N Scale T-Trak

http://cs.trains.com/mrr/m/mrr-layouts/2290516.aspx

 

Awesome and well deserved.

Trey

 

Building Blair Line's newest for the upcoming town of Hutton module....
just a couple more items to add...all-in-all, not a bad kit.

 

Bruce, you did a good job putting the kit together, but, one of my pet peeves are nail holes. I painted the family house and garage in the late 50's/early 60's, under the watchful eye of my maternal grandfather. I was taught the proper use of painter's putty. You would never see nail holes on any structure painted by someone who knew how to use painter's putty. It was a real pain to clean out the nail holes where the putty was loose, reputty the hole and then sand the putty flush, prime the putty, and then paint the entire structure. Due to this early training, I never show nail holes unless the structure is weathered to such an extent that just about all paint has weathered off. The reason for painter's putty in the nail holes is to keep out water which would rot out the siding boards. I just do not understand why laser kit manufacturers place nail holes in their structures. Please forgive my rant, nail holes are just a match to my otherwise calm demeanor. Again, Bruce, nice assembly and looking forward to the town. later, Craig

 

Craig, your so right but don't tell the HO guys. Been saying that till I'm blue in the face. You don't see nail holes you see the stained wood caused by the nails rusting
rich

 

added a few Showcase Miniatures details....

 

Gentlemen (and ladies),

Great thread. I've read about two thirds on the front end and back end. Recently retired, I'm looking to get back into active modeling with simplicity and flexibility being top priorities. Building a layout with a simple "double track on upside down boxes" is a familiar concept to me:

http://www.trainboard.com/highball/index.php?threads/modular-shelf-layout-construction.4608/

As I begin investing time back into the hobby, I will likely pursue a concept such as T-trak. IMHO, Kato Unitrack is the best thing ever invented for N scale. Prior to my modular shelf layout, my previous layout was Unitrack, and I expect any future modeling to return to that track system. Atlas code 55 is a fantastic product, easy to use in creating very prototypical layouts, but......more work that I have interest in at this point. I'll likely be posting some questions as I educate myself more on the T-trak standard. In the mean time, keep the posts coming!

Jack

btw: for those active participants in this thread who have previously followed and posted kind comments regarding my modular shelf layout; it still exists and is operated on a regular basis. I am just now determining my next steps going forward.....

 

A few random thoughts / questions after thinking about T-trak for a few days. Please note, I think the overall concept is outstanding and am not here to question any of the existing standards or practices. If I do adopt this approach, my home layout will likely wind up being a combination of 100% compliant modules and non-compliant modules.

a) Compliant modules: most or all straight sections. The only thing I might do differently is the electrical connections. I've read of the BWWB wiring standard, and while I haven't seen it specifically, I suspect some of it may derive from the insulating configuration of the Kato double-crossover. That track had gaps on the two inner rails (i.e. the "WW"). When I last had a Unitrack layout, that led to me gapping the outer rails of track in the double track loop (i.e. the "B B") to create blocks. I would likely stick with this in a T-trak layout, again to accommodate the Kato double-crossover. IMHO, this crossover is the greatest N scale track engineering feat in existence. Double turnouts with a center track crossing and I don't think you could make a train derail if you tried. But, I digress.... For a home layout, I would probably terminate each electrical connection with some type of plug or terminal that could tie directly into a heavy gauge electrical buss. In the unlikely event that I were to take a module(s) to a meet, it would be very simple to create electrical adapters that would convert back into the standard Kato plug.

b) Non-compliant modules: corner sections. I am intrigued by the Kato larger radius, super-elevated concrete tie curve sections and would probably use only those in a future home layout. Just a strong personal preference based on aesthetics. I don't have any experience with Kato curves less than the 13 3/4" radii, but believe that most equipment will operate reliably on the two smaller radii called for in the T-trak standard. That said, since group meets only require so many corners, non-compliant sections are probably best left at home anyway. If I stick with my "round the room" shelf layout, the corners are where I have always adopted to non-standard dimensions (i.e. my current layout has six foot straight modules on the long walls, four foot straight modules on the short walls, and the corner modules were configured to make the whole thing fit the room).

I would be interested in any feedback and/or links on electrical buss approaches for semi-permanent T-trak home layouts. I would think that with DCC in the equation, a heavier gauge loop (maybe 12 or 14 gauge wire) would be desirable. I also would want to have a fixed DC voltage buss (~12V) to power any lighting, accessories, etc. that may be placed onto any of the modules. The DCC is a variable for me. I bought an NCE system several years ago and installed decoders in one set of locos to experiment. It is a nice concept, but at most I will eventually have a handful of DCC locos. With a small, simple layout I would never experience the full benefits of 100% conversion. This of course is a discussion for another thread, but my initial reads suggest that DCC is not the given in T-trak that it may be with other group approaches.

