Brief Tour of My DCC Power Cabinet

NOTE: This model railroad video is not intended for anyone under 14 years of age due to the use of small parts, dangerous tools, electrical items, glues, and paints.
This is a brief overview/tour of the DCC Power Cabinet that I use to power my layout. I use an NCE Ph Pro 5 amp system with both the plug-in Pro cabs and WiFi. The WiFi is created using a WiFiTrax WFD-30. I generally use a TCS UWT-100 as a controller but can also use an iPhone. The WFD-30 allows for the simultaneous use of a WiFi controller as well as the Pro plug-in cab.
NOTE: The music in the trailer is courtesy of RUclips and is titled "Island Dream" by Chris Haugen.

[@SchuylkillRiverValley]

Nice set-up John, thanks for the tour.

[@tanzj]

Thanks for watching and your comments John.....Other John

[@SantaFeBob]

Very nice wiring set up. Looks so organized and accurate. Thank you for giving me a few ideas.

[@tanzj]

Thank you Bob. My Dad was an electrician so I tried to use some of the techniques that I learned from him....John

[@N-Scale]

Thanks for the peek John !!!

[@tanzj]

Thanks Mike....John

[@deeprunrailroad_Mike]

John thanks for the under the layout update. I also use a UPS in front of all of my layout power needs. I think using one is an often overlooked piece of hardware when discussing layout power.

[@tanzj]

Hi Mike, thanks for your comments. I absolutely agree. DCC systems cost a lot and should be protected by a UPS. The lightning strike that I mentioned in the video was so close that the EMP wave just used my track as an antenna and shorted out the communications chip, two tortoises and an accessory decoder. Hopefully I won’t have another so close….John

[@OldcampRanch]

I’m impressed,this stuff is way over my head. 👍🏻

[@tanzj]

Thank you for watching and commenting Rick. Just consider DCC wiring like house electrical wiring and it becomes easier….John

[@OldcampRanch]

@@tanzj thanks John, i appreciate the advice, I do have 110/220v residential wiring handled, but low voltage and DC circuit boards are Greek to me. Besides I have a 11 locos, most of which are old beaters. Converting they to DDC would probably be impossible, or very problematic to say the least😳

[@tanzj]

@@OldcampRanchI understand. You have a very nicely done DC layout that runs well……

[@mysticrailroad]

thats a pretty tidy power set up John! very nice.

[@tanzj]

Hi John, Thank you for your comments….John

[@Crookedriverandeasternrr]

Nice set up John.

[@tanzj]

Thank you Dave….John

[@FBMRR]

awesome John. gave me a few Ideas. thanks for sharing.

[@tanzj]

Thank you for watching and commenting. Everyone does this differently but this was how I did the main power buses/districts. I will search on my old Mac for the next part of the DCC wiring, i.e.,how to get power to the feeders , which is also from 2015. My PC has my files from when I switched over from the Mac so it will be a couple of days…..John

[@CM-ARM]

Appreciate the share John

[@tanzj]

Thank you for watching….John

[@AmericanSamurai1]

Nice overview, I like the DCC specialties products.

[@tanzj]

Thanks Bill. The circuit breakers have been in operation since late 2012 and the four auto reversers added as areas were built over the next couple of years. I agree that their products work great…..John

[@Longshadowsmodeltrees]

That's a clean install John.....Mines a rat nest...🤣

[@tanzj]

Hi Bob, Thanks for your comments. My Dad was an electrician so I used some of the things that I learned from him....John

[@HumancityJunction]

I originally decided not to use breakers. Now I am planning to add them. I am trying to figure out how to wire in the breakers without having to rewire everything. I hate messy wiring.

[@tanzj]

Hi Heath, There are a couple of ways IMO on how to wire a layout with circuit breakers. First, the way that I did it, centralized like a house with a power panel with breakers. Second, decentralized where each circuit breaker is placed near its power district. FYI my circuit breakers have been operating for 12 years....John

[@mspetersen]

With such a huge investment in Electronics for your model railroad consider a whole house surge protector. Probably get one installed for under $1K, which sounds like a lot until you consider how much it would cost to replace all your stuff.

[@tanzj]

I added one right after that storm although it probably wouldn’t have protected the communications chip or the other items since it hit very close to the train building (separate structure behind my house) since the EMP used the track as the input antenna. I spoke to Art Houston, an expert on NCE, and he had the same thing happen at his club in Louisiana…..

[@garykcs5532]

Great job. Better take a photo of that list on your bench work before you cover it up. Lol

[@tanzj]

No problem as all of the notes on the lower level are also in an Excel spreadsheet as well in a book that I keep in the layout building. The staging level will remain as open as you saw it today…..John

[@garykcs5532]

One thing I wanted to add John since you have DCC why do you have so many isolated rail joiners on your layout

[@tanzj]

Hi Gary, Thank you for your question. My layout is divided up into many different sections with each section being given a letter code, such as PAR for the Paradigm section, and then each feeder was numbered sequentially and the Paradigm section has 01-17 feeders. So for the purposes of easy troubleshooting I used the Atlas insulated joiners to show each feeder section. The feeders are then joined to a Euro style terminal block where each connection has the designation written next to it as well as on the underside of the table where the feeders are located. Overall, if and when I have a short, it is very easily located since it is very easily traced to a bus/district to section to feeder and this is visually assisted by the insulated joiners. I might also add that Peco electrofrogs require insulation on all four exit tracks as well….John