Customer Reviews

Basic Wiring for Model Railroaders: The Complete Photo Guide

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is an excellent guide for basic wiring schemes with many photos. I was mostly interested in DCC systems and understanding the basics. I had read the Digitrax Big Book of DCC but I was still uncomfortable with the system conversion. This book was very basic but brought all the components together for me to get a grasp of DCC and gave me the confidence to proceed. The photos were very helpful.

This book will not make you an expert in wiring together complex layouts with signals, interlocking, block detection and such but it will make you a competent installer of basic model railroad track wiring. That was its purpose and it does a good job of fulfilling its purpose.

After a short introduction explaining how electricity is used by the models, this guide introduces the basic tools, the basic procedures and then goes on to show how these tools and procedures are used on sectional track and then flex track. It starts with a very simple, "oval around a Christmas tree" sort of layout and then builds upon that, adapting and explaining the refinements as it goes along. It introduces such topics as block control, reversing track sections and even provides a brief introduction to digital command and control setups.

If I were to have one complaint, it is that almost everything is explained in terms of Atlas components. This is reasonable in that most beginners use Atlas electrical components (Controller, Selector, Twin, Connector, Switch, etc.). I just which it had spent a little time explaining what the switching inside these components does so that other electrical components could be wired the same way.

People who are interested in 3 rail systems will be disappointed since the coverage is exclusively for twin rails. Still, it is a very effective introduction.

If you're model railroad is 2 rail (vs 3) and DC (vs AC), this book covers all the basics that you'll need to wire your layout. If you're looking for 3 rail AC wiring advice, look elsewhere

ALTHOUGH WELL WRITTEN AND CLEAR, THIS PUBLICATION IS DIRECTED ONLY TO TWO RAIL MODEL RAILROADS. IF YOU WANT INFO ON THREE RAIL GO ELSEWHERE.