mean by a bus bars for the terminal strips.  Are they the same as what I called a jumper bar which I have purchased.  As I run the layout wiring through my head, I probably have to purchase a couple more eight section terminal strips so I can have one on each side of the layout and one on each end.  Would it be a good idea to get one more for feeder wires to the small yard in the middle on the side past the DCC ready turnouts?

I'm getting ready to set up the feeder wires to my track from my bus wires.  I'm considering using some Radio Shack terminal blocks to make it easier.  So let me see if I got it correct.  I need one terminal block for one side of the track and another for the other side.  Run a line from the bus, hook it to one end of one block, use a jumper to distribute that power to the rest of the screws on that side......and run feeder wires from the other side to the track.  Is that correct, if I've been abale to describe it well enough?

 

Thanks jward.  One of the controls had high resistance across each of the pair of terminals you suggested testing.  The other on had very low resistance across the outside terminals but had very high resistance across the trackage terminals where there shouldn't have been.
I guess, for different reasons, both controls are defective.
I had misgivings about both to start with as the slide buttons didn't seem to work as all my other controls work.  I guess I learned a lesson.....test the system BEFORE installing them on the layout. 

I just tried to install two Atlas remote snap switch control boxes.  I installed the first at the end of two other switch contols.  The end of the original switch control has power coming from it but the new controls don't accept the power for some reason.  I tried both controls and both were faulty.  I had an extra control box, installed it the same way with no problems.
I'm guessing I must be doing something incorrect with the new Atlas switch controls as neither on works.
Any ideas?

Thanks Mr. Bach-Man.  Funny thing, I had just done that before checking any replies to my post and it seemed to solve the power problem when the loco was operating at the 03 loco identification.  However, I have tried to change the code for the loco from 03 to its number board 7046.  It seems to accept the change but won't operate on that number.  I'll keep working at it.  At least it seems that the decoder didn't get fried.
In my initial post, I mentioned a five pin board attached to the loco in a small plastic bag.  I was mistaken, it's a 6 pin board.  I still have no idea as to its use though.

I just received my Bachman GP9 loco.  The box says "DCC-equipped locomotive" as well as "DCC on board".  I ran it briefly with the DCC code they all come with, then changed the code to its number board number on a program track.  I ran it briefly to make sure it would operate under the new code.  I was doing some switching with another DCC loco as well as a non-DCC loco.  After I had everything set to move the new GP9, it had no power, no lights, nothing.  All other locos were running normally.
I put it on the program track, the correct code was read from the loco....still no power on the layout track.  I changed the DCC code several times and still no power.
I found it strange that, attached to the new loco in the box, was a small five pin circuit board.  There were no directions for its use.  If it helps, the item number of the loco is 62802.
I really hate to return the loco if it is something I might be overlooking.  I am knew to DCC but have had no problems so far with my other DCC loco.
My system is run by a Digitrax Zephyr.
Any suggestions?   

Today I thought I'd try to wire up one of the many turnouts on my experimental layout that I'm using to familiarize myself with the aspects of dcc operations.  My system is powered by a Digitrax Zephyr controller.  Apparantley I'm not as familiar as I thought.
I connected the switch control and the side turnout motor correctly.  To power the switch control, I ran feeds to the bus wire powering the track.  The turnout didn't work.  Thinking it might have had a bad motor, I wired to another switch, it didn't work.  I checked power with a multimeter and power was getting to the turnouts.
Finally, I took an old dc controller I had, connected the switch control to the AC outlet on it and the turnouts worked.
My guess, and please tell me if I'm incorrect is that there was not enough power from the bus wire to run the turnouts.  I measured the power, based on the Digitrax instructions on measuring track voltage and got 6.9 volts on one track and 6.5 volts on the other which according to Digitrax means a track voltage of 13.4 volts.  I'm assuming, and I know that is disasterous, that the same voltage is probably cruising through the bus wire.  Maybe none of that measuring means anything in powering the turnout but I thought it would explain what I did.
I had hoped that I could power the switches using the Digitrax without an added power supply.
Am I doing something wrong? 

Thanks to everyone that has helped.  My Digitrax Zephyr arrived yesterday and my locomotive arrived today. Let the games begin.....slowly and carefully I should add.

Tom, thanks for your help.  I must be missing something though.  I just purchased a Bachmann GP30 with DCC.  I'm guessing the decoder is about the most basic one can get based on the price I paid for the loco.  Knowing that, I have been looking to upgrade the decoder and, per your advice, I checked out a few of the companies you mentioned.  It seems that most of them are very limited in what makes and locos for which you can get a decoder.   For example, when I went to the Digitrax site, they have very few listings for Bachmann products.
What am I missing?

Thanks for all the help.  I'm pretty sure I now have the mental picture of how to wire the power bus around my layout.  Now, if my hardware would just get here.

I intended to wire the bus using the chest/arms analogy.  However, and I know this must be very elemental, I have had difficulties envisioning how the wiring would procede from the contoller.  Would I run a line from the controller to two lines, one to the left, one to the right and splice them all together?  Or, would I just run two lines from the controller one to the right and one to the left for each polarity?  I'm kind of guessing that there must be some gadget I could use to distribute the power from the controller to the bus in both directions.

OK, from what I've gathered then, on my 5'x9' layout with a few sidings and maybe one ladder track, I could use a loop for the bus but it would probably be better if I didn't.  As for the track forming a loop, it appears the same thing is true.
So, here is my plan.  As to the bus, I'll start at the controller, wind it all around under the track and at the return to the controller, use the last feed wire as the end of the bus.  For the track, opposite the controller, I'll install two insulating track connectors.
Does that plan agree with what I've been given here?

I am doing alot of investigating before designing and building my first dcc layout.  However, I am not confident with my knowledge of the bus wire.  For my purposes, I've decided that 14 or 16 AWG wire would be adequate for the bus wire.
My question is this: am I correct that the bus wire should NOT form a loop nor should the track itself form a powered loop.  My understanding is that somewhere the track connectors should be plastic to stop the power from being in a loop. 
I am waiting on my Digitrax Zephyr controller to arrive so I am not sure of the connections to be made at the controller itself but, I want to make sure I understand the bus wiring from there.  How to I wire from the controller to the bus making sure a loop isn't created.
I know some other questions will arise as I proceed and want to thank board members in advance for all your help.

Being new to the world of DCC, I sometimes get easily confused.  I am currently considering  a few Bachmann "DCC ready" locomotives.  I am assuming, although that's not good, that the term means it is wired, with a plug, to accept a decoder.  Is that correct?
Secondly, how do I know what decoders are compatable with a given locomotive?
Thanks for any help offered.