T-TRAK

[arbomambo]

Hello all...
Since all local, regional, and national train shows are/have been cancelled for the balance of 2020, including the NMRA's National Train Show that was to host The National T-TRAK Layout commemorating 20 years of T-TRAK, we (The National T-TRAK Layout website - https://nationalt-traklayout.com/ ) have decided to host a 'virtual T-TRAK layout' at the website.
In conjunction with our sponsors, this virtual layout is open to all and will act as THE official T-TRAK layout commemorating T-TRAK's 20 year anniversary!
It's easy to enter your module or modules.

Simply email us a photo of EACH module you wish to participate in the virtual layout (pick a good photo of each individual module - if your module is part of a 'set', still provide a photo of each module in the set)
include your full name, your town/city, and your state.

Modules are viewable in a slide show gallery at under the 2020 virtual layout tab. There will be a couple of contests, WITH Prizes, judged by our sponsors!

This is the time for ALL of you, even those who wouldn't have been able to attend the now-cancelled show in St. Louis, to have your module(s) acknowledged by others!
Please send a photo of each of your modules to, either:
coastalalabamattrak@gmail.com
or
info@nationalt-traklayout.com

Respectfully,
Bruce M. Arbo
CATT-Coastal Alabama T-TRAK

[wm3798]

Very cool idea.  Photos sent.

[arbomambo]

 

[arbomambo]

Running some detailed Kato F units, pulling the 1957 El Capitan, on some of my T-TRAK modules.

[arbomambo]

[basementcalling]

So which company is still making and selling laser cut modules at this point?

Can't make my own right now with all my tools in reconditioning after the house fire, and thinking a TTRAK module or two might be just what the doctor ordered to do some modeling while I am in my rental, where I cannot attach anything to the walls.

[MK]

CMR Products and Masterpiece.

[keeper]

This link is quite helpful in finding information: http://ttrak.wikidot.com/t-trak-related-links

[ridinshotgun]

About the only ones still supplying kits are Masterpiece and Osborne.  CMR hasn't produced a module kits in over a year now claiming that wood is too expensive.

It is a shame CMR is out since they had some unique modules and no one else will do anything but the bog standard modules.   

There is a guy out of Florida who makes completed modules but he has no website.  Just an email.  His name is Stuart Denniston.

Also don't forget the kato foam t-trak module kits.

[arbomambo]

The latest issue of the NRail newsletter contains the updated list…
The Stuart Denniston modules, by far, are the highest standard (furniture grade and zero warping issues). However they are pre-built. He also does custom modules such as balloons, wide radius corners, junctions, etc.

[arbomambo]

Here is the diagram of the T-TRAK Layout that will be presented at the 2022 NSE Convention/Show in Nashville in June of this year. (June 15th through the 19th) The layout sets up on Thursday, June 16th, and tears down on Saturday afternoon, June 18th. Those who would like to participate with a module are asked to request a participation form from layout@nrail.org. ONLY those who have submitted a participation form before the deadline (when all spaces are full) will be able to participate. Space is limited , so if you wish to participate, don't wait to request and submit a participation form.
   The form is for participation in the T-TRAK Layout only. If you wish to participate in the NSE Convention, you must register separately for that at their website, although, those who participate with a module receive a registration discount from NSE.

[Dave V]

Sorry for resurrecting an old thread... No, wait, no I'm not sorry. This stuff is awesome.

@arbomambo , can you share some of how you paint your Unitrack while preserving some of the color of the molded ballast?

I'm torn between spray-bombing Unitrack and then being fussy with ballast placement versus being fussy with painting and then having an easy time ballasting.

[dem34]

Sorry for resurrecting an old thread... No, wait, no I'm not sorry. This stuff is awesome.

@arbomambo , can you share some of how you paint your Unitrack while preserving some of the color of the molded ballast?

I'm torn between spray-bombing Unitrack and then being fussy with ballast placement versus being fussy with painting and then having an easy time ballasting.

Come Close

Ballast to the edges of the ties. Then spray bomb the color you want the ballast to be.
Then its a little bit of a pain but not too long to hand paint the side of the rail. Then dry brush an appropriate tie color with a big flat brush. Once happy, a diluted brown airbrushed along the middle ties everything together.

[arbomambo]

I take the time to paint the rail and individual ties…
Simple acrylic craft paints: I’ve settled on ‘Earth Brown’ for the rail, and various browns for the ties (I mix them up, randomly, to simulate weathering- ‘warm brown’, ‘burnt umber’, and even throw in some grays to simulate older, driftwood-looking ties.
After ballasting and weathering, the effect is pretty nice. I do use the Kato ballast to match the molded roadbed, and, generally, only ballast on the outside of the rail, but, occasionally have taken the extra step to ballast between the ties on the inside of the rail as well.








Where it starts to get seriously tedious and labor intensive is when I’m using the large radius (19”) Kato doubletrack Unitrack; I paint every ‘concrete’ tie to simulate wood ties (the darker color helps hide the molded ‘concrete’ tie profile). Since the concrete tie unitrack is closer to North American tie size and spacing, there are even more ties per centimeter, than the standard unitrack, so it’s a lot more work. And, with the larger radius, more track as well. I use a microbrush for the ties.

[Dave V]

Thanks, Bruce! That's exactly what I was looking for!