Wiring is another important part of model railroading that you want to make sure you get right, not only to have flawless running trains but also to avoid shorts and potential fire hazard.

Even though we are working at low voltages anytime you work with electricity there’s always a risk of a spark, and given most model railroads are made of wood and foam it’s important to ensure everything is wired correctly.

I always make sure that there is space between positive and negative wires so they don’t accidentally cross and become a risk of a short. Ways to do this are by spacing the wires apart, this isn’t always possible however, so another way to prevent shorts on wires that cross are by insulating them.

Most wires will have their own insulation but where wires have been stripped and soldered I will use heat shrink or if that’s not an option I’ll use liquid electrical paste.

This stuff is designed to cover exposed electrical wires and is applied quite thick to create a barrier over the wires. I applied multiple coats where needed.

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The rest of the video gives a good description of the wiring process, below is a wiring diagram for those interested in how the control panel switches are wired. These are loosely based on the original control panel I filmed for an older layout many years ago.

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Please note that the resistor shown is just an example resistor and not indicating the exact one I used.

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If you have any questions please feel free to leave a comment below.