Sunnyvale Road TTRAK Modules

[Ed Kapuscinski]

The Christmas season makes me nostalgic, and I was thinking back to that Christmas a few years ago when I spent the afternoon drinking beer and paving Pershing Ave in York. That made me realize how much I've been missing mainline railroading.

So I decided to do something about it.

I'm going to be replicating this scene, generally, on TTRAK modules.

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.7762116,-76.7188802,303a,35y,270h,39.38t/data=!3m1!1e3












Because I need some depth, I need the most shallow frames I could come up with. Voila:



And over the past few days I've been mocking it up and then cutting some foam.





This should be a fun build! It's a lot less fiddly than modeling downtown Philly so it'll be a nice change for a bit.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

More progress roughing in the scenery contours.

[amato1969]

Great start @Ed Kapuscinski !  That low-clearance stone arch reminds me of those on the PRR Trenton Cutoff.

  Frank

[wm3798]

I love the low clearance frames!  These are going to be Championship grade!  I can see it already. 
I've got to get back in the TTrak saddle.
Lee

[dem34]

Looking good, but I can't unsee the phantom in the coats. 

[cgw]

are those double modules or triple length modules? its difficult to tell from the photos

[Ed Kapuscinski]

They're two doubles.

[wazzou]

They're two doubles.

 


Or as I say while ordering at In-n-Out, a double/double.

[wm3798]

Technical question.  Leveling screws?  Got 'em?  How do they work on your frame design?
L

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Of course!

It's the same as on the regular stuff. I'll bet drilling some clearance holes into the foam once I'm sure where they line up.

I did do something a bit interesting though. Instead of using T nuts as I usually do, I opted for these: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002KT43MU?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

I like em.

[wm3798]

So that screws into the wood then a threaded "foot" goes in from the bottom?  Or will you be able to adjust the level from above?

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Yep. You drill an oversized hole, screw that in, then screw a 1" 1/4-20 bolt into it from the bottom.

Just like the corner blocks, but right into the frame.
http://conrail1285.com/making-ttrak-modules/

[parkrrrr]

I did do something a bit interesting though. Instead of using T nuts as I usually do, I opted for these: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002KT43MU?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

I love those things. I bought a bag of a hundred of the #8 ones, and I use them for anything that I would normally use a #8 wood screw for but that I might want to disassemble and reassemble later.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I love those things. I bought a bag of a hundred of the #8 ones, and I use them for anything that I would normally use a #8 wood screw for but that I might want to disassemble and reassemble later.

Right? They solve all the problems of t nuts. They're great.

[C855B]

Right? They solve all the problems of t nuts. They're great.

Great minds. I turned our N-Trak group on to inserts about 10 years ago... after many, many struggles against members "helping" by cross-threading T-nuts with their impact drivers. 

Suggestion, tho' - use some manner of adhesive like Gorilla or epoxy to anchor the inserts. Experience is they, too, will eventually loosen and work their way out if the working screw wants to grab or get torqued too tightly.