The N scale Pennsy Juniata Division 2.0 - TTrak!

[arbomambo]

OK, question for you T Trak guys... I see that the standard is "Blue white white blue" for wiring. How do you deal with shorts across the crossovers? If I wanted to wire the whole thing for DCC, do I need a reverser or something?

Don’t confuse ‘module wiring’ with ‘layout wiring’
Think of
Module wiring is simply feeder ‘drops’.

Since there are two tracks, there needs to be power supplied to both tracks. When T-TRAK (all capitals with a hyphen) modules end up arranged in a separate loop, back to back, the yellow line/track ( the rear track when viewed from the front of the module) polarity from the power supply is simply reversed so that both lines have the same polarity. We can easily do this with sections of the main buss (yes, T-TRAK uses a buss - read the standards at www.nrail.org) that can reverse yellow line polarity in the areas where it is needed.
Otherwise, in areas on a T-TRAK layout where single rows of modules are arranged in a single spline (as in FreeMo setups), and trains are reversed by using balloon modules and/or large peninsulas that act as balloons, trains can travel across the modules on red line, and return, in the opposite direction on yellow line.
The BWWB wiring drops from the modules work great in this situation w/o having to reverse polarity on these single row sections. Obviously, however, crossovers can’t be used on these sections of the layout.

Please, please, please, wire your T-TRAK module to the standard BWWB.
Also, check out the ‘publications’ tab at www.nrail.org and scroll down to “Proposed T-TRAK Corner Recommended Practices”
Diagrams of the original small radius corners used in T-TRAK original soecs/modules, and the larger radius curves that many of us are using now.

[DMU-Fan]

This sounds like a cool project! For cheap (ish) DCC, may I recommend the WFD-27 from WiFiTrax. I received one of these boards for Christmas to power my small 4x8 N scale layout. Add a power supply, and it's a stand alone command station. Add throttles like your phone or the excellent WiFi throttles from TCS. It has a small roster you can fill in with a computer, so your locomotives show up on the throttle.

http://www.wifitrax.com/products/product-WFD-27-detail.html

[Dave V]

Don’t confuse ‘module wiring’ with ‘layout wiring’
Think of
Module wiring is simply feeder ‘drops’.

Since there are two tracks, there needs to be power supplied to both tracks. When T-TRAK (all capitals with a hyphen) modules end up arranged in a separate loop, back to back, the yellow line/track ( the rear track when viewed from the front of the module) polarity from the power supply is simply reversed so that both lines have the same polarity. We can easily do this with sections of the main buss (yes, T-TRAK uses a buss - read the standards at www.nrail.org) that can reverse yellow line polarity in the areas where it is needed.
Otherwise, in areas on a T-TRAK layout where single rows of modules are arranged in a single spline (as in FreeMo setups), and trains are reversed by using balloon modules and/or large peninsulas that act as balloons, trains can travel across the modules on red line, and return, in the opposite direction on yellow line.
The BWWB wiring drops from the modules work great in this situation w/o having to reverse polarity on these single row sections. Obviously, however, crossovers can’t be used on these sections of the layout.

Please, please, please, wire your T-TRAK module to the standard BWWB.
Also, check out the ‘publications’ tab at www.nrail.org and scroll down to “Proposed T-TRAK Corner Recommended Practices”
Diagrams of the original small radius corners used in T-TRAK original soecs/modules, and the larger radius curves that many of us are using now.

I'm considering maintaining separate drops for T-TRAK shows and for when I eventually have enough modules to operate my own stand-alone T-TRAK layout at home with all DCC.

[dem34]

Can also do what I do, put the track connections into WAGOs. That way you can modify Kato or Powerpole and track polarity on the fly.

[Chris333]

I saw on the Twitters that people are using AI to do track planning now along with realistic renders of what the layout will look like.

[MVW]

I saw on the Twitters that people are using AI to do track planning now along with realistic renders of what the layout will look like.

Now if we could just get it to lay and ballast track ... 

Jim

[Dave V]

Don’t confuse ‘module wiring’ with ‘layout wiring’
Think of
Module wiring is simply feeder ‘drops’.

Since there are two tracks, there needs to be power supplied to both tracks. When T-TRAK (all capitals with a hyphen) modules end up arranged in a separate loop, back to back, the yellow line/track ( the rear track when viewed from the front of the module) polarity from the power supply is simply reversed so that both lines have the same polarity. We can easily do this with sections of the main buss (yes, T-TRAK uses a buss - read the standards at www.nrail.org) that can reverse yellow line polarity in the areas where it is needed.
Otherwise, in areas on a T-TRAK layout where single rows of modules are arranged in a single spline (as in FreeMo setups), and trains are reversed by using balloon modules and/or large peninsulas that act as balloons, trains can travel across the modules on red line, and return, in the opposite direction on yellow line.
The BWWB wiring drops from the modules work great in this situation w/o having to reverse polarity on these single row sections. Obviously, however, crossovers can’t be used on these sections of the layout.

Please, please, please, wire your T-TRAK module to the standard BWWB.
Also, check out the ‘publications’ tab at www.nrail.org and scroll down to “Proposed T-TRAK Corner Recommended Practices”
Diagrams of the original small radius corners used in T-TRAK original soecs/modules, and the larger radius curves that many of us are using now.

I'm reading up on all of this and it's quite confusing. The B-W-W-B makes sense until I imagine what the heck I do with those feeders. Tie them into bus wires? Leave 'em hanging?

[pdx1955]

I'm reading up on all of this and it's quite confusing. The B-W-W-B makes sense until I imagine what the heck I do with those feeders. Tie them into bus wires? Leave 'em hanging?

