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Disrict Buss

ewoodley@...
 

I am breaking my layout into two districts. 
There is two question that actually never gets answered or if it does they don't use my lingo, or it just flies over my pee wee brain. Here goes the question. If you break your layout into districts do you need to run a separate buss wire for that district? 

I am using a NCE starter set with the power cab. It puts out two amps max. However there is only one slot to tie in your buss wire. So the second question would be (if the answer is yes, you need another buss for another district) where does the other buss wire get tied inn. 

My layout is a 10 x 10 with hopes to increase the size. At this point only running two locomotives. 
vincent marino
 

My brother I use NCE (15amps) and have 6 districts. Each district has its own buss line tied to a circuit breaker.

 I recommend the following: from the NCE command station track connection go directly to a wire splitter which allows you to send a power supply + and neg - to a circuit breaker for each district. Total 2 circuit breakers. 

 From the circuit breaker send your buss line ( + and - use minimum 14ga wire) out for each power district, make sure you allow for several track drops to each district.  

Hope I helped.  


On Mon, Dec 2, 2019, 7:17 PM <ewoodley@...> wrote:
I am breaking my layout into two districts. 
There is two question that actually never gets answered or if it does they don't use my lingo, or it just flies over my pee wee brain. Here goes the question. If you break your layout into districts do you need to run a separate buss wire for that district? 

I am using a NCE starter set with the power cab. It puts out two amps max. However there is only one slot to tie in your buss wire. So the second question would be (if the answer is yes, you need another buss for another district) where does the other buss wire get tied inn. 

My layout is a 10 x 10 with hopes to increase the size. At this point only running two locomotives. 

Carl
 

Hi:

I have 10 districts powered by 6 Digitrax boosters. They didn't play nice until I totally isolated each district. I don't know what is "code" but this has worked for me. Plus the totally isolated districts make trouble shooting easier. Plus all lines to the rails are protected by circuit breakers, that do trip when needed.

Carl.

On 12/2/2019 7:06 PM, ewoodley@... wrote:
I am breaking my layout into two districts. 
There is two question that actually never gets answered or if it does they don't use my lingo, or it just flies over my pee wee brain. Here goes the question. If you break your layout into districts do you need to run a separate buss wire for that district? 

I am using a NCE starter set with the power cab. It puts out two amps max. However there is only one slot to tie in your buss wire. So the second question would be (if the answer is yes, you need another buss for another district) where does the other buss wire get tied inn. 

My layout is a 10 x 10 with hopes to increase the size. At this point only running two locomotives. 

thomasmclae
 

You need one booster for each district.
Most boosters can be used be any command station, but check before buying.
Typically, the command station goes direct to boosters, not track.
Easiest way to do this is to feed the command station to a terminal strip with spade lugs. Then each booster connects to that terminal strip. For that small a layout, 18 Gauge should be fine as bus wire to booster.
NO connection between districts that does not go through 2 boosters. Completely separate wiring, including bus wires.
So, Power Cab to booster #1, to district 1, Cab to booster #2 to district 2.
Thomas
DeSoto, TX
Mark Gurries
 


On Dec 2, 2019, at 4:06 PM, ewoodley@... wrote:

I am breaking my layout into two districts. 
There is two question that actually never gets answered or if it does they don't use my lingo, or it just flies over my pee wee brain. Here goes the question. If you break your layout into districts do you need to run a separate buss wire for that district? 

Yes.

Buss wire = 2 wires, one for each rail.

You will need to install insulated rail joiners (gaps) in both rail to electrically separate the two power districts from each other.

If you have a loop of track, there will be two locations where you break both rails.

I am using a NCE starter set with the power cab. It puts out two amps max. 

The need for power districts comes down to how many trains you will be running at the same time or will you have more than one engineer running trains at the same time on the same layout.

If you are the only operator of the layout, Power Districts do not make much dollars and sense to implement.  What are you gaining or saving?

However there is only one slot to tie in your buss wire. So the second question would be (if the answer is yes, you need another buss for another district) where does the other buss wire get tied inn. 

You cannot properly implement a power district unless you have some kind of DCC circuit breaker.

