So I decided like several here to get involved in TTrak after seeing some examples at a local show and being inspired by work here. Also, there's a local club and the guys are pretty cool from what I've seen so far. One of them has been helping me with ideas and we've come up with something I think will be an interesting concept.
I'm a huge fan of modern grain elevators and wanted to model a flood type instead of one of the traditional prairie skyscrapers. This would consist of five of the Masterpiece Modules encap modules to allow the loop to be adjusted down for space considerstions if needed. The crossover would be on the same section opposite the elevator (the drawing has them staggered) and would allow about a 30/40 car unit grain train to "load" or "unload" by rolling slowly around the loop while everything else passes on the mainlines.
I had a few goals looking at this. First, do something to be a part of the club that's not usually seen and model something familiar that represents Texas. Second, we're about to move and I can make this part of my "L" shaped layout so it pulls double duty. And finally, it models what I like which is grain elevators and operations. I can creep a unit grain train around the loop during shows all day if I want modelling loading/unloading while other club members operate so there's some visual interest too.
Only challenge will be modelling the elevator. Nothing like it commercially available, so definitely going to have to scratch build it, but its not overly complicated so its doable.
I'm posting it here to see if you guys see anything or have suggestions before I pull the trigger. Here is what I've got:
