Wow!

I think this idea of making terminal strips out of PVC is fantastic.  I wish I'd known about this a couple of years ago before I sunk a bundle into purchasing terminal strips for my layout.

Overall I think this is a fantastic idea and deserves two thumbs up.  Kudos to the author!

Very well written ..

... and a clever approach.  Certainly would save $$ if one considers that regular terminal blocks are about a buck a screw, plus jumper plates if needed, plus time and expense of soldering on spade connectors.  They are also hard to find if there’s no electronics shop in town (Edmonton for example, 1 million population, used to be 3, now none). 
 

Will have to think about this.

steel vs brass?

I wonder though, wouldn't brass screws be better than steel for conductivity if you were going to fit a spade connector under the head of the screw? 

Miniscule

Since you're talking a few fractions of an inch, it doesn't matter in practical terms. One is as good as the other at that distance.

Over a distance of several feet, it does start to add up, but not when we're talking just fractions of an inch.

  "Certainly would save $$

Wire nuts are another  inexpensive ready to use alternative to terminal strips. They come in various sizes and are easy to use.....DaveB 

What a great idea!  This

What a great idea!  This should become a "standard practice" for any new construction.  I particularly like the idea of coloring the grooves to keep the appropriate wire in the right spot!

A few observations

Fabulous Out-of-the-Box thinking!  A great solution to $2 terminal strip!

I'd advise those who are interested:  Black PVC is made by adding Carbon Black.  I'm not aware of any conductivity issues caused by the volume used, bur DCC can create additional unkinown effects of signal bounce or loss, So I'd be wary of using PVC other than White.

I particularly liked the serpentine solution to a common bus!

Now, Carl, how do we create our own wire?  (I, for one, keep the 'tails' from old computer mice for a handful of colored 30ga wire... useful for LEDs and some decoder work -but that won't handle the power bus!)

Wire Sources

Hello Peter:

I'm always on the look out for wire. I save cords off lamps and vacuums, etc.  For signals I've used computer and telephone trunk cables. The telephone punch down terminals blocks can be quite handy. And not even too pricey, but I've gotten permission to salvage them from condemned buildings. My 18GA wire mostly came from industrial surplus sales where I've bought whole machine control cabinets for all the DIN terminals inside. I know everyone doesn't have access to sales like these, so that is why I came up with the PVC terminals for everyone.

Best wishes, Carl.

DCC Snubber

I was having trouble with DCC control at Ruth Mountain, the longest run for the control wire. So I added this snubber: ( click on photo for full view. )

Was super easy to install and it also solved my DCC problems.

Carl.

Moderator note: Resized photo to fit on the screen.