The goal of the DCC circuit breaker is to shutdown a section of track power if it detects a short without shutting down your DCC system (powering the rest of the layout)

A DCC circuit breaker takes your DCC system track output power and breaks it up into Power Districts.

+—> DCC circuit Breaker #1 —> Power District 1.
PwrCab---+
+—> DCC circuit Breaker #2 —> Power District 2.

NCE offers the CP6 as a suitable DCC circuit breaker device for the PowerCab.
3rd party wise, you can also buy the PSX Circuit breaker and set it up specifically for the PowerCab.

The information on the CP6 can be found here:


To buy one go here:


Best Regards,

Mark Gurries
Electrical Engineer
DCC Website & NMRA DCC Clinics: www.markgurries.com
thomasmclae
 

With DCC, the criteria for separate power blocks is as follows:
1. Will you use more amps than you currently have on existing track block. 
2. Do you need to isolate shorts, to prevent one bad Lok from shutting down the entire block.

Note that if you have at least one block (Segment, district).

Amps, plan on 1/2 amp per Lok.  Actual usage varies per Lok, motor efficiency, length of train, up or down inclines, etc. Generally, 4-5 loks can run on each block.
Shorts are common with bad track, bad Loks (Especially steam!), operator errors. If you are having these issues, the more blocks the better.

One common pattern is to have the DCC system fees only boosters, not directly to the track. Makes the DCC system more stable, and last longer.

Note that with DCC, more than one operator can operate trains in any block. You just need the throttles.
Thomas
DeSoto, TX
Keith Elrod
 

Sorry ... but what is a Lok?

Keith

On Sun, Dec 29, 2019 at 9:56 AM thomasmclae via Groups.Io <mclae5-lists=yahoo.com@groups.io> wrote:
With DCC, the criteria for separate power blocks is as follows:
1. Will you use more amps than you currently have on existing track block. 
2. Do you need to isolate shorts, to prevent one bad Lok from shutting down the entire block.

Note that if you have at least one block (Segment, district).

Amps, plan on 1/2 amp per Lok.  Actual usage varies per Lok, motor efficiency, length of train, up or down inclines, etc. Generally, 4-5 loks can run on each block.
Shorts are common with bad track, bad Loks (Especially steam!), operator errors. If you are having these issues, the more blocks the better.

One common pattern is to have the DCC system fees only boosters, not directly to the track. Makes the DCC system more stable, and last longer.

Note that with DCC, more than one operator can operate trains in any block. You just need the throttles.
Thomas
DeSoto, TX

David Klemm
 

ESU Lok sound decoder

David Klemm
11 PRO Max

From: w4dccqa@groups.io <w4dccqa@groups.io> on behalf of Keith Elrod <elrodk73@...>
Sent: Sunday, December 29, 2019 9:10:32 AM
To: w4dccqa@groups.io <w4dccqa@groups.io>
Subject: Re: [w4dccqa] Disrict Buss
 
Sorry ... but what is a Lok?

Keith

On Sun, Dec 29, 2019 at 9:56 AM thomasmclae via Groups.Io <mclae5-lists=yahoo.com@groups.io> wrote:
With DCC, the criteria for separate power blocks is as follows:
1. Will you use more amps than you currently have on existing track block. 
2. Do you need to isolate shorts, to prevent one bad Lok from shutting down the entire block.

Note that if you have at least one block (Segment, district).

Amps, plan on 1/2 amp per Lok.  Actual usage varies per Lok, motor efficiency, length of train, up or down inclines, etc. Generally, 4-5 loks can run on each block.
Shorts are common with bad track, bad Loks (Especially steam!), operator errors. If you are having these issues, the more blocks the better.

One common pattern is to have the DCC system fees only boosters, not directly to the track. Makes the DCC system more stable, and last longer.

Note that with DCC, more than one operator can operate trains in any block. You just need the throttles.
Thomas
DeSoto, TX

Craig Zeni
 

Or used as shorthand for "locomotive".

