N Scale T-Trak

billmtx Oct 28, 2010

  1. BigJake

    BigJake TrainBoard Member

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  2. SD35

    SD35 TrainBoard Member

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    Hello BigJake,

    do you know the Kato # 20-??? for a piece of 22,5 degree with superelevated track, not the 20-182 transition ?
    I think for 1 modul 20-182 L / 20-181 and a piece of 20-??? , this is more easily transportable.
    Or I have to separate the 20-181 in 2 half.

    Rainer
     
  3. BigJake

    BigJake TrainBoard Member

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    Rainer,

    AFAIK, there is no Unitrack non-transition, 22.5 degree, superelevated, doubletrack section of any radius. The 22.5 degree pieces are all "easement" (as named by Kato*) pieces that transition between SE & flat track.

    Also, 22.5 degree curves, unless always used in pairs, do not work well with their family of 15, 30 and 45 degree increments for the rest of their track sections. Since the easements must be used in pairs, that makes them effectively 45 degrees together, to maintain the 15 degree increments with other curves.

    Kato has a complete listing of their N scale Unitrack on their website http://www.katousa.com/

    This restriction in making any SE doubletrack layout curve, including easements, be a multiple of 45 degrees is a big limitation for many non-modular layouts.

    At least one vendor of 90 degree super-elevated T-Track modules recommends for 180 degree curves, leaving the middle 45 degree SE Unitrack section (that would span the two 90 degree modules) removable, to allow separation of the two 90 degree curve modules for easier transport.

    This also allows their modules to be used as separate 90 degree curve modules, by replacing the removable 45 degree SE section with two 22.5 degree SE easement sections (one on each module, for a total of two easements per 90 degree module).

    *"Easement" is typically used in MRR to refer to a short section/area of increased/increasing radius, between straight (aka "tangent") track and the remainder of the curve. However, the term "easement" applies to "ease the transition between two types of trackage, whether they be SE and flat, or curved and straight.
     
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  4. SD35

    SD35 TrainBoard Member

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    Hi BigJake,

    thanks for the Kato-link and your Big-Info !

    Rainer
     
  5. BigJake

    BigJake TrainBoard Member

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    I should have noted that there may be some additional Japanese Kato Unitrack products which are available from Japan via internet in the US, but katousa.com only shows what they distribute in the USA.
     
  6. Massey

    Massey TrainBoard Member

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    I really wish Kato would make all their products available here. I know there are quite a few European and Japanese models I would love to have but not really interested in paying some of the import markups.
     
  7. MK

    MK TrainBoard Member

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    Try Plaza-Japan on eBay. They don't jack prices and is very reliable. Fair shipping charges too.
     
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  8. Massey

    Massey TrainBoard Member

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    Yea, I know him. Good seller.
     
  9. Massey

    Massey TrainBoard Member

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    Made the first container for my future intermodal facility.

    47D742BA-F7A5-4ACC-8128-67AE59A9688C.jpeg
     
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  10. MK

    MK TrainBoard Member

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    Where did you get the STL files for them or did you design them yourself! Based on the picture I'm assuming filament and not resin?
     
  11. Massey

    Massey TrainBoard Member

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    The files were from Thingverse and I am still looking for a better file. For some reason it only prints the corragations on one side of the container.

    Yes this is a filament print, I didn’t really need super detail for this job. Even the missing corragations won’t matter much for this project.
     
  12. Tad

    Tad TrainBoard Supporter

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    So, I have read this whole thread a couple of times. There are some outstanding examples of modeling here.

    Due to life, health, work, kids, family, and other issues, I keep getting stalled on progress towards my "big" All Day & Night layout.

    After looking at what is in this thread and thinking about the "One Module" (TOMA) and "Layout Design Elements" (LDE), I am thinking that this might be a good approach for me towards actually getting a real start towards my "big layout."

    For instance, Valley Jct., Ladelle, and North Yard are all pulpwood yards on the AD&N that would lend themselves well towards being built as modules.

    And also, I have built a couple of Atlas Code 80 layouts and an Atlas Code 55 layout. I have found that while track work is interesting, It's not really my favorite part of the hobby. Fooling with turnouts and trying to keep them working decently is definitely not.

    I have some Kato Unitrack and have played around with it and I really like it. Code 80 track does not bother me at all. I have found that as long as it is ballasted and painted and most of all, works properly, that I really don't notice it all that much. I can always connect some Flex Track and lay it for sidings and yards.

    I am much more into operations and actually running trains. My ultimate goal is to replicate the operations of my prototype in as realistic of a manner as I can. I like mainline running and switching industries to a purpose. I just like running the trains most of all. Sometimes I even just like to watch them run all by themselves, hence my fascination with passenger trains, even though my prototype is a shortline.

    I've played around in XTrackCAD and designed a few modules of the aforementioned locations. I can build a couple couple of them without even hardly spending any money. I think that if I built them as T-Trak modules that I could actually start working towards my "big layout" and do some modeling. And do it in bite-size chunks that move me closer to my actual goal.

    I don't know anyone around here that does T-Trak or hardly even any N Scalers. So, doing these would be more for myself than being in a club or displaying in a show.

    Any thoughts?
     
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  13. BigJake

    BigJake TrainBoard Member

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    Seems like a sound approach to me. As you increase your inventory of modules, you can gradually increase the size of your layout (two modules at a time), and swap modules around or in and out to keep things interesting.

    Would your layout be around the walls, or on an island/peninsula in the middle of the room, or a little of both? If around the walls, conventional benchwork support might work better since in can be narrower than tables to match the depth of the modules (no back-back modules).

    Will you use DC or DCC on your T-Trak layout?

    Do T-Track modules use DCC-controlled switches, or are they manually thrown, or what?

    Do T-track modules include control panels on the front fascia of the module?
     
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  14. Tad

    Tad TrainBoard Supporter

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    Both. Around the walls with two peninsulas. I was thinking of doing shelf layout type supports for the around the wall portion and figure out a way to affix the modules when it gets time.

    DCC.

    My switches will be all manually thrown. I’ve tried other ways. I prefer manual and for my railroad it is prototypical.

    I guess that there could be control panels on the fascia of modules. I wasn’t planning on anything more complex than labels and maybe a track diagram for the locations.
     
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  15. Tad

    Tad TrainBoard Supporter

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    I have this.

    [​IMG]
     

    Attached Files:

  16. SD35

    SD35 TrainBoard Member

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    #BigJake,

    I bought 4 x 414/381 modules from " ttrakmodules.com " Poland. They are perfect !
    Thanks for your help ......Rainer
     
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  17. trainsbybob

    trainsbybob TrainBoard Member

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    I know what you mean. I really enjoy the looks of EMD’s class 66 that run all over Europe. So I bit the bullet and bought one off of eBay. Unfortunately the loco doesn’t run as well as one might expect from Kato and when I tried emailing Kato if they had a solution they had no knowledge of that model.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
  18. Massey

    Massey TrainBoard Member

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    I have ran into this many times. Even in a model that did come here but not in large quantities. I sent a Unitram in for repairs. It came back working but would short the layout in a corner. Sent it back for round 2 and they said it worked fine… but he would check it over again… now it is just as bad as before it got sent in… mostly because they were not many parts available here in the US. One of my TGV’s is also at the parts ordering mercy…. Oh well.
     
  19. DMK

    DMK TrainBoard Member

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    I saw a T Track setup today at the Greenberg Show in Monroeville, Pa.
     
  20. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Any pictures? :)
     

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