Conduit Advice

[JimmyB]

Though my Locos are battery, I use DC to power my points (turnouts), and am about to re-wire my track for this. Previously I used 20 mm solid conduit and fittings and threaded single wires (as and when required), however for this re-wire I am going to use and 8 wire bundle (2 off) which should provide sufficient connections, however this is a tight fit in the 20 mm and was considering using 25 mm conduit. I see that some of you use flexible conduit, and had previously dismissed the idea, due to the wires, possibly snagging on the inner walls. So will the wires thread easy in flexible conduit, or should I still with the 25 mm solid and the inspection corners.
Many thanks in advance for your advice

 

[PhilP]

IMHO flexible conduit is not as hard wearing.
Curves are easier, but a bit more work for the connectors.
If you specify for outdoor use, it is expensive.

Could you not use a lesser number of heavier wires for power, then something with several cores, for control / sensing?

If you are pulling bundles of wires, allow bigger boxes at 'corners' if you can.

PhilP.

 

[viaEstrecha]

IMHO flexible conduit is not as hard wearing.
Curves are easier, but a bit more work for the connectors.
If you specify for outdoor use, it is expensive.

Could you not use a lesser number of heavier wires for power, then something with several cores, for control / sensing?

If you are pulling bundles of wires, allow bigger boxes at 'corners' if you can.

PhilP.

Flexible conduit is not exactly cheap, I concede, expecially when you use over 100m of the stuff! I purchased mine mostly with a draw wire already in place and I tend to leave a manmade string inside each (mostly straight-ish) length, just in case I need to add another wire. Mine is in the main held to fences etc and where it goes underground, I prefer to put it inside uPVC drainpipe, all of which is a right faff and needs planning, but I was happy to make the effort, doing it at the same time as I totally relaid the railway.

 

[Diesel2000]

Have you considered using direct bury landscape wire? 18/2 awg is great for points. With a gravel roadbed I've found this to be more than sufficient and super easy when you want to modify or run more as long as you go easy and use a light spade and not a super heavy shovel when its underneath.

 

[Paul M]

due to the wires, possibly snagging on the inner walls.

It should br smooth on the inside. And as Via Estrecha says, always run a draw wire through, this is good practice on all conduits

 

[dunnyrail]

I have never been fond of pull thorough conduit using sundry sizes of electrical conduit with a removable top. Yes it comes in white so I tend to spray it with grey undercoat. So much easier to do revisions a d is pretty flexible.for sharpe curves is quite easy to cut at an abpngle and if the top is cut at regukar intercpvals much easier to get top off for revisions.