Wire tags

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Ok, I KNOW you      won't let me down.

Anyone have favorite wire tags for labeling layout wiring?

[John]

Ok, I KNOW you      won't let me down.

Anyone have favorite wire tags for labeling layout wiring?

What are these labels you speak of? Wiring? 

Maybe something like this ..  I would go with Red / Black wire for the main bus -- then you could use the various colors for any detection section bus wires .. 

https://www.amazon.com/Zayvor-Self-Adhesive-Identification-Waterproof-Resistant/dp/B091CF3TY6/ref=sr_1_14?crid=285W34N9XU45C&dchild=1&keywords=wire+tags+write+on&qid=1635282799&qsid=146-8185849-5051964&sprefix=wire+tags%2Caps%2C185&sr=8-14&sres=B00F63P2YA%2CB078D6VVDN%2CB07869W2W9%2CB08HR4RLFS%2CB07GFBSZ1Z%2CB08GHG52DJ%2CB08PQ2G4T4%2CB07ZXG99V3%2CB083P2TLNZ%2CB091CF3TY6%2CB083P3HF8Q%2CB08VJBCXRD%2CB083P2WFZ9%2CB087RT89LD%2CB00BT4MDX8%2CB08FQW4JDJ%2CB08SJQFTXK%2CB086895XMS%2CB0091UHKOO%2CB07H5W6SJH&srpt=LABEL

[C855B]

Color coding is my mantra. I would frankly avoid red/black pairing as anything other than a +12V power supply bus, as this is a universal standard. Here's my scheme:



In practice:



Gibbon is in the East Wall district, which explains the blue/white twisted pairs for feeders and the #12 bus wiring.

[wvgca]

i used the wire from the wire tags to make steps and ladders from .... it was the right diameter and already anodized near black in colour

[peteski]

i used the wire from the wire tags to make steps and ladders from .... it was the right diameter and already anodized near black in colour

"wire from the wire tags to make steps and ladders from"?

Could you translate this into English? No comprende. Nie rozumiem.

[Rasputen]

I've been trying to complete the signalling system on a friend's layout, and there were no labels or color coding applied at all.     I bought a Brother P-Touch Edge model portable printer which will print both tags that can be wrapped around wires, or it will print lengthwise labels as well.  I think the label tape uses a different adhesive compared to normal P Touch labels.  I've only had it about a week but It's been great so far!

[Tad_T]

I have a similar label maker that I have found lots of uses for, to include labeling wiring.

[wvgca]

i used the wire from the wire tags to make steps and ladders from .... it was the right diameter and already anodized near black in colour

these were wire tags [ a piece of stiff small diameter steel wire] with a small square of yellow card stock paper attached  ...
used to label small pieces or groups of items ..

[peteski]

these were wire tags [ a piece of stiff small diameter steel wire] with a small square of yellow card stock paper attached  ...
used to label small pieces or groups of items ..

Ah, that sounds like the "twist-ties" to keep plastic bag closed, except instead of the entire length of wire being inside a paper or plastic strip, yours just had a paper tag stuck to the wire.  That make sense now.

[John]

I have a similar label maker that I have found lots of uses for, to include labeling wiring.

absolutely a must have for the layout owner

[crencs]

If you're looking for something free and a way to recycle plastic - try plastic bread tags! Just use a fine tip sharpie to write with.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Oh yeah, I have a label maker (and ironically, a second old school one on the way), but I've found it tough to make wire tags with it (getting the spacing right to wrap around the wire and have a "back".

https://www.amazon.com/Zayvor-Self-Adhesive-Identification-Waterproof-Resistant/dp/B091CF3TY6/ref=sr_1_14?crid=285W34N9XU45C&dchild=1&keywords=wire+tags+write+on&qid=1635282799&qsid=146-8185849-5051964&sprefix=wire+tags%2Caps%2C185&sr=8-14&sres=B00F63P2YA%2CB078D6VVDN%2CB07869W2W9%2CB08HR4RLFS%2CB07GFBSZ1Z%2CB08GHG52DJ%2CB08PQ2G4T4%2CB07ZXG99V3%2CB083P2TLNZ%2CB091CF3TY6%2CB083P3HF8Q%2CB08VJBCXRD%2CB083P2WFZ9%2CB087RT89LD%2CB00BT4MDX8%2CB08FQW4JDJ%2CB08SJQFTXK%2CB086895XMS%2CB0091UHKOO%2CB07H5W6SJH&srpt=LABEL

I had seen these but the reviews seemed dicey.

Color coding is my mantra. I would frankly avoid red/black pairing as anything other than a +12V power supply bus, as this is a universal standard. Here's my scheme:

You continue to be my sherpa here.
I haven't gone as far with the color coding (because I don't think I need to), but follow a similar practice. For me, red and white are track power, blue and yellow are turnout control, orange is frogs (thought I was being smart since red+white kinda makes orange but their too close in value in low light to have been the wises choice).

The problem occurs in my local zones where it's annoying to quickly pick out "which bus is track 2?".

[peteski]

The problem occurs in my local zones where it's annoying to quickly pick out "which bus is track 2?".

The main bus supplying track power implies that is is a pair wires delivering power to a large portion of the layout.  Just "Track 2"?  Does that imply that you have multiple boosters (each with its own bus)?  But why just "track 2"?  That sounds like some localized thing on the layout?  Do you have a booster dedicated just to track 2?    Even if you use DCC breakers, the output is more of a local bus, since it only powers a power district (usually more than just a track 2).  In that case, change one color of the bs wires.  So you could have red and blue bus, red and green bus, etc.  Bus wires are usually twisted together, so it will be easy to recognize that it is not the main bus (red and white).

Or if you are talking about feeders to the track? I wouldn't bother using different colors for specific tracks.  Just use the same 2 colors everywhere. Those feeders are usually short and easily traced to bus wires.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Oh, right, ok.

So I'm doing detection for signaling. That means that each track that's detected needs its own "block" and bus. That's why I need to label things because I have two (or more) parallel sets of red and white wires running under the layout.

[peteski]

Oh, right, ok.

So I'm doing detection for signaling. That means that each track that's detected needs its own "block" and bus. That's why I need to label things because I have two (or more) parallel sets of red and white wires running under the layout.

Ok, that explains it.