Electrical System

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With the three rail O scale layout outdoors you’ll need to put more emphasis into the layout’s electrical system. Mother Nature and her elements she brings can cause you problems to your outdoor O scale layout if not taken into consideration during the construction phase. For the track power system, I recommend a portable system design capable of being removed when not in use.  To assure you get proper track power to the whole layout, add feeder wires every 6 to 10 feet of track. Since my ground is hard and with a lot of palm tree roots, I installed a ½” electrical conduit just under my track anchored to the stanchions. Adding junction boxes to all track feeder, signal, switch or other electrical accessory location.  Another tip - When connecting the rail joiners together, make sure rails are brushed clean and joiners have a snug fit. A drop of non-conductive electrical lubricant to the joiners before track assembly, can aid in good conductivity. The layout electrical system consists of common ground and four hot wires.  I used 16 gauge stranded wire for track and 22 gauge stranded wire in three different colors for the other hot leads systems.  A color for signals, switches, and area lighting will ease wire identification at you junction boxes. I find the phasing of a common ground is beneficial to the different layout systems. Wire ends are tinned and connected with euro terminal blocks. The ½” conduit electrical system is run to a central control point where I made up a simple plug and play connection to the portable command control box. Keeping the primary electrical components out of the elements when not in use. Another tip - install a drip irrigation system vs. a sprinkler system, keeping water off the rails as much as possible only helps in the long run with good conductivity and ease of track maintenance. 

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