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Large Layout Recommendations

Please stop what you are doing for now.  Some of your bus wires should be 12 AWG. Check out www.wiringfordcc.com before proceeding further.

For power capacity, you will need a Ph5-R as your starting point, then add multiple Pb105A boosters. Both include power supplies.

Each Pb105A five-amp booster, including Ph5, can support 10 locos running simultaneously.

Divide the layout up based on loco traffic and capacity needs, not track length.

The number of tracks and the track length influence bus wire size, not the number of boosters.

All yards should be on separate boosters with breakers.

To avoid downtime, I highly recommend keeping a spare booster on hand for redundancy. Perhaps even an extra Ph5 system box.

For programming and working on locos, get a Power Cab. Do NOT connect this to the main layout, electrically or physically.

I would also run a dedicated DCC accessory booster for anything that needs DCC track power or DCC data, like stationary DCC switch decoders.

Each booster requires at least one EB1 circuit breaker. If a Booster is serving multiple power districts, each section needs its own EB1 breaker.

The breakers are preset to 1.5 amps.  Set them to 4.1 before installing them.

For reversing loops. Each loop will need an AR10. The AR10 gets installed exactly like an EB1.

An AR10 is never placed inline before or after an EB1. It requires its own bus line right from the booster.

To monitor your booster's capacity usage, I recommend getting a DCC meter for each booster.

https://tonystrains.com/product/nce-5240326-dcc-meter-analyzer  or https://tonystrains.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=rrampmeter

More boosters if needed- 5240056 PB105a 5 Amp booster including (P519) power supply

Circuit breakers for power districts - need a minimum of 1 per booster 

5240225 EB1 V1.1 – Configurable Electronic Circuit Breaker

cab panel 5240207 UTP Panel Cab Bus fascia panel w/RJ12 connectors

cab for the operator – 5240039 Cab06 w/4-digit LED display, digital encoder, recall capability.

Procab 5240010 

Wireless Pro Cab R 5240011

 

RJ12-7 seven ft six wire flat cable cab bus with RJ12 connectors                5240213

RJ12-12 twelve ft six wire flat cable cab bus with RJ12 connectors            5240214

RJ12-40 forty ft six wire flat cable cab bus with RJ12 connectors                5240220

 

Other things to consider:

Tortoise switch machine accessory controllers

5240151 Switch8-MK2 Accessory decoder for 8 Tortoise switch machines

5240152 Button Board Add-on for Switch8-Mk2 to add local pushbutton control

5240154 SwitchIt-Mk2 Accessory decoder for two stall motor switch machines

 

Automation, Routing, and Block Detection

5240230 Mini Panel used for task automation, build turnout, or CTC control panels

5240205 BD20 Block detector for DCC, .01 to 20 Amps

5240200 AIU01 Auxiliary Input Unit – Cab Bus Interface for detection.

 

 

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