How to connect power from inside the house?

[dutchelm]

The AC power requirements for a garden railway are very small so voltage drop should not be a problem using any decent extension lead.
Just look behind layouts at exhibitions to see leads plugged into leads & more leads plugged into them. As long as no one plugs in a kettle everything works.

 

[Mobi]

This cable will be of any good?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/20M-Red-Black-Speaker-Cable-Wire-Car-Home-Stereo-HiFi-Car-Audio-Meter-2-x-0-50mm-/300926741920?pt=UK_Computing_Sound_Vision_Audio_Cables_Adapters&hash=item4610a1ada0

 

[dutchelm]

For the mains power you need 3 core cable with an outer sheath for mechanical protection.
For cable between the controller & the track its a bit lacking in copper. Go for at least 1mm or more.

 

[Mobi]

Can the track connector cable (LGB 50160) be left outdoor all the time?

 

[Gizzy]

This cable will be of any good?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/20M-Red-Black-Speaker-Cable-Wire-Car-Home-Stereo-HiFi-Car-Audio-Meter-2-x-0-50mm-/300926741920?pt=UK_Computing_Sound_Vision_Audio_Cables_Adapters&hash=item4610a1ada0

Yes for the Controller to the track cable?

I assume you are keeping the controller and thus the mains inside the house....

 

[Gizzy]

Can the track connector cable (LGB 50160) be left outdoor all the time?

Yes they can.

Mine have been outside for 14 years....

 

[Mobi]

This is my plan :

LGB track connector (outside)
this will connect the with terminal blocks
which will then connect to speaker cables (as shown in Ebay link)
These all wires will remain outside.

Then loose ends of speaker cable will connect to LGB controller which will then connect to transformer and mains 230 V plug. These will remain indoor.

So only the speaker cable will remain partly outdoor and partly indoor while I'm running trains. Before running, all I need to do is to connect loose end of speaker cable to LGB controller.

Sounds right?

 

[PhilP]

Sounds perfectly reasonable to me..
If you can solder some kind of terminal onto your lead that lives outside, and protect it from the worst of the elements when not in use, it would be a bonus. - An up-turned container with a brick on it would suffice.
Just make sure it sits on something to raise it above any 'puddling' from the rain.

 

[Gizzy]

Personally, I would not use a terminal block.

I would use a continuous length of cable from the controller such as the speaker cable and solder this to the LGB 50160 track connector, having removed any LGB wiring first of course.

Joints in cables are often a source of problems, so best eliminate them in the first instance....

 

[yb281]

Just one other thing that concerns me? You said your railway is 20' away from your house, so I take it that the controller would be 20' away too? Seems like being a long way from your trains to me? I'm imagining that your points are probably manual too?

Perhaps you could look at getting a portable, wireless handset. These needn't be that much more experience if you go for something like an Accucraft Train Engineer. These are not exactly cutting edge, but many people still use them (including me for point operation) and that means that you should be able to pick one up pretty cheap. Maybe see how you get on with that and save up for a second hand digital system?

 

[Mobi]

Controller will be inside. I like to control train from inside.

Only extension cable and track connector will be outside.

For wireless, I am satisfied with Playmobil loco.

 

[Bredebahn]

Sounds good but I think the point is that a 40' round trip to change a set of points manually is very soon going to wear thin. Likewise to uncouple a vehicle.........

 

[Mobi]

At the moment I have only one switch Once wagons are out fro siding no more manual changes.

Finally I have got the connection set up as described earlier. Time will tell how the wires survive outside. :