Wintery Wild Mary, a T-Trak Experiment

[wm3798]

Re: crusted snow:  Very typical for Maryland.  Usually we would get 4-6 while it was cold, then as temps moderated, it would turn to sleet and freezing rain, leaving just the kind of surface you've created.  Very convincing.  People looking for powdery stuff might think it looks wrong, but for those of us who lived it, pretty spot on.  (More granular snow would require the snow to still be falling!... you'll need some help from DKS to pull that off!)

Re: the train order stand, instead of trying to wrap a single stripe, get some pilot safety striping such as from a Reading set, and cut strips and apply them.  That's how I did mine.  Much easier to get the even spacing.



Re:  Skyboards, don't make them too high, and paint the back black so it's less obtrusive to viewers on the opposite side of the table.  Easy peasy.  I make mine about 10" above the box.  It's plenty.


Noses provided for scale.  Note that @Philip H has a metric nose, while mine is English.

I permanently fix the skyboards to the boxes, so it becomes the carry crate when I tote them around.



Lee

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Quick question for the T-Trak gurus out there. Are there any rules for sky boards/backdrops on end cap modules?

Lol, rules in TTRAK... my dude.

The only rules in TTRAK are "keep your track on 33mm centers" and "make sure it sticks out far enough to join up with the next module".

Ok, maybe make it the right height off of a table too.

But seriously, it's a VERY lightweight standard. The majority of rules you'll encounter all come from either the group you're running with (at the time) and "what will make this work".

I like the idea of the backdrops on the end caps. That's a thing that's becoming popular in fixed layout designs and I really dig it.

[PiperguyUMD]

Thanks for the pointers! My homebrew shadow box top is removable, only comes in black, and takes the overall height to 14”.  Cranking out end plates to carry the modules will be no problem. Coming up with a clever way to haul a bunch of the shadow boxes will take a little more head scratching.

Eyeballing tonight’s progress though, it occurred to me that I may have neglected to take into account the viewing angle. It seems ok on my workbench, which is 42”. Hopefully one won’t have to stoop down too far the check things out, but at 6’ 6” I may not be the best judge!

[PiperguyUMD]

Well crap. What did I mess up here? I have an oval with two double straights and two end caps.

[dem34]

The endcaps are made with the expectation that nothing ends up between the modules. Which can get unrealistic. Its why I prefer quad Inside/Outsides over end caps.

[PiperguyUMD]

The endcaps are made with the expectation that nothing ends up between the modules. Which can get unrealistic. It’s why I prefer quad Inside/Outsides over end caps.

  Learning as I go.

[mkearns]

Well crap. What did I mess up here? I have an oval with two double straights and two end caps.

 The end caps are generally fixed but depending on which module base you went with (I think I see Klawndyke on one of yours?) you may end up with more or less space between/behind back-to-back modules.

The "official" standard is for module depths between 5 and 14 3/8". But what's key is not exceeding that max depth while including plugs, skyboards, etc. They don't make it super clear.
https://ntrak.org/T-TRAK-Standards

I think Klawndyke specs his modules at 14 inches deep. A 14" inch module base, plus something like a 1/8" Masonite skyboard, will really limit what you can have between your modules. Our local club recommends 13" deep modules to give some breathing room back there between modules for power cords, plugs, skyboard bolts, etc.

Since it looks like it may be those back track plugs causing the issue, perhaps there are a few solutions:

Depending on trackwork, not every module will need to get plugged in to the power bus. In this case I don't know how it would work with your turnouts and such, but you might try skipping the back plugs altogether and see if that solves your endcap alignment problem.

Or you might try redoing/recessing your track connection plugs so they don't stick out the back. You might be able to squeeze out a tiny bit of space "under" the modules, depending on their height. What I mean by that is running your connections and cables below the modules and between the rearmost leveling feet. I usually have 3/4 of an inch or so below my modules base.

Take everything I've said with a grain of salt, as I've only been around TTRAK a year or so.

[wm3798]

You're always better off with two 90 degree corners so you can add a spacer at the endcap.  That's the typical set up we use at Altoona.


The other solution is to make your endcap with wider radius track to expand its width beyond the depth of two modules back to back.  And wider turns never make anyone sad.

I'm working on an endcap that will have 12-3/8" radius on the inner loop rather than 11" 

It looks like you could use that solution without substantially modifying the box.  Just start with the outer loop as the inner loop, then add a new outer loop beyond that.  Maybe you could take advantage of the shorter box by cutting some of it away for "below the grade" scenery, or just tack some foam on to bring the edge out even with the other module and put a thin skin of plywood around it to give it a durable skin.

Lee

[Dave V]

This is good info. I'm using Klawndyke for one side of the layout and I still want to use a backdrop. So I think I'll want to use CMR 13" deep modules for the other side (Huntingdon). That gives me 1 1/8" to play with if I use standard corner modules.

[chessie system fan]

FWIW, I just stumbled upon this great photo of the train order office. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/387808770719

[wm3798]

It occurs to me that WMRHS has a pretty complete collection of AFEs (Authorization for Expenditure) that could determine the date that the brick TO office was installed.

Drop a line to the Archives guy there, and I bet they can ferret it up for you.  I'm going to stick with my assumption that the post-modern design with the banks of steel frame windows puts it somewhere between 1952 and 55.

Lee

[John]

According to the fall and winter 2003 blue Mountain express magazine, the telegraph office at Emery Grove that you’re modeling was approved on 17 October 1946. It would be an electric pneumatic interlocking plant, including the telegraph office. The interlocking plant would include color, light home and approach signals table, lever, interlocking machine, and electro pneumatic switch machines for operation of two crossovers. Work was started in November 1947 and was completed in May 201948. The concrete and brick telegraph office was closed on October 12, 1984 and was demolished the week of March 22, 1987.

[wm3798]

Well, there ya have it!  Well before the end of steam, and even in place for the last years of commuter service to Union Bridge! 

BMX FTW!
(I'm sure I have that issue, but it's probably still in the storage unit )
Lee

[mu26aeh]

What ?  I model 1990-2012 and that building is still on my layout 

[John]

What ?  I model 1990-2012 and that building is still on my layout 

and 2025