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Lee had her T-TRAK layout at the Richmond VA uNconvention. It is now 2' x 7' and fully sceniced. At one corner is a Mountain Holiday scene with a cable car ride, merry go round and ferris wheel,all working. At the other end is a coal and gravel mining complex with lots of detail. Photos will be in the Nov/Dec NTRAK Newsletter. We are just completing a new pdf guideline that is based on our latest thinking for simple to build T-TRAK bases. List moderator, please contact us off line. Thanks Jim & Lee

Bill, Thanks for starting this list. T-Trak is a concept that shows some promise for N Scale modular railroading. It's good to see a forum where it can be discussed and advanced. And thanks to Lee and Jim for getting T-Trak rolling over here. I saw Lee's layout when it made a stop at our club (Northwest NTrak), on the way to the unconvention. It was impressive and a lot of fun. It certainly shows another way to enjoy the hobby, and to present it to the public. A note to Jim -- the link to the pdf version of the specs is busted, but from your post, it sounds like you may be aware of this, or that at least that you are working on a updated document. I've got a few topics that I would like to see discussed -- As it sits, T-Trak is well suited for it's original mission, representing street running of trolleys and such, and presenting concentrated scenes. To me it seems like it could easily morph into a table top equivalent of Dave Barrow's 'Dominos'. It would be interesting to discuss what can be done to extend operational possibilities. This would also seem to be a way to generate wider interest in the concept in this country. The concept of a lap carryable single 8x12 module seems less important here, but keeping the modules smaller and lighter than N-Trak, seems to be a way of securing a niche. Track crossings have to be straight because of the concept of the butting fixed rails. It would be interesting to come up with recommendations of how to allow off angle crossings. Standardized joiner pieces ala NTrak? What? It would seem that recommendations for permissible front and rear extensions for more operation or scenery should be discussed. Jim's suggested front passing track? Depth in back limited for a 2' deep layout, or go deeper? Bob

I'm finishing a pair of modules that use a different style of construction, which allows more 'depth' to the scenery. The 'chassis' for each module is a piece of 3/4" plywood 8-1/2" wide and about 24" long. These are double-wide modules. The depth of the module is 'standard,' but the 24" must be adjusted to allow the rail joiners from the 620mm of Unitrack to properly extend past the ends of the module, and lock with the next module. I must confess that I tend to make my modules just a hair shorter than allowed; there are (small) gaps between the ends. This means my dimensions can be a bit more casual. It makes the modules easier to separate, but does require a little nudging during setup to make sure the straightaways are straight. I installed threaded inserts for the adjusting bolts in the 4 corners of the plywood. The distance from the edges of the plywood must be far enough so that the interior plies aren't forced out along the edges when the inserts are pounded into submission... er, into place. I think mine are about 1-1/2" from the ends, and about 1" from the front and back. Drilling the right sized pilot hole helps prevent any problems, too. I use 1" or 1-1/2" bolts. Longer bolts aren't necessary. The plywood only has to be off of the table top about 1/2" or so to allow adjustments in height. Track height above the table top is 4" (+/- 1/4"). Scenery is built on top of the plywood up to (and beyond) the track level. This gives about 4" less 1/2"(for adjustments) less the plywood thickness, or about 2-3/4" to 3" -below- track level for gullies, valleys, rivers, etc. The scenery is constructed of layers of 1/2" foam insulation board. Mine was blue. I started by stacking layers up to track level. They weren't glued together at this point. I drew the track outline on the top layer, then started slicing away the parts I didn't need. I used toothpicks to hold the layers in alignment as I sliced. I was making a river valley, so the layers got wider the further down the stack I went. Since the track plan swung the track from front to back, and was symmetrical, I was able to spin the cut off pieces of foam end-to-end, and use them to build hills on the opposite side of the tracks with no additional cutting! More about the track plan later. One note about the foam insulation board-- it has a definite 'grain.' Slicing in one direction makes a smooth, even cut. Cutting across the grain takes a bit more effort to avoid a ragged edge. Once the layers looked good, it was time for glue. I used a 3M spray contact adhesive that does not attack foam. Work in a well ventilated area!! At this point, the scenery looked like a topographic map, with 1/2" contours. I used a red-handled, slightly curved Surform tool to smooth the rough terrain, and a steak knife to carve in some gullies. Next step was to slop on paper towels dipped in plaster. I used a wire brush to turn the hillside into a layered, rocky hillside. After the plaster had hardened I thought about adding some drainage under the track. A small culvert was easily inserted into the hillside below the track. But I wanted a larger something as well. At first, I was going to put in a bridge. So I gouged out a hole in the plaster shell where the bridge would go. But the bridges commercially available were too narrow. I did some preliminary work with a razor saw and some Atlas plate girder bridges, but didn't like the results. After a few months (it was Summer), I remembered seeing large concrete culverts under river roads along the Delaware River in NJ. So I found a concrete tunnel portal that looked right, and modified my plasterwork even more. I used a section from the core of a roll of toilet paper to form the interior ceiling, and placed the portal. I then poured plaster over the form ("just like the prototype") and built the scenery back to track level. After repairing the terrain, it was time for color, track, foliage, and details. ABOUT "PLANK-BASED" MODULES: A double-wide module seems to work fine. Another possibility is to use a piece of 1" x 10" board (actually 9-1/4" wid

