I have to give you credit Bruce, I've seen some T-trak firsthand at Bedford and nothing clicked. But the high quality and look of what you're doing got my attention, and now that I've actually drawn this design out both ways (Ntrak v. Ttrak) it's really got my attention. The other 'triple duty' that my modules have served (and are designed to do) is on local exhibition explaining the entire 'tree to market' function of logging and logging railroads 1880-1938 as it existed locally in Pennsylvania. I also exhibit at historical societies and community events. So I need modules to show the entire flow, from tree-cutting, to log trains, to log pond, sawmill, lumber, to the river bridge and mainline connection with the PRR, and the side industry of supplying hemlock bark to the tanneries. Historical accuracy to me is important as well as the portability. I have a pickup, but it's short-bed with a cap. I can't fit over 48"' crossways, but can fit 3' easily, with protective cases. At my destinations, it's always folding tables I set up on with my existing modules. And I've been planning this module for literally a decade without a solution. If you wonder how the Santa Fe guy ends up with a small collection of PRR steam and other PRR equipment, it's what would be appropriate running on this module for this era at this proposed module location. The family link is that my fathers lumber mill then used this same location as the railhead, sending traffic to the Santa Fe, which got me on the Santa Fe as he was a shipper. It's also where, as a teenager, I was operating a PC GP38 and ran smack into a car at 5mph - right at that crossing I'd be modeling, immediately ending any aspiring career thoughts as a locomotive engineer!
Exactly, a self-contained 'diorama'...' which is another reason I'm doing a number of T-trak modules; they're giving me opportunity to models scenes/regions, and build structures that would never see the light of day on the Kingman Canyon layout at home. so much so that I've not been giving much time to that layout in progress. So, after I build the town of Hutton on T-Trak modules, I'm going to give the T-Trak building a massive rest and leave any more expansion to others.
I'm not a huge fan of pre-assembled/pre-painted structures...I enjoy the modeling, and can put more detail, and weather to my taste, when building a structure from a kit, or scratchbuilding.... That being said, I needed a 'small town' theatre for my "Hutton" modules, and the old Heljan theatre is very tough to find, not to mention a little large for this particular application. I bit the bullet and purchased this Woodland Scenics pre-assembled/pre-painted theatre from woo woo woo woo woo woo and am really impressed with the assembly quality and the paint quality. It's also pre-lit with wiring compatible with the new WS "Just Plug-it" lighting system. [FONT=helvetica, arial, sans-serif] [/FONT]
Did an inventory of material-on-hand and I've got 'almost' enough to build this thing just lying around. Ordered a 2-track Unitrack adapter as a spacing template and a couple Kato power feeders and I'm off and running. I will likely not get it finished due to the scratchbuilt structures but should have it at least operable for Bedford in August. I still have to finish scenery on the logging module, which is no small task in itself. OK, one more question - what material did you use for your skyboards? Purchased or painted yourself? Very nice clouds and adds a lot.
Randy, the skyboards are also offered from Terry Nathan of T-Kits. they are lasercut from the same Baltic birch plywood used in the module construction and are pre-cut for mounting and to clear the powerpole connectors that can be clipped into the rear of his modules. I went ahead, and ordered one for every module of his I've built. I remember, at first, not being keen on skyboards when I built my first NTrak module; I've since changed my tune as I feel that they help focus a viewer's attention on the scene in front of them-the diorama effect. There are two modules I'm scenicing that will require taller skyboards than the ones he has available ( two triples/ 6' total, that will be mini versions of my "Arbonando" NTrak module), apart from those extra height modules, I'm satisfied with the height of the ones he offers Bruce
On the General Store module, I decided to add another of the Showcase Miniatures transformer sets in place of a standard pole...great little kits that add a touch more realism.
The Art Deco bridge from Russell Higginbotham http://higginbothamgraphics.com/redrivermodels/ is almost ready for service in the SWARMTrak setups!
Bruce- Seeing your bridge's "feet", I am wondering if you've ever tried wood insert nuts instead of "T" nuts? Got my hands on some for the last module I built. They're really nice.
