New track layout.

[Nine Elms]

Morning All.

I am planning a new layout (DCC, 00 gauge) and thinking of including an incline. My question is; is it advisable to attach "droppers" to all/any of the rails on the incline?

I am basing my new layout on a design I have seen on the SCARM website which includes an incline, hence my inquiry.

Thank you, John

[Walkingthedog]

Yes

[Brian]

Hi
Best practice is to run a DCC bus pair of wires of a good conductor size around under the layout and then tap off the bus pair with smaller dropper wires to each piece of track - including straights, curves, points and gradients too

What size bus wire and droppers is normally the next question asked? Bus wire conductor size will depend on the overall size of the layout and the current output of the DCC system. My recommendation for the minimum bus wire size is flexible wire of 32/0.2mm or if the layout is permanent 1.5mm2 solid. Larger sizes of wire will never hurt. Droppers, if fitted to every piece of track and kept to no longer than around 350mm rail to bus wire can be in 7/0.2mm flex equipment wire. If every rail section is not feed by a dropper pair or the rail to bus length is over 350mm then consider increasing the dropper wire size to 16/0.2mm.

[Nine Elms]

Thank you both for your replies. I have a "flat" DCC layout that has been Bus and dropper wired and has worked well, but as I am now expanding into inclines then, as per you advice, I need to dropper all track.

John