Hello, This email message is a notification to let you know that a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the t-trak group. File : /T-TRAK_Data_1.3.pdf Uploaded by : wpbarr <wpbarr@...> Description : Latest T-Trak Specification You can access this file at the URL http://groups.yahoo.com/group/t-trak/files/T-TRAK_Data_1.3.pdf To learn more about file sharing for your group, please visit http://help.yahoo.com/help/us/groups/files Regards, wpbarr <wpbarr@...>

Howdy the railyard, I may be on the verge of committing n-scale heresy here, but please bear with me. (For those who don't know me, I've been an n-scaler since about 1970). As my eyes have become more "distance enabled" and manipulating very small objects (read: n-scale screws), I have started to look at larger scales. Gasp.....but still am drawn to the modular possibilities of N, especially T-Trak. How well do y'all think that a large scale would work with the basic t-trak module. HO, On30? Yes, the scenes would be proportionately more narrow, and the vertical component would be exagerratd, especially in O. True, build large curves at the ends would take more space. But I think it is doable. What are your ideas, opinions, feedback? With a larger scale, I would be going more with backwoods, old-time, narrow gauge style operations (especially in On30). Have a good weekend y'all. I have Monday off (Columbus Day) so may not be able to respond to your suggestions until next week. Thanks, "Sacramento" Bruce Conklin

Hi, Has anyone used foam board or homosote on top of the plywood to mount the track on? I think this would deaden the sound. The height of the sidea would have to be decreased accordingly to retun the module to "standard". Thinking of building several modules. Skip in VA __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Faith Hill - Exclusive Performances, Videos & More http://faith.yahoo.com

G'day, I have just recently re-visited the following web site: http://www.netwave.or.jp/~k-doi-fd/n_gauge/index.html It contains some very good t-trak work for Japanese MAINLINE operation. Of special interest is the page: http://www.netwave.or.jp/~k-doi-fd/n_gauge/mini/minikikaku.html which has a dimensioned picture of a 450mm (18inch) square corner module using 348mm(13.7inch) and 315mm(12.4inch) radius curves, plus about eight 29mm short straights. I hope this may be of use to someone. Regards, Andrew George.

G'day, It's good to see this Yahoo group up and running. At present I am working on developing a variation of T-Trak here in Australia. Essentially it is a table top modular system. Modules are 300mm wide and mulitples of 300mm long, although 600mm seems to be the optimum minimum for secenery, industrial sidings etc. to suit any prototype that uses locos and rollingstock greater than thirty scale feet in length. Track is standard flex/set track with 100mm bridge tracks. Modules are held together by, would you believe, rubber bands (an idea under trial). You can look at my preliminary work at the following web-site. http://homepages.picknowl.com.au/austnscale/ttrak.htm Table top modules are very popular in Japan. The track is almost always Kato Unitrack and both T-Trak `butt' joining and extendable track lenghts are used, depending on each club's preference. These table top modules are NOT for Trams & Trolleys Check out the following web sites: OHTA MODEL RAILWAY CLUB: http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~cp5t-tbi/omrc/minimini.html `CLUB TERMINAL': http://urawa.cool.ne.jp/clubterminal/news.htm Altavista's Babel Fish translator does a pretty good job of getting you through to the most important stuff. I hope that this will help those group members wanting to try something a `bit bigger' than the standard T-Trak module and avoid `reinventing the wheel'. Regards, Andrew George P.S. This may seem a bit picky on my behalf, but why do some of the group members refer to the length of the T-Trak modules as the width? I would never speak of a standard N-Trak module as being four foot wide, so why call a double T-Trak module two foot wide?

Fellow NSCALERS, I realize that this may be a little off subject, but with next month being National Model Railroad Month, our club is making an effort to contact all N scale modelers in our area to expand our comradere. If you live in the peninsula area of Virginia (Williamsburg, Newport News, Hampton, and the general surrounding area) please contact me off line so I can let you know what we are doing both next month, and in the future. Thank you for allowing me the bandwith and Happy Model Railroaders Month. Skip in VA __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Y! Web Hosting - Let the expert host your web site http://webhosting.yahoo.com/

Does anybody have experience hacking Unitrack to get odd angles and lengths, and to get the '#6' turnout usable for normal (33mm or less) track spacings? Given the cost of Unitrack, I'd appreciate some guidance before I start hacking. I posted a similar message on the 'KatoUnitrack' list last week, but I haven't seen it come through. The list owner has a 'moderate initial messages' setup, and apparently hasn't checked the list <sigh>. It would be nice, but not essential, to preserve the Unijoiner mechanism, as I'm interested in this for a T-Trak based layout and the track will be permanently mounted. Some observations - it seems that the rails are retained in place on normal straights and curves by a couple of burrs near one end. I'd guess that if you cut the base towards the other end that you could slide it free of the rails and trim the rails and base to an arbitrary length. Also, the double crossover seems to be made up of the '#6' mechanisms, so it seems there is enough room for 33mm spacing with these properly cut. Thanks in advance, Bob

