DCC Bus Wiring
Question
Can I ask what people’s opinion of fitting snubbers (resistor/capacitor combo) to the ends of DCC Bus Wires?
Or is it OK just to fit a continuous loop?
And presumably I need to fit insulating fishplates to separate the ovals of track at the same point as the break(s) in the bus loops?
Answer ( 1 )
Personally, I would not leave a continuous loop in the bus, the theory is it will cause performance issues due to difference in timing of the signal reaching the loco as the signal travels in both directions around the loop. I simply left the ends open, I did not attach snubbers. So far so good, I spoke to a couple others who did the same with no issue after several years. As for the track itself, you can put the insulated joiners/fishplates anywhere you want, doesn’t have to be where the break is in the bus. I put mine in hidden areas of the layout where they are not visible. Another option, depending on the environment your layout is in, is to simply leave an expansion gap in the track to accommodate expansion/contraction as the seasons change. The gap will do the same thing as the insulated joiners, assuming it never expands enough to completely close again.