Wire types

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A discussion on the various types of wire available.

Contents 1 Types 2 Outside considerations 3 Aluminum Wire 4 See Also

[edit] Types

(Move chart here, i can't find it right now)

• Aluminum
• Copper

[edit] Outside considerations

When wiring for outside, modelers needs to take into account weather exposure and how to mitigate it. (This sections needs expansion).

• Direct burial
  • Avoid - Not suitable for garden railroad use.
• Underground sprinkler wire
  • Avoid - Solid wire, but much too small in diameter to carry the necessary currents.
• Low voltage lighting wire
  • Avoid - Intented to be terminated inside above ground lighting fixture. Stripping stranded wire and then trying to solder buried feeders to it will eventually fail, even if the connection has been waterproofed. The problem is that soldering stranded wire makes it very rigid and the tiny flexible strands can break off. For garden railroads, walking on buried wires aggravates this problem. If connection is not waterproofed, then the wire is doomed to fail.
• Buriable "Romex:"
  • Avoid - This wire, available in the United States, has a jacket that makes the wire buriable. However, once you cut into this jacket, it's no longer waterproof and nullifies the jacket's benefit.
• Heavy solid wire.
  • GOOD - The fatter the wire, the longer it will be before it corrodes through. We can't tell you how many years, but solid should give you plenty of time.
  • For garden railroading, another thing that to consider is the wire's mechanical strength. In short, the thicker it is, the better at knowing it's there sooner with your shovel.

[edit] Aluminum Wire

If some kind soul offers you aluminum wire, graciously accept it.

Then take it to a recycler, and use the money he gave you to buy copper.

Aluminum wire isn't readily available anymore, because of various issues surrounding it's usage. Aluminum requires special techniques, materials and devices to use it, and for the average person, this will be nothing but problematic. Therefore, for ease of installation and long term reliablity, don't bother with aluminum. Stick with copper, as it is easy to work with, and reliable.

The only advantage aluminum has ever had over copper is that the equivalent conductor is lighter and cheaper. Copper's advantages more than outweigh the cost difference between the two.

[edit] See Also

• Wiring - Primary wiring article.
• Wire sizes and spacing - Help determine wire size and feeder spacing