What would keep you from building a TTRAK module?

[chessie system fan]

Okay, so forget 3D printing modules.  In the I can't believe it's this stupidly simple category, I just went to my local Michael's art supply store and found this 12" x 14" wooden serving tray for $8 -- and they are having a 20% off everything sale today and tomorrow, so I actually got it cheaper!

https://www.michaels.com/product/12-x-14-wood-serving-tray-by-make-market-10715199?michaelsStore=5192&inv=2

It's only two inches high and will need a 3/4th inch riser on top for the roadbed, but that just makes it easier to do below-grade modeling. And I bet it's be super simple to glue two serving trays together to make a double.

Because it's a tray, there are the slot handles.  The rear is perfect for feeder plugs.  I might 3D print a name plate for the front slot. 

It's T Traking time. 

[dem34]

Yeah, should work. Track will stick out a little more but as long as it clicks to another module it'll work, just need to be careful about bumping.

[MK]

Forget T-Trak modules, I might get a few of those for storage.  Just build an outer cabinet and use the trays as draws.

Thanks for the heads up! 

[Lemosteam]

Okay, so forget 3D printing modules.  In the I can't believe it's this stupidly simple category, I just went to my local Michael's art supply store and found this 12" x 14" wooden serving tray for $8 -- and they are having a 20% off everything sale today and tomorrow, so I actually got it cheaper!

https://www.michaels.com/product/12-x-14-wood-serving-tray-by-make-market-10715199?michaelsStore=5192&inv=2

It's only two inches high and will need a 3/4th inch riser on top for the roadbed, but that just makes it easier to do below-grade modeling. And I bet it's be super simple to glue two serving trays together to make a double.

Because it's a tray, there are the slot handles.  The rear is perfect for feeder plugs.  I might 3D print a name plate for the front slot. 

It's T Traking time. 

Mighht nwant to measure it first.  Those advert dimension values are usually a nominal value, not actual.

[Steveruger45]

Tray-Track module.

[nickelplate759]

Mighht nwant to measure it first.  Those advert dimension values are usually a nominal value, not actual.

If it's close, but a little small, you could probably laminate something on the sides to get it to the correct width.
For example, if it's really 12" wide, you could laminate 1/8" Masonite on one side.

[MK]

Forget T-Trak modules, I might get a few of those for storage.  Just build an outer cabinet and use the trays as draws.

Thanks for the heads up! 

Rats!  Out of stock at my local store.  Went home and checked online, no store within 20 miles has it.  I don't want to mail order and chance it.

[chessie system fan]

For $6 each and free shipping, I decided to chance it and ordered quite a few more online last night.  I did double check all its dimensions.  My example is exactly 12" x 14" x 2" and is square.  Dem34 is correct that it is 1/8th inch too narrow, but that is easily fixed.  That also means that if any trays get dinged a little during shipping, I can cover it with a thin veneer and it'll be fine.

I'll start a separate thread on a build with these.

[randgust]

As my son would say 'that's evidence of thinking inside the Box'.....

[Ed Kapuscinski]

1/8"?

Here's the fun fact about TTRAK: the ONLY thing that really matters is that your track is the right length and sticks out at the ends.

If there's a 1/8" gap, or really, 1/16" if you half it, the only issue you'll really have is an aesthetic one.

[UP Simon]

The difficulty for me (in New Zealand) is accessing the module kits.
If I could find a laser cutting file then I could get them cut here

[dem34]

The difficulty for me (in New Zealand) is accessing the module kits.
If I could find a laser cutting file then I could get them cut here

Anyone you know locally able to rip ply or mdf into 70mm strips? A basic module is really just a box with some accomodation for height adjustment. Hell at Altoona some of the participating modules were squares of XPF foam with 1x2s stapled under them and excessively long bolts stilting them up to height. They worked.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

The difficulty for me (in New Zealand) is accessing the module kits.
If I could find a laser cutting file then I could get them cut here

All of mine have always been built out of dimensional lumber. If you have a hand saw and a screw gun, you can put one together. The top is a bit harder if you're going plywood, but I always just use foam insulation.

Easy peasy.

[randgust]

I've been guilty of the 'if the only tool you have is a hammer then every problem looks like a nail" approach.  My father left me a fully functional wood shop, not exactly my hobby, but when you have one, you can make anything before you'll buy it.   I like nice light birch plywood myself, permanent backdrops, but lower so that two modules invert over each over for transport.   And I agree, hit the targets on height, spacing length and and alignment, put Kato connectors on the end and the world is open season in the middle.   Find a good guy like Dave Ferrari that will put up with my oddball diversions and you're on the team.

Don't get hung up on precise box dimensions, get hung up on getting the track spacing, end-to-end rail dimensions, and height spot on. 

The 'shortest and strangest' module at Altoona was due to some kind of mis-alignment where we had about a 4" gap on the end of Ed K's modules.   I have a 'jumper track' I plug in as a feeder thats a Kato double-track spacer, that got tossed in there as an emergency fix with absolutely no support under it at all.  VaporTrak.  I'll bet Ed got a shot of that.  It shows on his videos.  It literally was the "Golden Spike" on Friday night.

[chessie system fan]

To follow up, I received another Tea Trak    module in the mail today.  The tray arrived from UPS in a box unscathed, and it is the exact dimensions as my first one. They broke up the shipment into groups of three to a box plus this single one. The rest arrive tomorrow.