Beautiful day today (after a nasty front moved through yesterday), highs reaching the upper 60's! I took the opportunity to take 3 of the T-Trak modules outside and set them up on a folding table a few minutes from the house. Although the General Store module is still a work in progress, I felt the structure is complete enough to photograph. These three modules feature structures from Blair Line in N scale: the General Store, Dari King, Ernie's service, and a couple of Billboards... I think these rural structures look right at home. Thanks for looking, Bruce I've got to fix that leaning Coke machine!!!
Here there are 2"-3" of wet snow, temps in the low 30's, cold, damp and arthritis hurting bad. My first thoughts when you said upper 60's are unprintable. HOWEVER, the modules are GREAT LOOKING. The way they blend into the fields behind them is amazing. You have done one fine job with them. Keep having fun, looking forward to your next post. later, Craig
I am looking at building my own, and purchasing a 4x8 sheet of RevolutionPly Hardwood Plywood from Lowe's. I can just glue the pieces together right? Will this work? This: http://www.lowes.com/pd_518477-53547-518477_1z0ry6d__?productId=50121135&pl=1 Brand new to T-Trak and this will only be for my use as I can't find any T-Trak people in my area yet. I want to start off with the Triple and learn T-Trak as well as use it as a test track for now. Is it hard to glue this plywood, and is 1/4" thickness acceptable?
1/4" plywood is like luan, but I'm not familiar with this particular kind. Luan by itself is rigid, but would be difficult to make a box out of. You could use it as a laminate for foam, kinda like making your own foamcore. Driving home last night I noticed the snow still in the tree branches. Had thought about getting up today, taking my Shay, some log cars, and my contest entry out with some leftover drywall, couple pieces of Unitrack and some flour out on a gated forest road. Woke up to find it already in the forties and the snow melted out of the trees. Oh well. Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
So what's the minimum thickness I should look for? I'll look at the 1/4" RevolutionPly and the 3/8" plywood. Won't the 3/8 plywood br heavier? Just saw some Youtube video's that basically just cut the top and put adjustable legs on them. Like I said for now it's only for me and not to connect to anyone else. Maybe in the future I'll do it the right way Might go that route for now with the RevolutionPly as I like the smooth look of it versus the regular plywood. Now to figure out how many basic modules I can make with a 4x8 sheet. Gonna get Lowe's to cut it for me, if I do this.
If you use corner blocks inside the box it provides support. http://t-trakhandbook.com/TTrak.020000000/TTrak.020000000.htm?AAO
In2Tech, the t-trak specs call for the use of 1/4" baltic birch ply. You can use other 1/4" ply. I have built over 60 t-trak modules, using 1/4" ply for the tops, some sides and fronts, and the backs (skyboards). I have used standard 3/4" lumber for some fronts and sides when I did not have enough 1/4" ply for those pieces. The box is strong enough when glued to not flex or bend. With a triple, I would use glue blocks at the 1' and 2' from the ends just to give the top a little more area to glue to, these glue blocks could be 1"x2"'s cut to 2" or 3" long. I use clamps to hold everything together while the glue dries (I use Elmer's yellow carpenter's glue). While the front, side, and back if not a skyboard also, are 2 1/2" wide, the top can be several different widths, 8 1/4", 12 1/8", 14 3/8" or as the two manufacturers of t-trak kits use, 13", that is your choice. Bruce from SWARM t-trak uses kits and his modules are 13" wide, with separate skyboards. Most sky boards are 10" high so that 7 1/4" shows above the t=trak module. If you have any further questions, please do ask, I will be more than willing to try and give you a response. By the way, Home Depot does not guarantee the accuracy of their cuts, does Lowe's? If not, you might want to think about cutting your own, a 4' level, tape measure and saber saw with a fine wood or ply blade can be used if you take your time laying out your cuts. Have fun and let us know how it is going. Later, Craig
For anyone interested in getting started with T-Trak or module building in general in Central Illinois, Heartland Community College in Normal is offering a T-Trak class in March. It runs 4 consecutive Thursdays starting March 10. Those signed up will get a Masterpiece Models module kit, all the basic Kato track and help getting started with scenery. Each one will be invited to set up at the Trains in the Heartland Train Show at Heartland CC on April 2-3. The last day to sign up is this Friday, Feb.26. Contact the Community Education office at heartland or sign up online on the Heartland.edu website. Dave Gentry Cache Valley & Northern RR