Craig Zeni
Cary, NC
Despatched from my infernal Android

On Sun, Dec 29, 2019, 10:19 David Klemm <davidklemm7511@...> wrote:
ESU Lok sound decoder

David Klemm
11 PRO Max
From: w4dccqa@groups.io <w4dccqa@groups.io> on behalf of Keith Elrod <elrodk73@...>
Sent: Sunday, December 29, 2019 9:10:32 AM
To: w4dccqa@groups.io <w4dccqa@groups.io>
Subject: Re: [w4dccqa] Disrict Buss
 
Sorry ... but what is a Lok?

Keith

On Sun, Dec 29, 2019 at 9:56 AM thomasmclae via Groups.Io <mclae5-lists=yahoo.com@groups.io> wrote:
With DCC, the criteria for separate power blocks is as follows:
1. Will you use more amps than you currently have on existing track block. 
2. Do you need to isolate shorts, to prevent one bad Lok from shutting down the entire block.

Note that if you have at least one block (Segment, district).

Amps, plan on 1/2 amp per Lok.  Actual usage varies per Lok, motor efficiency, length of train, up or down inclines, etc. Generally, 4-5 loks can run on each block.
Shorts are common with bad track, bad Loks (Especially steam!), operator errors. If you are having these issues, the more blocks the better.

One common pattern is to have the DCC system fees only boosters, not directly to the track. Makes the DCC system more stable, and last longer.

Note that with DCC, more than one operator can operate trains in any block. You just need the throttles.
Thomas
DeSoto, TX

Carl
 

Hello Keith:

It is also the short name for locomotive in German; a dampflok is a steam locomotive, a E-lok is an electric locomotive, a diesellok can be either a diesel/electric or a diesel hydralic locomotive.

Carl.

On 12/29/2019 10:10 AM, Keith Elrod wrote:
Sorry ... but what is a Lok?

Keith

On Sun, Dec 29, 2019 at 9:56 AM thomasmclae via Groups.Io <mclae5-lists=yahoo.com@groups.io> wrote:
With DCC, the criteria for separate power blocks is as follows:
1. Will you use more amps than you currently have on existing track block. 
2. Do you need to isolate shorts, to prevent one bad Lok from shutting down the entire block.

Note that if you have at least one block (Segment, district).

Amps, plan on 1/2 amp per Lok.  Actual usage varies per Lok, motor efficiency, length of train, up or down inclines, etc. Generally, 4-5 loks can run on each block.
Shorts are common with bad track, bad Loks (Especially steam!), operator errors. If you are having these issues, the more blocks the better.

One common pattern is to have the DCC system fees only boosters, not directly to the track. Makes the DCC system more stable, and last longer.

Note that with DCC, more than one operator can operate trains in any block. You just need the throttles.
Thomas
DeSoto, TX

Keith Elrod
 

Thanks. That clears that up.
Keith

On Sun, Dec 29, 2019, 1:59 PM Carl <carl.blum@...> wrote:

Hello Keith:

It is also the short name for locomotive in German; a dampflok is a steam locomotive, a E-lok is an electric locomotive, a diesellok can be either a diesel/electric or a diesel hydralic locomotive.

Carl.

On 12/29/2019 10:10 AM, Keith Elrod wrote:
Sorry ... but what is a Lok?

Keith

On Sun, Dec 29, 2019 at 9:56 AM thomasmclae via Groups.Io <mclae5-lists=yahoo.com@groups.io> wrote:
With DCC, the criteria for separate power blocks is as follows:
1. Will you use more amps than you currently have on existing track block. 
2. Do you need to isolate shorts, to prevent one bad Lok from shutting down the entire block.

Note that if you have at least one block (Segment, district).

Amps, plan on 1/2 amp per Lok.  Actual usage varies per Lok, motor efficiency, length of train, up or down inclines, etc. Generally, 4-5 loks can run on each block.
Shorts are common with bad track, bad Loks (Especially steam!), operator errors. If you are having these issues, the more blocks the better.

One common pattern is to have the DCC system fees only boosters, not directly to the track. Makes the DCC system more stable, and last longer.

Note that with DCC, more than one operator can operate trains in any block. You just need the throttles.
Thomas
DeSoto, TX

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