 

Thanks for posting that Russell. I was not familiar with powerpole connectors, but they look to be a really nice product. Do you use DCC with your layout? If so, approximately how much distance do you allow between track feeders and what gauge/length wire do you use between track and buss?

 

That module is a fantastic example of why you don't need an "empire" (or a fortune) to enjoy model railroading. Very nice!!

 

We use the powerpole connectors as well...we tap into a heavy bus wire that can be extended with other powerpole connections


http://t-kits.com/catalog/2


I agree that the kato double crossover is a great piece of engineering, but it is hardly prototypical for North American railroads, save for some terminal trackage.
A better solution as far as North American prototype configuration, are the new Kato crossover sections; essentially two facing switches in one piece. They are also gapped the same wayas the crossover, which is standard wiring practice for switches facing frog to frog.
The reason for wiring each track in opposite polarity was simply to provide different directional running when both lines were powered by one controller; this creates a problem if a crossover is installed. We've added a switch to alter the polarity of either line so that we can run both tracks on the same polarity, making operations, especially in DCC quite simple.
Bruce

 

My only "complaint" with the new releases, is that they are based on #4 turnouts instead of #6. Otherwise, it is always nice to see a new Kato Unitrack release. Do you utilize DCC on your show layout, or is it strictly DC?

 

I did read that, but I can't believe that is the real reason for the BWWB standard. Would there really be a show setup with only one power pack? Obviously, there would need to be a DPDT switch or two in the equation with a crossover, which is what I had in my last Unitrack layout. It really doesn't matter, as I would imagine that all T-trak modelers would be adopting electrical approaches more sophisticated than a single power pack running two loops.

 

Yes, that is the 'real' reason the standard developed that way...T -Trak was developed, In Japan, with the assistance of the late Jim Fitzgerald, of NTrak fame.
Again, it's a simple matter to include a switch to reverse polarity to one or both tracks to provide similar polarity.
At shows, we keep the polarity on each line opposite ( as wired), because we run DCC on the inner line, and DC on the outer. This allows everyone to run their train, regardless of how it's equipped. We use one controller for the DC outer track. And, of course, each train on the DCC inner line has its own throttle.

 

At Central Ohio N-trak, we avoid any cross overs between the inner and outer tracks on our t-trak modules. We wire BWWB as the standards are set. For corners, we do have one member with larger radius curves, as long as all curves are the same, it is only space that is used, his 13 3/4 and 15 radius corners are on 18"x18" modules. Just consider the difference when setting up a layout and the reach of the public into the modules. We also run one track DC and the other DCC, sometimes both DCC using 2 different Zephyrs. What you do at home is up to you, just make it so you can comply with the standards at meets. The t-trak layout at the club uses return loops so that the BWWB wiring is just right for the outer track to run right and the inner track to run left. We have set up some pretty large layouts in the past and used the Kato extension cords to run our wiring to the layout without any problems. By large, I mean many tables in a 12x30 area with 4 or 5 loops including one that goes all the way around, over 1 scale mile (33'). No noticeable drop in voltage with maybe 3-4 drops along the loop.

In my home t-trak layout, I use 2 DC power packs, one for each line and 2 drops per line without any problems. Layout is on 2 HCD's set at an "L" with one end having a 2/ extension. Switching is on the inner track only.

Remember it is your railroad, do what you want for home, but, meet the standards for meets. later, Craig

 

Craig,
Exactly!....we adhere to the standards ( after all, we ARE a T-Trak group and anticipate setting up with other groups/modules)...my years of experience with Ntrak and non-standard modules turned me into a 'standards Nazi'....I don't care what's 'on' the module as long as it's completely built to the current standard...
That being said, we've anticipated 'less-than-standard' modules, wiring, etc....although we use the powerpole connections, the actual standard is the Kato connectors, so, with that in mind, we have a stockpile of 'Kato-to-Powerpole' pigtails that allow those modules to tap into our power bus cable.
And, although we run both lines completely independent of each other for showsand such, we do want to incorporate protype crossovers on a few modules...we'll make sure they're electrically isolated and and the two lines are completely polarity reversible. This will allow us to do things such as run priority trains around slower trains, and so forth.
Bruce