Calgary Free-mo: Standards And Guidelines

Electrical

1. Track Power Bus
2. Accessory Bus
3. Digitrax Loconet Bus

The Calgary Free-mo Group has decided to adopt Anderson Power Poles as the connector of choice for their modules for the Track Power Bus(es) and Accessory Bus. The group will maintain a supply of adapter kits that will plug into the power pole harnesses on a module, and terminate with the cinch-jones connectors and trailer plug to meet North American Free-mo standards. These will be available for use by any group member who has converted their module to attend other Free-mo setups, and at group setups to interface to visiting modules. All members must understand that this is a Recommended Practice for Calgary Free-mo and is not intended to replace the North American standard for Free-mo module interconnections. (however, we would be most appreciative of other groups notifying us with their intent to adopt this Recommended Practice.)

We are keeping the documentation for our old standard of wiring and the still-current North American standard of hooking up electrical within a module here.

Anderson Powerpole Primer:

For those who haven't seen these connectors, here are what the housings look like. Made of durable polycarbonate (high grade plastic), these housings are genderless, keyed, and finger-proof (no exposed electrically live components). A small metal connector is soldered onto the end of the wire and this wire/pin assembly is fitted into the housing. Once inserted properly, the two will not come apart without deliberate action with a small flat bladed screwdriver or extreme force.

We have put on this page the standards as they apply to a module, however, our full Powerpole Interconnection Standards document (available as a PDF) contains additional information such as Booster harnesses, Free-mo adapter harnesses (connecting legacy Cinch Jones and Trailer Plug connectors to Powerpoles) and other special circumstance connection means.

1. 30 amp Anderson Power Poles with 14 Gauge wire will be used.
2. Housings may be assembled as a horizontal block, like Power Pole Figure 1 below, or a vertical block. When polarity or colour orientation is required, positioning with tabs down or tabs up will be specified.
3. Left and Right hand orientations are always as you face the end of the module.
4. Track Bus Connections between modules will be plugged in so that Blue Housings mate with Red Housings.
5. Both Accessory Bus Wires will be connected to BLACK Housings. These housings will be assembled horizontally.
6. Track connections below are listed from Left to Right as you face the end of the module. This applies to each end of the module.
7. It is recommended that the busses be terminated to a terminal strip and the housing assemby with its wires attached to the terminal strip instead of directly to the bus. 18” wire leads off the terminal strip are recommended.

Power Pole Figure 1. Housing assembly showing parts orientation.
NOTE: For terminology used in this document, the graphic shows the power pole housings joined HORIZONTALLY with the TABS DOWN. (The Roll Pin shown, when inserted, prevents the two housings from disengaging each other)

Track Power Bus:

The track power bus is a two wire daisy-chain bus that powers the mainline track.

Power is supplied from the Digitrax booster(s). Feeder wires (20-22ga wire recommended, provided they are kept short) are soldered to each segment of rail and connected to the track bus (prefer soldered, however, properly done IDC connectors can be used). At the end of each module there is a pigtail with two Powerpole connectors, one Red and one Blue. The pigtails must be 12" long minimum and terminate within 6" of module endplates. These shall be made with 12 - 14 gauge stranded wire. The bus wires and pigtails terminate on a barrier block as described below.

Housing Connections:

1. Blue – Left Hand Rail Bus Wire
2. Red – Right Hand Rail Bus Wire

a and b will be assembled vertically, Red over Blue with tabs down

Power Pole Figure 2. One Track Bus and Accessory Bus Connection

Two Track Busses
This will apply to modules that have 2 track busses, normally double-tracked modules where each main line is fed by separate busses. Connections will be made Red to Blue between modules.

Housing Connections:

Red – Right Hand Rail Bus Wire from the Right Hand Track
Blue – Left Hand Rail Bus Wire from the Right Hand Track

The Right Hand Track Red and Blue housings shall be assembled vertically, Red over Blue with tabs down

Red – Right Hand Rail Bus Wire from the Left Hand Track
Blue – Left Hand Rail Bus Wire from the Left Hand track

The Left Hand Track Red and Blue housings will be assembled vertically, Red over Blue with tabs down

The Right Hand pair will be assembled vertically over the Left Hand pair, tabs down – this will give you a vertical stack, starting on the top with Red/Blue/Red/Blue. There is only one way to interconnect this assembly between modules.

Power Pole Figure 3. Two Track Buses and Accessory Bus Connection

Accessory Power Bus:

This is a two wire bus, carrying 16V AC, usually the output of a DCC Booster, constructed of 2 - #12-#14 AWG stranded black wire. Each wire is to be terminated at the ends of the module onto the barrier terminal block as shown in the accompanying sketch.

Each pair of wires then has a pigtail connector made up of two black Powerpole connectors, made to the same lengths and standards as the Track Power bus, except that the wire is expected to be Black, and the Black housings are joined horizontally.

The accessory bus power can be used for powering lights, switch machines (Circuitron's Tortoises are recommended), animation motors, or accessory decoders. If you require DC power, you may use a small circuit which converts the power from AC to DC, which can then be regulated down to the desired voltage.

Module end Terminations

Barrier terminal blocks shall be used at the module ends; connect the buses on one side and the pigtail connectors on the other side. Use crimp on spade lugs (Blue terminals are sized to fit 14ga wire) or tin the bare wires to terminate.

Digitrax DCC and Loconet Bus:

Digitrax is the only manufacture of boosters and throttles that are currently accepted for Calgary Free-Mo. Any NMRA compatible decoder can be used in the locomotives.

Digitrax LocoNet must be wired through all modules.

Any modules with turnouts on them, and modules longer than they are wide, must have a Digitrax UP5 panel connected to the track power. It is recommended that all modules have a UP5 on both sides, and two or more per side if the module exceeds 12' in length. The UP5 must be mounted neatly on either side of the module, with a UP5 or two outlet 6 conductor 6 pin telephone jack neatly and firmly mounted on the opposite side. The telco double jack would be wired to the auxiliary port (on the side) of the UP5. Wiring multiple UP5's is done by daisy-chaining the Loconet from one UP5 to the next.

1. Terminate with a 6 pin telephone plug at each end of the module, wired "one-to-one" so that pin 1 of each plug is the same at each end. A double ended 6 conductor inline female telephone jack must be provided for both ends. Use 6 conductor "satin" cord for cables. Wire as shown.
2. Terminate with a 6 conductor telephone jack at each end. Screw terminal or IDC type connections are acceptable. Provide a 12", minimum, 6 conductor male to male telephone patch cord for each end. Use either satin cord as above or round, twisted pair cable, 6 or eight conductor.

Loconet