Charlie (and list), Good tip. I didn't think about how much they have going on underneath. Is there anything under the diverging leg of the '#6'? Or do I have to buy one to find out? NTRAK modules and are doing Traction or Streetcar trackage.... Actually what I'm planning is more like the latter. I'm thinking of making a couple of T-Track dominos and building a small yard on them -- Ala Dave Barrow's dominos in HO. As a matter of fact the yard I have drawn is based on Dave's interpretation of Tony's Steele's yard that he published in Kalmbach's Model Railroad Planning '97. I've got a 11' x 4 L' of bookcases that I've craved putting something on, and I'm working on the idea of this yard in the middle with two 9 3/4" r. balloons on the end as a test track loop with some operational interest -- making and breaking in the yard. I'm figuring '#6's for a passing siding in front of the yard and to get to the yard from the main. Stay tuned here for more details. The Peco STs are 9" r., and about 2 1/2 frog. They'r pretty reliable for single turnouts, but I've never tried to make a crossover with them. What's interesting is that Kato '#6's _should_ be able to fit on even a 310mm T-Trak module, assuming that they could be trimmed to fit 1" spacing. The Kato double crossover looks like it uses '#6' parts and is 310mm long with 33mm track spacing. Thanks, Bob

Hello, This email message is a notification to let you know that a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the t-trak group. File : /WO-01a.JPG Uploaded by : whorlando2000 <whorlando2000@...> Description : 1st module You can access this file at the URL http://groups.yahoo.com/group/t-trak/files/WO-01a.JPG To learn more about file sharing for your group, please visit http://help.yahoo.com/help/us/groups/files Regards, whorlando2000 <whorlando2000@...>

This is a monthly reminder that you are subscribed to the T-Trak mailing list at t-trak@.... You can modify your subscription by visiting: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/t-trak/ The latest specifications for T-Track modules can be found at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/t-trak/files/ The T-Trak organization's home page is at: http://www.t-trak.org Also of interest may be this list's N Scale Webring page at: http://www.trainweb.org/ttraklist

Scott, that was the Ashville (Land O Sky Division) that was doing the prefab kits. Talk to Charlie about it. Pat Turner, SER/V.P. www.On30.org www.Sn3.org

Someone said we could get pre-fab T-Trak modules (wood part) from somewhere.... Anybody know? Scott Perry Rubbergaugers Anon

I posted a picture to the files section of the modules the Land O Sky NMRA Division is working on. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/t-trak/files/ttrak.jpg Pat

I suggest (yet again) a lot simpler method of constructing a module: Materials: 3/4" plywood; 8-1/4" x 308mm 4 1 or 1-1/4" bolts; 1/4-20 4 1/4-20 threaded inserts 1/2" foam insulation board 2 310mm UniTrack (2 x 248 + 2 x 62) contact cement (that won't dissolve insulation board!) (3M makes a nifty spray variety...) Construction: Cut plywood to size (or have your home center do it). The long dimension (308 mm) should let the ends of the tracks just peek over the edge of the module. This will let them lock onto the next module, yet a slight turn sideways will unhook them. Drill holes and insert the inserts in the corners. Screw the bolts in from the underside. This concludes the construction phase. On to scenery. Scenery: Cut foam insulation to cover the plywood. Stack enough layers (5 should do it) to raise the track to the official 4" above the table top. You will have 2-1/2" of foam + 3/4" plywood (= 3-1/4), plus the adjustable bolts and scenery to make the full 4 inches. You can stack higher to make other mountains and molehills. Depending on your planned terrain, slice away parts of each layer, or add extra bits. You can pin the layers together temporarily with toothpicks while you work. Glue the foam to the plywood. Glue on the remaining layers of foam as needed. Cut and rasp the foam until it looks not unlike natural terrain. Apply your favorite scenery techniques. At some point in the process, glue down the track. This can be either before or after the scenery is complete; your preference. Done. The advantage of this technique is that there's only 1 piece of wood that needs to be cut, and you can probably get someone -else- to do it! Then, it's scenery all the way! Do it on the kitchen table. --Paul E Musselman PaulMmn@...

Hello, This email message is a notification to let you know that a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the t-trak group. File : /wo-sm2.JPG Uploaded by : whorlando2000 <whorlando2000@...> Description : An even simpler module You can access this file at the URL http://groups.yahoo.com/group/t-trak/files/wo-sm2.JPG To learn more about file sharing for your group, please visit http://help.yahoo.com/help/us/groups/files Regards, whorlando2000 <whorlando2000@...>

Hello, This email message is a notification to let you know that a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the t-trak group. File : /Wo-m01.jpg Uploaded by : whorlando2000 <whorlando2000@...> Description : An even simpler module You can access this file at the URL http://groups.yahoo.com/group/t-trak/files/Wo-m01.jpg To learn more about file sharing for your group, please visit http://help.yahoo.com/help/us/groups/files Regards, whorlando2000 <whorlando2000@...>