N Scale T-Trak

billmtx Oct 28, 2010

  1. DeaconKC

    DeaconKC TrainBoard Member

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    That is most impressive.
     
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  2. sidney

    sidney TrainBoard Member

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    a little wax on the threads an they wont rattle out.......
     
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  3. Massey

    Massey TrainBoard Member

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    Good idea, Thanks!
     
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  4. Hansel

    Hansel TrainBoard Member

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    Got the single #4 cross overs installed and they work great! I like the fact that the switch works both sets of points. Thanks for the advice.
     
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  5. in2tech

    in2tech TrainBoard Member

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    So how you adjust feet from top? Feet look like it is all threaded? Just wondering! Very nice work.

    Massey's T-Trak dot com. Grab the domain name quickly :)
     
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  6. MK

    MK TrainBoard Member

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    Hex wrench. The tops of those screws have holes to fit a hex wrench. Many have used nylon screws with such feature but it seems Massey has found metal ones.
     
  7. Massey

    Massey TrainBoard Member

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    The legs are actually just set screws. They are 2" long and in this case stainless steel. The nylon ones that came with the Masterpiece modules were the same thing and had the same hex on the top. The holes in the top deck of the module allow for easy adjustment, but you can also turn them from the bottom too. I do not have the facilities right now to sell these online, but I wont turn down an order if someone wants one. It takes about 2 days to build one, mostly because I have to wait for glue to dry.
     
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  8. in2tech

    in2tech TrainBoard Member

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    That's what I really wanted to know? But at Massey's T-Trak dot com, you can have pictures, right? I'm just kidding, or am I?

    Good luck with the special orders :) Hope you at least get a few!
     
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  9. Massey

    Massey TrainBoard Member

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    I am going to build a couple singles and standard doubles and bring them to my next show and test the waters. We will see what happens.
     
  10. Massey

    Massey TrainBoard Member

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    Well I sold 2 modules to a club member, and many people took my flyers and hopefully that will build some sales. I sold a couple sets of feet tho!

    So my last show showed me that my branchline module isn’t a happy camper at all. The way it’s warped makes the 2 #4 switches even more finicky than usual. This has been a problem for a while, so I am scrapping it and going a different route with this set. The front to backs worked just fine and they are going to stay. So what do I do? My original plan was to have the branchline’s turnout section go to a large train station. I still want to do the train station thing, I just need to change my ideas around a bit. So here’s the plan.

    From left to right or west to east.

    Front to back module (double) which will being the mainline tracks to the back of the layout.
    A double, which has a double crossover as well as turnout from the inside (yellow) to get trains off the main and onto the station ladder.
    A triple, which contains a ladder to the station with 4 tracks.
    A double, which extends the lead into the station, and the main tracks.
    An extra wide triple for the station complex. This will have a cover for the 4 main station tracks and a tram track that will go off the module and use my TC4 controller to automate the tram on single track specialty modules.
    And lastly another Front to back module to bring the mainline back to the front.

    the full set all together will be 14’ total, but it can be reduced or extended as needed.
     
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  11. BigJake

    BigJake TrainBoard Member

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    Just thinking out loud... Could a front-to-back module double as a yard ladder module?
     
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  12. Massey

    Massey TrainBoard Member

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    Not really due to the special circumstances that create the front to back. There has to be a modified track in there to get the distances right, and the turnout angles will be all wonky unless the turnouts are custom built. Maybe with some fast tracks jigs this could be done, but not in unitrack. Even if there is a turnout used as the tracks start to diverge, you run into a problem with the opposite radius being too sharp. I experimented with this when I first got the modules.
     
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  13. Massey

    Massey TrainBoard Member

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    I got the entrance to the passenger terminal ready for online testing tonight. So we have a rule in my club that when a new module is built it needs to go into a layout before it is “approved” and then scenery can be done. Well this module is done to that point and in 2 weeks we have a show, so I plan on getting my testing done then. I should have the whole set done with track laid and electrical worked out by the next show in 2 weeks. It’s our last show of the season so I will have plenty of time to get the terminal built before next year’s show season.

    I installed a DS64 to control the crossover and first turnout into the ladder. There will be another one for the ladder as well. It’s tied to the the yellow line as that’s the one that’s always going to be getting DCC, as we will occasionally use the red line for DC.

    AFDE77C7-D0FF-4BA9-ABF2-17E8BCDE2EB5.jpeg D0A0EED1-5FB3-4817-8BB1-A3C4C4D49FF1.jpeg

    Yes I know I need some wire management, I have some coming, they are just not here yet.
     
  14. BigJake

    BigJake TrainBoard Member

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    I guess I'm confused about the requirements in T-Track for multi-part module sets (sets of submodules designed to only/ever be used together as a complete set equivalent to one large module).

    I thought only the external interfaces of the combined, assembled submodule set have to meet the module interface specs?

