QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Suitcase connectors
Q.
I went to the local electrical supply store to get some 3M
suitcase connectors, mentioned in an article, to wire up the
DCC bus and feeders for my model railroad. The counter guy
didn't know what I was talking about, and I didn't have a
sample to show him. We eventually found the right thing, but
what's up?
A.
To the counter guy, that's an insulation displacement connec-
tor, or IDC. “Suitcase connector” was the coining of some model
railroad writer many, many years ago, and you won't find the term
used outside of model railroading. Yes, they do kind of look like
tiny suitcases (1). For phone lines, flat cables, and other special-
ized uses there are other IDCs that don't look like suitcases at all.
Questions, Answers & Tips -
MRH-Dec 2013
