Is there a nice clean way to join wires when installing a new decoder. I just installed a lokpilot. The wires are so thin, are there shrink wrap tubes for this small a wire? What do people normally use? I used electrical tape, not pretty.
I think I just blew the decoder so I'll be doing it again.

I read your other thread and it sounds like it got hammered by the reverse voltage. Not unusual.

I really like the wire that comes with ESU's decoders and even buy the bulk spools of the stuff. It is small and un-obtrusive. Less likely to get pinched or cause reassemble clearance issues like Marklin's larger wire. I have found that I get my best results by starting at the ends opposite the decoder. I work back toward the decoder adding a new conductor as I come to it and include it into a harness I make from small loops of shrink tubing. For soldering at the decoder, I use a soldering station with a very small tip and a stereoscopic, lighted and magnifying visor so I can see what I am doing. I tin the ends of the wire first so I will not need as much heat at the decoder solder pad. This also causes the insulation to shrink at the stripped end and presents to you the amount of exposed wire you will have once you start to solder. I then cut the exposed wire to just a mm or two. Don't leave too much exposed or it may touch an adjacent wire. I also prefer to use the 21 pin adapter board just in case a decoder gets zapped. The loko in the first picture is a 3065 which has ESU's keep alive device, so I could not fit the 21 pin adapter to it, not enough room. The second picture is a 3015 converted to a DC motor with a permanent magnet I made. The last three are a 3040.

You can get the shrink at Radio Shack or in bulk at eBay.

Oh yeah, something you will learn the hard way. If the loko uses the bayonet mount lamps and you decide to go to the digital two connector lamp sockets like I did on 3040 below so you will not have "lamp flicker", do not drill out the lamp opening with a standard twist bit drill. It will catch the loko frame openings in the bit spirals and the bit will quickly go on its way damaging whatever it is going to hit. I broke a Br 41 frame this way, loosing the mount for the front truck. Use a reamer and open up the hole with it.

Wow, awesome wiring!! I see you don't have inductors wired to the motors. I did it, but would love not to do it as it makes things more complicated. Is it ok just to leave these off?

A far better alternative than normal electrical tape is "Kaptron Tape", it comes in various widths and is only a few dollars a roll.

Thinner and far stronger than normal electrical tape and is far more stable at high temperatures (up to 400c not that is likely in a loco). Its what the "ribbon cables" for the SDS/C-Sine/coreless motors amongst others are made of.

Just a word of warning, always make sure your hands are clean/grease free when handling to ensure the adhesive is not contaminated.

Its also good for insulating the inside of the loco body.

Oh for sure PJ,

I'm a great fan of heat shrink and have/use bucket loads of the stuff.

I was mainly giving what I consider to be the superior alternative to bog standard electrical tape where it is needed.