    Thus the individual submodules, and their internal interfaces, do not have to meet dimensions (including length, track entry/exit locations, height, etc.) of standard modules.

    I suppose a club could adopt additional requirements for maximum module size (e.g. for club layout space-planning purposes), and even multiple-submodule sets would have to meet those club-level requirements. They could even adopt maximum sub-module size requirements for module storage/transport purposes. This might be a back-door into specifying that any submodule must meet, by itself, the standards for a module.

    Anyway, what keyed me into this question was that I noticed the curved track section off the diverging route of the switch does not line up with the (sub)module end, like the two mainline track ends do. I would extensively test that relatively tight S-curve created by the switch and curve section, for compatibility with representative lengths of locos, cars and combinations thereof.

    Otherwise, I would be inclined to replace the #6 switch and curve combination with a RH single crossover, thus allowing the addition of a pocket track or even a switching lead at the head of the ladder.

    If you don't want to do that, you could use a short doubletrack piece on that end as well, to guarantee robust, proper track spacing at the module interface (like you did at the other end.)
     
  15. Massey

    Massey TrainBoard Member

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    So you are seeing the middle of the set, and there are front to back double modules that go on each end to move the mainline to the rear. As for length of the modules, these are doubles and triples only, I did that for ease of transportation. I will be building a box to store and transport these in when I get them finished, or at least know how tall the scenery will be. As for the little curved section of track, it has so far worked with all the locos I have tested it with, but I like the idea of the crossover. As for it not lining up right, I compensate for this on the next module in the set. It shouldn’t be an issue.
     
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  16. Massey

    Massey TrainBoard Member

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    So I decided to get the ladder module to the same state as the entrance module. Another DS64 installed, and all the wiring taken care of. I will be making the harnesses tomorrow, and maybe finish the trackwork for the last 2 modules. Then it is off to designing and printing the station platforms, canopies and seats… and more stuff. I may even make a platform 9 3/4 sign to see if anyone notices at shows. Anyway it’s late and I’m tired…

    This is the public side of the module.
    972AA595-A363-493D-9C7B-8EB20CF15106.jpeg

    Here is the wiring, it’s similar to the last module.
    15DDDA44-1EF6-4158-9101-92ED5247DC7D.jpeg
     
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  17. Massey

    Massey TrainBoard Member

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    So last night I was on “I need to sleep autopilot” and just kept going without thinking and did everything wrong. Typically the T-Trak modules have their industries to the rear of the module, and thus tied to the Yellow line. Well at midnight-ish last night when I was hooking everything up, I was thinking this to be true as well… but…. I purposely made this station come off the Red line to give us a place to park and run our DC trains. A couple club members and myself all have DC passenger trains, and that was the whole point of moving the main to the rear… to grab the Red line.

    So I need to rewire some stuff, no big deal, I can do this easily enough, and I may be able to improve functionality a great deal at the same time. The easiest way to handle this would be to let the turnouts route power to the legs of the ladder that the trains are going to be heading down. This is all well and good, but that may cause problems as the power will be routed through a single turnout a couple modules away which is then routed through a second turnout as well. I can see issues here with this, so I think I’m going to go really complex and make a remote control box that we will put on the inside of the layout for the club members to use. I could use this to also activate the DS64 via push buttons as well. While on DC that’s the only way the DS64 will work. So stay tuned for some fun to come!
     
  18. BigJake

    BigJake TrainBoard Member

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    When mistakes are fixed before anyone else knows about them, those mistakes do not help anyone else avoid them.

    Thanks for sharing your mistakes, as well as your many successes, with all of us.

    Most show displays I have been to do not have space between back-back modules for anyone to stand behind their module and operate pushbuttons, etc. Have you thought about having dual sets of pushbuttons (series or parallel depending on whether they are normally close or open) on the front and back of the module for that purpose? A toggle switch underneath, or a key-switch on the front panel, might be included to disable front switches for public shows while you are not there to operate them.

    Or I guess you could go ahead and use the slider controls on the track switches themselves...
     
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  19. Massey

    Massey TrainBoard Member

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    we usually build the layout in an ”L” shape and leave undecorated or yard modules to the “inside” and we create a box around us for keeping our equipment safe, having a snack and just a club area. My switch box will have a tether long enough to be to that inside area. The less there is for itty bitty H.o.G. fingers to reach the better. And of course it will be wrapped in my customary chaff shield just for the occasion.
     
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  20. Massey

    Massey TrainBoard Member

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    Just a quickie, here is the station module with the tracks all laid out and ready. I will be adding an automated tram to this module eventually but I need to get the building built so I will know where to put the tram. This is the side facing away from the public. I will hopefully have these all laid out later today as a single set.

    1335025B-22A5-4BA0-9F35-F804EA908FCA.jpeg
     
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