I tie them into a bus wire for each rail which terminates into a powerpole connector on the module back.

[arbomambo]

I'm reading up on all of this and it's quite confusing. The B-W-W-B makes sense until I imagine what the heck I do with those feeders. Tie them into bus wires? Leave 'em hanging?

T-TRAK standards dictate that all powered modules use the Kato connectors as their ‘drops’ that plug into the bus. A small 6’-8’ tabletop layout can rely on the Kato wiring (3-way connections) as a buss. But larger layouts that also run multiple DCC units w/sound should always use a buss (12-16 gauge, depending on who you talk to; many say that  16 gauge is sufficient and 12 gauge is unnecessary ‘overkill’).
Regardless, the bus should have Kato connections that allow standard Kato connector-equipped drops to plug into the buss. There is also a T-TRAK standard for how buss wires plug into each other through the use of Anderson Powerpole Connectors.

  The simplest way many do their Kato connector drops is to glue a couple of clothespins to the underside of their module boxes to keep their track feeds ‘tidy’ and out of the way when storing or transporting. When setting up, the drops just run out behind the module to connect to the buss.

  I go a few steps further to keep my modules neat and tidy when storing, transporting, and in usage.
I clip the Kato connectors on the terminal wires halfway along the wire (I save the wire halves with the Kato connectors!), and wire the drops into a powerpole cluster that fits in a wall chassis mount in the back of my module. The powerpole cluster arrangement in the back of each of my modules looks exactly like the ‘female’ end of the standard T-TRAK buss.
Ok, with me so far? Now my module drop wiring is neat, tidy (I use suitable lengths of electrical wire plastic conduit, contact cemented to the underside of each module, to keep the drop wiring from hanging. But wait, you say, I still can’t connect to a buss! And, since T-TRAK standards dictate my module drops end in Kato connectors, so as to be able to plug into T-TRAK standard buss with Kato-style drops, I construct a ‘Powerpole-to-Kato’ connector pigtail (using the other halves of the previously clipped Kato terminal wire, for every one of my powered modules. I store these up under every module with contact cemented plastic wire clips. When setting up, I simply plug each pigtail into the back of it’s owner module (the powerpole end of the pigtail looks like the ‘male’ end of a standard T-TRAK buss.) And now, my modules are ‘standard’ and I can ‘play nice’ with other groups/individuals who have built to standard wiring and buss, which is the whole point of an international modular standard.
  Folks/Clubs that do NOT build/wire to the standard, and who also don’t allow for a transition piece/wire to quickly convert them to standard, risk not being able to participate with other groups in larger multi-group/indvidual layout setups.
    Yes, my method isn’t a dictated standard and also necessitates more work and financial investment, but it keeps my modules neat, tidy, easy to transport and easy to store. I can also easily particpate with other clubs/groups in bigger setups!


Underside of a single, showing the BWWB kato wiring drops, plastic conduit, and ending in a powerpole cluster in the back of the module.



Rear of the module, with skyboard in place, showing the ‘female’ powerpole cluster end.



A different photo of the underside now showing the stowed pigtail that I plug into the back of the module. Note how one end has the standard Kato connectors.



A length of standard T-TRAK buss. This one is 4’ long and has one Red line Kato 3-way drop and one Yellow line Kato 3-way drop, so this 4’ buss section accommodates 3 modules. There is no standard for Kato buss length. Many groups build 10’ to 12’ buss, with 3 sets (yellow and red line) 3-way drops, but, after transporting a few of these longer buss wires to many events, I settled on shorter lengths. Much easier to store and transport.

[Dave V]

So what I'm reading is that I will need a second bus for my inside track for home so that both lines can be operated from a single DCC command station.

[arbomambo]

So what I'm reading is that I will need a second bus for my inside track for home so that both lines can be operated from a single DCC command station.

You can use the same buss…a standard T-TRAK buss has two lines - one for red, one for yellow… just like the one I pictured above. In that photo of a 4’ buss, there is a buss for red line (with a Kato 3-way) and a buss for yellow line (with a Kato 3-way) both buss are inside a 4’ length of black loom to keep everything tidy.
Here, in our region, all of our layout setups use DCC, and we use one command station. Obviously larger layouts demand more power, so we add boosters and power managers for each added power district, but it’s all on the same DCC system.
Jus because there’s a red line buss and a yellow line buss doesn’t mean you can’t power them on the same power system.
Not sure what you are reading and where you are getting that info.

[Dave V]

Not sure what you are reading and where you are getting that info.

Clearly I'm not articulating my question well.

To meet the T-TRAK standards I need to have each track wired for opposite polarity from the other. So how can they be on the very same bus? I mean I get it that I can wire everything into a single bus at home...that's how I've wired every layout I've built. But if I do that, how do I maintain separate polarity for the tracks at a show?

[Mike C]

  I think this will work ..... OK on the outside main wires add 2 different plugs to receive the inside main wireing . On 1 of the plugs wire it to maintain the WBBW connection on the inner oval . But the second plug should be wired so the inner oval will get WBWB connection for your home layout.      . Mike

[pdx1955]

You could also just create a short two-wire pigtail with powerpoles on each end that reverse the order WB to BW for that inside track so you just add the pigtail for operation at home and remove it when it its used on standard T-Trak layouts.

[Dave V]

OK, folks, had a great chat with @arbomambo .. As I suspected, my misunderstanding came from false assumptions.

I had been thinking all along (based on a typical home layout) that a bus was two wires, one + and one -. But a bus can be four wires (two + and two -) just as easily. And in that case, just reverse the connections on the second + and - pair for desired polarity. This actually makes perfect sense now. Sorry for being so thick-headed!