Wire tags

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Ok, that explains it.

Yeah, it's funny, it's basically right back to old school cab control wiring.

[John]

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.

Ed -- I solved that problem by using yellow and blue wire for the detection section bus (you can use any color you want)

Since you are using red and white for your bus, you only need one color for each block .. just make sure red / white is always consistently attached around the layout





You generally dont need block detection in yards for CTC or APB (unless you want to) .. so those tracks would connect direct to red / white bus .. although I would advise your yards have a dedicated circuit breaker as thats where most derailments are likely to happen

[Philip H]

Get these and write on the back side in a fine point Sharpie:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/560665328/recycled-multi-colored-plastic-bread?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_us_b-craft_supplies_and_tools-other&utm_custom1=_k_Cj0KCQjwlOmLBhCHARIsAGiJg7lWHI55Vx77fVPpzLOlx4kBcLIGp3jmXkb3ECaYsaUpSNbNfP_1eFwaAj4KEALw_wcB_k_&utm_content=go_1843970767_71423384282_346364349567_pla-295462056907_c__560665328_129259093&utm_custom2=1843970767&gclid=Cj0KCQjwlOmLBhCHARIsAGiJg7lWHI55Vx77fVPpzLOlx4kBcLIGp3jmXkb3ECaYsaUpSNbNfP_1eFwaAj4KEALw_wcB

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Ed -- I solved that problem by using yellow and blue wire for the detection section bus (you can use any color you want)

Since you are using red and white for your bus, you only need one color for each block .. just make sure red / white is always consistently attached around the layout





You generally dont need block detection in yards for CTC or APB (unless you want to) .. so those tracks would connect direct to red / white bus .. although I would advise your yards have a dedicated circuit breaker as thats where most derailments are likely to happen

I'm using Digitrax BXP88s. You know, I never really "got" that all whites (in my case) are common. Damn, that'd save a lot of wires. Right now I'm running a pair of red/white wires from the BXP installation for each block (even though all of my white wires tie together "in the bungalow".



For each section I take one white wire (from the terminal block) and one red (from an output on the BXP) and run it along to feed a block (either a straight run or part of an interlocking).

For the non-CTC tracks (industrial sidings, the MA&PA and the future Frederick Branch) I have a PSX on a different board that everything goes through. I have four of those (one for each general area of the layout) and all those sidings are tied together (because why not). Of course, those are also red and white wires (because I'm stupid, lol).

[C855B]

Back in another life I was on the maintenance team for a network of 2-way radio systems. We had one installation built by another group two generations previous. Each time it glitched (unreliable old tech + ham-fisted wiring job), the immediate diagnosis was always "check the red wire".

It was all red wires. The entire cabinet. Nobody wanted to take on rewiring, either. 

[drgw0579]

The DYMO label maker is sort of fragile.   I'm on my 3rd, and I would have probably gone with a different brand if I didn't have a good supply of the label material.  Watch the cartridge installation, jam it in there and you have broken it.   The bigger one gives you the ability for special characters, and the keyboard layout is much more intuitive. I imagine when they were designing these, they decided to go with the printer-ink pricing model as for the price, it is really if well thought out.   But they get you on the re-fills.

Bill Kepner