17. DCC Wiring at Chadwick Model railway.

Is it really just two wires?
Rudy's YouTube Channel

[chaostrain]

This is the first video that explained things without the presenter trying to explain every little thing in an attempt to prove how smart they are. This video may be a few years hold but I can easily see how each area is actually independent of others. Very useful indeed. Thank you for posting.

[librepenseursaintongheais]

Thank you sir. Amazing how you care about the listener. It is all the more important when the latter is not a native english speaker but only a french peasant living close to La Rochelle. I started my layout 12 months ago, all DC, and you help me tremendously to get ready to shift soon to DCC when setting up my second layout (US shaped). Enjoyable to learn this way. Take care.

[randallhawkinson]

My Pacific Crest is my fifth over the last 47 years of layouts. Many components were saved from the first four to be used on this 5th one. Thanks for including solenoid switch motors as part of the discussion and describing them as "gun shots" in operation! Fear not, I have already converted to slow motion motors, but only for those points I cannot easy reach. Everything else will be ground throws due to my slim budget and my lack of computer knowledge. You won't see this old boy going to "Gold". Well done on this one, Sir. I have it bookmarked for further study!

[dWargamer]

Good afternoon in regards to wiring do what guage do you use for all the different bits and bobs i.e power ect.When wiring a dcc chip to a loco what wiring would you use for that hope all is well

Ken

[insomniacbritgaming]

I'm aware this is an older video, but can I say, would it be possible to maybe make a small tail chaser to demonstrate how simple basic DCC wiring is? this massively overwhelmed me

[flemmingjahns]

Hi Charlie. Pined type Choklad block can i you give a link for these. i live in Denmark, we don´t that type ? love you Channel and are learning a lot about modeltrains. Thanks Flemming

[hansfehlow]

You have done a great job on your layout wiring! Thanks for the video.

[johnodonoghue]

Charlie, a question for you can you suggest a power unit for a dc layout spread over 2 x 8' x 4' boards, this will need to cover up and down line outer circle plus fiddle yard . I need to have constant voltage over all aspects, this layout will hopefully be updated to DCC late 2021 early 2022 . Hope you can help

[l.rod]

Very informative, I'm looking at starting into the hobby and researching and learning as much as I can before I begin purchasing products. For sure I need more education before I start. Did enjoy your layout, very clean and apparently very functional. Great Job.

[saintpara]

Hi. So I'm about to (once the garage is cleared) embark on an insane project and having watched a lot of your stuff as well as others I am heading down the Digitrax route. I'm intending to use some computer control (currently JMRI most likely as I can run that on a Pi) but currently just planning stuff. However have hit on an issue that I just cant get my head around as I cant find the info: The numbering / Board IDs etc of all the devices.

Going to have PM42s DBL168s DS64s (about 24 of the buggers so may need a new mortgage) and an SE8C. I *think* all the board ids can overlap between devices, so there can ba a 42 that is a 1, 168 that is a 1 etc. But, particularly with the block detection, switches and light outputs of the SE8C there seems to be some concern about overlap.

Have you any idea what can overlap, what cant overlap, and any hints on numbering all these devices!

Cheers and loving the channel!

[stuartthegrant]

I am thinking of making a small DCC/PC controlled layout myself and this excellent film has helped me make up my mind to go ahead. As I already have the NCE Power Cab I will stick with their equipment but I will certainly try to use your extremely neat wiring style.. Thanks for posting such an informative video.

[AmazeTase]

Great video Charlie. Very helpful. I’ve picked up a few tips for my upcoming layout. Cheers.

[canalsidingsmodelrailway]

A very interesting video Charlie. I too use technology in my railway modelling. As a former electronics engineer I build my own control circuits many using Merg kits as the basis. My control system is the free JMRI software and this is connected to my NCE system via usb. I did look at the paid for software but decided that it was too expensive to risk finding a feature that I need is missing. With JMRI I can add capability using the many built in facilities, The down side is that there is a very steep learning curve to negociate before you get anything going. There is also a lot to be said for using parts from one manufacturer as you have and knowing they will all work together.

[HenrikScheel_]

chocolate block connectors - lovely word!

[lionellance]

Great job.. Thanks for sharing and keep up the great work.. Lance

[MichaelHenfrey]

I would be interested to find out how often you set it up at an exhibition and have to do some form of troubleshooting to make it work properly vs how often you just set it up and enjoy? Cheers, Michael

[Synthematix]

Hello again, there is a simple thing i used to do to stop that loud noise from the solenoid point motors years ago, and thats to fit slim rubber O Rings the the part of the point that throws, this massively dampens the sound to the point the sound is halved

[ThatRandomBiker]

Hey, I’m just starting my dcc layout and like the idea of having the separate power districts to prevent the whole layout shorting out if I have one.

I was looking at those PM42’s and was wondering if they work with other brands/products.

I want to keep things as simple as possible for now and I’ll be running from a hornby select controller to start with. In my mind I’d be putting the main power into the PM42 and running the BUS wires from them into the separate districts. Would this work 😅

[James-ihgz]

i have models that are over 30 years old can go dcc or do i have to stay with dc

[TATICMOOR]

(Edited Update)... Wow, plenty of spaghetti there to feed you for a week if you could eat it, LOL. Tho with you upending the boards like this and have shown how you have kept it neat and tidy from one section to the next is impressive Charlie. Do you have OCD... LOL. No with my early days doing Electric Engineering and Electronics back in the mid-80s. Taught me how to control the flow of wiring to different sections and to have every aspect of it neat and tidy, especially for fault finding. At times it can look bewildering, but colour coding and labeling everything makes it a lot simpler to follow one end to the next.

This is a must in the IT Depts (that I worked in the NHS) for servers etc as your not working between two baseboards next to each other, but from room to room, building to building. So a label like B2S15IO31PC101 would be Building #2 - Server #15 Input/output network socket 31 to the PC #121 (1st floor on computer 21). Long Labels they maybe but if you're at B10S09IO17PC523 you know where to go.

Therefore logically baseboards can be the same B1PM05S09 (Baseboard #1 - Point Motor #05 - Signal #09) even to the extent that the label points out both ends of the cable going from and to elsewhere (as above) would be B1PM05S09 - CP01TB03SW19 (Control Panel #01, Terminal Block #03, Switch #19). Long-winded maybe, but useful in a wiring diagram in your layout folder that has six A4 pages for a 6x baseboard layout.

Edit Update: Oops I forgot to say that the label L1 closest to the T1 terminated end is that location. The 2nd label L2 is then the T2 terminated end away from this point to its location.


I think I got that right... LOL, anyway, hopefully, that will help any beginners with their designs on paper to draw the layouts connection points of wiring and to label the physical wires on the baseboards.

To make the labels: just cut an average address label into strips to suit your needs. Then wrap it around the wire as you would with a Loaf of Bread sticky Sealer tape and write the info on it. If printing the info on a sheet of A4 and cutting them out, but remember to leave the same length of blank space after your text and cut out. Add a few extra spaces (4mm) to cater to the thickness of the wire. Now place the cut-out strip of text paper and lay it flat on a clean area of your work table. Now get your roll-off Sellotape and pull a cut strip of it longer than your label, and place it lengthwise on top of your label, but centered the best you can top and bottom and stick it down gently on top. Next is to peel it up again with the text stuck to it and wrap it around your wire so that the sellotape sticks to its self (like the bread sealer). Lastly, cut away the excess clear sellotape leaving 1-2mm around the edges of your label to stop it from opening and falling off.