Setting Up the DCC System Part 3: Bus Wires

The first small step taken for reaching the goal of running trains by the end of October was to run the DCC bus wires.

I described setting up the DCC system with two circuit breakers, NCE EB1s, dividing the layout into two power districts in an earlier post. In the photo above, one can see the bus for each with the end of the eastern power district visible towards the front of the layout. Each bus is made up of a pair of #14 red and black wires. Black out, or towards the aisle, is the protocol that I have established for consistent "polarity," and I drilled holes in the supports to allow room for my plan to use suitcase connectors to attach the feeder wires.

The photo to the left shows the end of the "Power District West." I terminated this bus at a European style terminal strip or barrier strip. After the drop down staging has been designed and built, it will also be powered by this power district. All I needed to do at this end of the bus was to tin the stranded #14 wire before screwing it into the terminal strip. For the standard barrier strips I soldered on #6 spade connectors.

The photo to the right shows the "tee" for "Power District East." The bus begins at a circuit breaker on the other side of the panel and then separates into the two sides of the top of the "tee" at the barrier strip. I decided on this approach as the circuit breaker is located in the middle of the power district. 

The photo to the left shows the east end which terminates in a barrier strip and a Molex connecter. As the staging module that connects to the layout at this end already is set up with a Molex connector, I decided to stay with that system here. 

At this point the bus wires are installed for the DCC system. No matter where I decide to start laying track and wiring it, the bus is set up and ready.

Plan for October

Well, we are back from vacation, wife's family reunion in New Jersey and Civil War battlefields in Virginia, and it is time to make some actual progress on the layout. Since the last post in August, I have gone down several rabbit holes with the railroad. I started exploring the standards I will follow for rolling stock, thinking about the logging road that interchanges at Willow Junction (will it have custom decals? what will the numbering system be?) and researching more about supporting industries. In addition to these sidetracking issues, I had a problem with overlapping goals and being unsure how to  order them.

I think that the best approach to make some progress is to set a specific goal and determine a clear set of smaller steps in order to accomplish said goal. The goal is: Be able to run trains by the end of October.  The following list is a draft of the so-called smaller steps. While it is tentatively in the order that I intend to follow, I may have to adjust the order. Neither wiring or track laying are my favorite hobby activities, but I really need to focus and try to achieve this goal without allowing myself to be too distracted with other activities such as scenery, rolling stock, structures, or operations.

• DCC bus to Willow Springs side of layout
• DCC bus, a "tee" out to Willow Junction side of layout
• Install the program track and some associated track around Willow Junction
• Wire the program track and switch
• Test first tracks
• Prep wye turnout for box company spur
• Set up Switch It and maybe the button controls for Willow Springs side of layout
• Order Tortoise motors
• Prep turnouts for Willow Springs side, use techniques from previous post and remove springs
• Finish track laying and wiring for Willow Junction
• Temporary bridge using section track
• East staging wiring, control panel, and DC bus
• Track laying and wiring for Willow Springs
• Cab bus and plug ins wired
• Control panel for Willow Springs
• West staging built