Well, mine is now under construction. I'm laying out the track components full-sized, as everything is based on whether I can actually make this geometry work to do what I want. It's still a tight design to fit on a triple, but totally based on a prototype layout that really existed. If I'm willing to go to Peco ST's and 9 3/4, I can make it work. It will be fully compliant on the two mainline PRR tracks, but wander into the HVRR interchange yard at your own risk. I'm already using this radius and switches on all the attached modules, so the only person I'm messing up is me. I 'may' design an additional single module at each end to close the industrial spurs, we'll see, but it will work without it. Other than the connections at the end, it's all C80, or Peco C55. The only turnout on the interior main will be a Peco small electrofrog. There is a 60-degree Atlas crossing across both mains using Atlas diamonds, I made a jig to get that build right and precisely space it to the 33mm. Now that I have that done, the worst is over. I'm still struggling with depth. If I want to put on a skyboard, what is the maximum depth to allow the skyboard be rear-mounted? It should be 14" less the thickness of the skyboard, right? And that means I have to have holes for the power jacks where... on both side rear edges, or the back edges? But if I'm at maximum depth, there's no need to provide provision for rear power plugs, or should I do it anyway? But anyway, what I couldn't beat in with a hammer on Ntrak standards on a 24x48 I can fit in nicely on a 14x36.5 T-trak, and that's been the best part of this thread, most due to the geometry on the 3rd track branch standards on Ntrak vs. 'open season' third track on T. Bruce, you're a complete inspiration and I wouldn't have seriously considered this without the thread. To make this work, I'll have to do some serious structure scratchbuilding as well, but the basic track-on-plywood is a pretty simple project compared to what I've done before.
Randgust, if you use Kato terminal joiners on your triple, the wires will fit under the rear of the module and then using a Kato triple connector you can attach wires from other modules before going to your power source. If you use rear power plugs and a power buss cable, you would have to allow the size of the power plug that sticks out from the rear of the module in addition to the 1/4" skyboard. So the depth can vary depending upon the way you are getting power to your rails. I have no experience with power plugs that t-kits sells. I use Kato wiring to power my club's t-trak modules. If you can post some pictures of your module as you progress. later, Craig
Randall, don't sweat the rear plugs ; there are alternatives. I foresaw a set up where rear power bus/accessibility wouldn't be available to us, so I asked Terry Nathan to provide a module with front-to-back power bus plugs with track power drops wired in. This module allows us to plug power in from the front when space doesn't allow the standard 'from the rear' power. This could address your concern over that rear space. The way I understand it, 14" is the maximum depth (that would be WITH skyboard-subtract the thickness of that) and to be FULLY compatible with any other T-Trak interface, I would create an opening on the bottom of each side, toward the rear, to allow a bus wire pass-thru , in case your module, in the rare case, would be set up, back to back, with a module that is also a 14" depth (14" deep modules, back-to-back, eliminate the existence of a 2" 'trench' that serves as an area to lay a bus wire feeding power to modules from the rear). here is a photo of the 'front power plug' module's front fascia (There is also a front mounted plug for AC accessory power-this also passes through to a rear-mounted plug) You'll notice that we use Anderson Powerpole connection for power and bus wire (the current T-Trak standard). To allow interface with other T-Trak modules, using the Kato connectors for power, we provide plenty of Kato-to-Powerpole pigtail connections for any of those module operators. We actually used this front-provided power connection at a show last year... another pic shows that this is the module that has become part of the bigger Grain elevator set of modules, the 'General Store' module... Bruce
