Best Of Modutrak Updates

[Sokramiketes]

Top notch work here! And thank you for the profiles of each module, it really helps tell the story about the design process, techniques, and other items I’ve really admired about the layout. I do hope that maybe this can be all complied into a book someday, either real or a digital version.

Would you happen to have any detail shots of the rods and linkages? I’ve been thinking about adding those details to my doughnut layout.

Thank you!  And... Paging @skytop35 for the details!

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[muktown128]

I've had the pleasure of seeing this layout in person many times over the years in Madison and Milwaukee.  It is a "must see" item.  Top notch work.  I also enjoy seeing stuff in person that I've seen here on The Railwire.

[wazzou]

I had no idea John McCarthy moved back that way @Sokramiketes .
We had operated together here in the PNW many times.
Very enjoyable guy.

[EJN]

I've had the pleasure of seeing this layout in person many times over the years in Madison and Milwaukee.  It is a "must see" item.  Top notch work.  I also enjoy seeing stuff in person that I've seen here on The Railwire.

I have seen a smaller version of the layout about a decade ago at the (no longer existing) High Wheeler train show put on by the Fox Valley Division of the NMRA at Harper College, Palatine IL.

My favorite scene on the smaller layout then was the New Lisbon modules. These are some photos I took:

[Sokramiketes]

I had no idea John McCarthy moved back that way @Sokramiketes .
We had operated together here in the PNW many times.
Very enjoyable guy.

He and my dad worked at the same hobby shop in the 1970s. While it was fun visiting him out that way, it’s even more fun to have him back here!

[Sokramiketes]

So the next area on the prototype C&M division would be Lake, but no one has built the hill yet. So that brings us to the area covered by the CTC Machine covered up thread. Oakwood, Caledonia, Tower A-68, Franksville, and the Kraut Factory. Then on to Sturtevant. Oakwood was started by Matt and recently dialed in by Keith Kohlmann. The Caledonia-A68-Franksville stretch was Jamie Vondruska. Marshall and Mike Skibbe on the Kraut factory. Keith Kohlmann on Sturtevant and Hwy 20.

The CTC upgrade was needed with traffic coming into the railroad at Sturtevant adding to an already busy Chicago to Milwaukee traffic.

Oakwood: [ Guests cannot view attachments ]
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

Caledonia:
[ Guests cannot view attachments ] [ Guests cannot view attachments ]

A-68:
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[Sokramiketes]

Coming into Franksville:

[ Guests cannot view attachments ] [ Guests cannot view attachments ] [ Guests cannot view attachments ]

And the Kraut factory:
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

Notice the Bluford corn field. The individually planted stalks of corn on the East New Lisbon module inspired Steve and Craig to solve the problem for future modules. I was happy to oblige with an easier install on Kraut Road here!

[Sokramiketes]

Adding Sturtevant would be too much of a straight leg, so let’s pause and talk about two corner modules. The first up is an original 36” corner module representing Russell, IL. This was the first corner module built to the new framing standards. Later we realized that 39” corners and transition modules were what was needed to fold the layout and align the overall grid to 5’ modules. So this was the only 36” corner that got fully built.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[Sokramiketes]

And here’s Oquawka, the ode to HO Midwest Mod-U-Trak that inspired us. This is documented fully up thread.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

The fascia signage is new though. I’m adding official Milwaukee Road station names in white boards with black letters, if the location was in the timetable. Oquawka has no depot here, so it just gets a major place marker name in white vinyl.  Minor locations like roads get smaller lettering.

[Sokramiketes]

And now we’re into the Hwy 20 underpass and into Sturtevant.  The depot housed the CTC machine and operator after it was moved out of A-68.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ] [ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[Sokramiketes]

And now what EJN has been waiting for. Techny!  Unfortunately Rick Hall couldn’t make this show, so I owe you updated photos with the distinctive lattice truss CNW bridge in place.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ] [ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[Sokramiketes]

If you can get lost in 1950 Milwaukee anywhere on the layout it’s here. Keith Kohlmann’s masterpiece of C&NW’s Lakefront Depot.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ] [ Guests cannot view attachments ] [ Guests cannot view attachments ] [ Guests cannot view attachments ]


Since we have both Milwaukee Depots underway, and we don’t have a Chicago Union Station (yet…?) the depot is at this end of the layout to facilitate future operations.

[Sokramiketes]

And… Staging. The other end loop is under construction but built with several staging tracks to feed into the layout from Chicago. We’re calling this Noble St and it will have the Noble St tower.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ] [ Guests cannot view attachments ] [ Guests cannot view attachments ]

John McCarthy did the woodworking and turned it over for track install. A lot of Spline roadbed, but now we can do a proper Chicago elevated railway.

[Sokramiketes]

With the New Lisbon Wye, we also have room for some single track. Vince Kotnik built a single track corner module modeling the Mullet River outside Sheboygan Falls, WI. The railroad bridge is fully scratchbuilt out of brass to prototype dimensions, and is a gem. The entire curve depresses slightly at the river crossing making it a great place to watch a train come into the layout out of Wausau.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

Which gets us to Wausau. This set of 6 footers goes back to an early concept called BraNch-trak. It was a splinter group of Northwest N-trak members looking to take advantage of code 55 track and more realistic modeling. Many foundational concepts of Modutrak N scale were tested with the layout displayed at the Chicago N Scale Collector in the mid-90’s. Charlie Vlk also wrote up the concept in N Scale Magazine back then. When we got going on Modutrak, I rehabbed the set and rebranded it as Wausau to fit in location wise off the New Lisbon Wye.

[skytop35]

Top notch work here! And thank you for the profiles of each module, it really helps tell the story about the design process, techniques, and other items I’ve really admired about the layout. I do hope that maybe this can be all complied into a book someday, either real or a digital version.

Would you happen to have any detail shots of the rods and linkages? I’ve been thinking about adding those details to my doughnut layout.

The rodding is .008 Phosphor Bronze wire and I was able to buy it in 3 foot lengths from Tichy Train Group. The rollers have styrene bases painted concrete color and the rollers themselves are cut from N scale etched metal roofwalks. They are tedious to make and you'll need lots of them. Finally the bell cranks are made from Micro-Trains reefer hatch supports and bits of styrene. Bill Darnaby had an excellent article in Model Railroader that explains the prototype and gives suggestions on how to model everything. It was essential to understanding this complex piece of railroading.