T-Trak The N scale Pennsy Juniata Division 2.0 - T-TRAK!

[John]

Nice update on the layouts.  It’s unfortunate the HOn3 won’t make the trip back east.  I like what you’ve done with the new build. 

[Dave V]

Nice update on the layouts.  It’s unfortunate the HOn3 won’t make the trip back east.  I like what you’ve done with the new build.

I don't anticipate having the space for it. Certainly not the identical space I have now. It would have to be chopped up into bits regardless.

You know, if you asked me today, I'd sell off all my HOn3...and would invariably regret it someday.

[Philip H]

I’m really digging how those signals work.

[crrcoal]

Whats the scoop on those coal loads in the 2 bays? They are gorgeous!

[Dave V]

Whats the scoop on those coal loads in the 2 bays? They are gorgeous!

The PRR hopper, that's black craft sand, and the other two hoppers are the molded loads that came with those Bluford hoppers...

Painting the concrete tie track will drive me mad, so I'm choosing to do most of the remaining modules with standard Unitrack. Painting this stuff is actually fun by comparison.



Eventually this will be ballasted in and then weathered along the rails with rusty-colored pan pastels. The paint is Vallejo Leather Brown (2 shades...somehow I got two different batches) and Flat Brown.

[PiperguyUMD]

Nice work Dave! Just watched you layout update and it dawned on me that you’re well into your third layout in the amount of time it’s me to make a loop of 6 freemoN modules 😂. That’s some impressive output!

For the end cap that will be Harrisburg flavored, have you considered using the super-elevated curve set? If you’re going through the effort to add catenary, just imagine how awesome those GG1s would look leaning into the curve! I believe the uni-track numbers are 20-183 and 20-184. Unfortunately that would mean having to paint more concrete ties!

[Dave V]

Nice work Dave! Just watched you layout update and it dawned on me that you’re well into your third layout in the amount of time it’s me to make a loop of 6 freemoN modules 😂. That’s some impressive output!

For the end cap that will be Harrisburg flavored, have you considered using the super-elevated curve set? If you’re going through the effort to add catenary, just imagine how awesome those GG1s would look leaning into the curve! I believe the uni-track numbers are 20-183 and 20-184. Unfortunately that would mean having to paint more concrete ties!

I've definitely thought about that! I'm slow-rolling Harrisburg for now.

The other reason I want to do Harrisburg (and forgot to mention in the video) is that I have the N Scale Architect kit for HARRIS tower, and I've been waiting for well more than a decade for a reason to use it!

From Weekend Update, here's the next module...just scenery this time:

[Dave V]

Have I mentioned how much freaking fun I'm having with T-TRAK? I've never really done this sort of model railroading before, and it's just good ol' fashioned fun!

[mcjaco]

As someone that bites off way more than I chew all the time, T Trak looks like a great way to make projects more digestible.  Thinking of this approach (at least doing modules) for my upcoming home layout.

[KSTXFLID]

I too am trying to figure out how to make my layout more modular. Adjustments on the fly are so much more difficult without a sectional approach.
Dave's approach definitely gets the wheels turning.

Thank you for sharing this endeavor.

[Dave V]

I too am trying to figure out how to make my layout more modular. Adjustments on the fly are so much more difficult without a sectional approach.
Dave's approach definitely gets the wheels turning.

Thank you for sharing this endeavor.

Ha! It took years for anyone to convince me to do it this way. I had a million excuses, from rigid track geometry to not liking the seams between modules. But with a big move coming up in a few years to a region with plenty of similarly-themed modules and like-minded modelers, it made the most sense if I wanted to start doing Pennsy again. It's only been since I started actually assembling modules that I really began appreciating how fun and simple this really is.

[robert3985]

Seventeen years ago, I began developing my own layout's modular/sectional standards.  Simultaneously making the move to sell off every piece of equipment that didn't fit in my 1947 thru 1956 time era as well as my chosen UP Western Evanston Subdivision location. This took me between two and three years to complete...including totally re-wiring (DCC wiring) four modules from my previous efforts that mostly complied with my new modular standards.

Since I had already had the modular club experience (NTRAK) I wanted a modular standard that didn't have the lowest-common-denominator standards and please-the-kids ambience that is either a blessing or curse (depending on your point of view) that is attached to NTRAK...in other words, I wanted a nice home layout built to my own modular/sectional standards that I could take to shows if I wanted, but which I could also leave set up in my home to work on, operate, expand and/or change that utilized N-scale's advantages, which I could also easily break down and transport if and when I moved to a new residence.

In coming to this decision, which was developed over several years of NTRAK, modified NTRAK, and working on and operating on several excellent permanent home layouts, I was able to incorporate many of the positive standards of several different N-scale modular groups, as well as my own, and many of the features of good permanent N-scale layout design, with "Large-layout-small-trains" being the overall and primary design parameter, taking advantage of N-scale's nearly optimal scenery-to-track-ratio.

Although my modular/sectional standards are much larger than TTrak's, the principles are basically the same...being able to work on one module/section at a time, fairly easy layout modification (accounting for changes of taste and/or differing space availability), portability (enjoy it at home and/or take it all, or selected modules, to shows) with the eventual possibility of selling it sometime in the future if necessary.

So, welcome Dave to the modular world...the benefits of which, when applied to a home layout and progressive modular construction...are highly similar, no matter what the modular/sectional standard is adopted.

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[Dave V]

[robert3985]

Oh man, you've got it BAD! 

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[Dave V]

I actually merchandise all my model railroad projects. Let me know if you want coffee cups, shirts, bags, etc.

I can also make you some "Unitrack Fan Club" merch, @robert3985 !