Steve Barkley

Choosing the Right Wire Gauge for Your Trackage

Steve Barkley
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Duration:   1  mins

You don’t need any special skills or background in electrical engineering to properly connect the trackage on your model railroad layout to your digital command center. All it takes to safely and correctly wire tracks to the DCC on your layout is a basic understanding of resistance and wire gauge, along with a quick trip to Home Depot.

In this lesson, modeler and DCC expert Steve Barkley teaches you about the two most common types of track connections you’ll need to make on your model railroad, and the two coinciding wire gauges you’ll utilize to make those connections. He explains how you should determine when to use a small gauge and when to use a larger version, and tells you why you should always follow the Home Depot Rule when shopping for wiring for your layout. With these expert tips, you can hook up your trackage to the DCC and get those locomotives running in no time!

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4 Responses to “Choosing the Right Wire Gauge for Your Trackage”

  1. Dene Halverson

    I have 2 Ho trebleX locos...both have dropped the front driveshaft to the front drivers..Does Anyone know how to get into the boiler to do something about this PLEASE...

  2. Roger Hallam

    I use 16 gauge

  3. KEN

    when running your two different size wires,do you use solid or stranded. which one is better and why. thanks for any help. Ken

  4. Edwin L Rahn

    I want to light up buildings on my Lionel layout. What is the least expensive & easiest way to accomplish this. I already heard about the expensive "Just Plug". Any other suggestions? Make it easy I'm not an electrician.

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