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Terminal Blocks Terminal blocks (sometimes called "terminal barrier strips" or "barrier strips") are one of the most indispensable items to a successful track wiring project yet they get very little attention. After all, what’s to discuss? If you’ve seen one terminal block, you’ve seen them all, right? Wrong!! |
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 First, note the
spacing between a matching pair of screws (sometimes referred to as
"posts" or "terminals") on the terminal blocks
offered at your local electronics store - an example is shown in the
picture to the right. Note how the “ends” of the spade connectors interfere with each
other using the standard terminal block. If you use this setup, you
need to be careful to overlap the connector ends - typically while
working underneath your dark table (good luck...). |
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 Now compare
this with the spade terminals on the heavy-duty terminal block shown
in the picture to the left. As you can see, there is no interference.
The wider spacing between each pair of screws on the heavy-duty terminal
blocks I offer make it
much easier to attach spade connectors when making your wiring
connections (remember, you'll be doing this while lying on your back
working underneath your dark table…). |
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 Second,
the larger screw posts let you use a much beefier spade connector which helps ensure the
best possible "mechanical" connection. The picture to
the right illustrates this. On the left is a heavy duty spade
connector which is designed to fit the screws/posts on the heavy duty
terminal blocks. On the right is a spade connector designed for
the smaller terminal block. The heavy duty terminal blocks and
spade connectors will
result in a better, more consistent mechanical connection than their
smaller counterparts. |
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| In summary, most people never give terminal blocks a second thought when assembling components for a track wiring project. However, as the preceding pictures show, there is a BIG difference! Yes - the heavy duty terminal blocks are slightly more expensive but keep this in perspective. For most 1/32 slot car layouts, the additional cost for the heavy duty terminal blocks will be less than $20 - this is usually a small fraction of the total cost you've invested in your layout. The old saying, "You get what you pay for." certainly applies here - don’t skimp on terminal blocks and connectors! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Heavy Duty Terminal Blocks (Dual Row) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| As described above. These terminal blocks are rated at 600V, 30 amps. All terminal blocks include mounting hardware. Be sure to check our pre-packaged wiring kits which include these same heavy duty terminal blocks. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Medium Duty Terminal Blocks (Dual Row) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| While not quite as robust as the heavy duty terminal blocks offered above, these high-quality terminal blocks are still much more substantial than terminal blocks available at your local electronics store. Medium duty terminal blocks are ideal for tasks such as wiring one or more track call buttons into your layout. Since this wiring carries very little current, much smaller wiring can be used (typically 18 or 20 gauge stranded copper). This in turn allows the use of smaller, less costly terminal blocks. All terminal blocks include mounting hardware. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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