T-TRAK: PRR MG Interlocking

[prr7161]

Shouldn't the two uphill/westbound tracks (also) be oversprayed with Camo Sand paint to represent the rails having been sanded?

Sand headed up, black-brown brake residue headed down!  So the EB tracks can be pretty dark.

[arbomambo]

MK is correct...
T-TRAK (all capitalized TRAK) doesn’t require Unitrack throughout; only on the ends to connect modules.
I’ve used Unitrack throughout on all of mine simply to show that it can be done.
My modules are built more as illustrative or demo-style modules, using items and structures built pretty much OOB so as to showcase manufacturers’ products.
When you’re ready to actually glue down your ballast, you may want to copy a technique that worked beautifully for me. When ballasting around unitrack turnouts, it’s very possible, no matter how careful one is, for glue mixture to wick up into the turnout mechanism from below.
To avoid this in my last module, I applied a small bead of clear silicon caulking along both sides of the trackage after securing the track and before applying ballast.
There was absolutely no wicking of glue up into the mechanisms as the silicon provided a great waterproof barrier.
I’ve talked to others that tried this with a bead of white glue and had negative results for obvious reasons- white glue is water soluble so it breaks down during the wetting and gluing process.

[chicken45]

MK is correct...
T-TRAK (all capitalized TRAK) doesn’t require Unitrack throughout; only on the ends to connect modules.
I’ve used Unitrack throughout on all of mine simply to show that it can be done.
My modules are built more as illustrative or demo-style modules, using items and structures built pretty much OOB so as to showcase manufacturers’ products.
When you’re ready to actually glue down your ballast, you may want to copy a technique that worked beautifully for me. When ballasting around unitrack turnouts, it’s very possible, no matter how careful one is, for glue mixture to wick up into the turnout mechanism from below.
To avoid this in my last module, I applied a small bead of clear silicon caulking along both sides of the trackage after securing the track and before applying ballast.
There was absolutely no wicking of glue up into the mechanisms as the silicon provided a great waterproof barrier.
I’ve talked to others that tried this with a bead of white glue and had negative results for obvious reasons- white glue is water soluble so it breaks down during the wetting and gluing process.

@arbomambo  yessir! I've been paying attention to your posts and will be using clear silicon caulk to seal things up before ballast.

[chicken45]

Everything is wired and glued down. Went to test things out with a centipede.

[Dave V]

Everything is wired and glued down. Went to test things out with a centipede.

Screw that...  We want K4s!

[dem34]

Everything is wired and glued down. Went to test things out with a centipede.

I'm surprised it got through 3 last without issue. Is it home serviced?

[peteski]

I'm surprised it got through 3 last without issue. Is it home serviced?

Did you mean "home schooled"?   
I have set of those (bought when they first came out). It failed (derailed) spectacularly on Atlas C55 switches (due to the wheelsets being very tight in gauge).  I took it all apart and was going to fix it, but shelved that project and haven't gone back to it yet. It's been what? Like 3 or 4 years now? 

But I have feeling that with the more generous flangeway and frog clearances of Kato Unitrak c80, that loco will run just fine on it.

[chicken45]

I decided after breaking my last turnout, I'd just order a new one. The broken one is going to a good home, though.


I have been talking to @Ed Kapuscinski DAILY about the next possible phase:

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]


As far as track goes, I want to do transitions to run with a club running vanilla tracks.
After that, we have some big curves. The bigger curve on the left, I think, uses the nicer looking concrete super eleveated double tracks, but apparently, it's huge and takes up lots o' space.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

The other down side with the larger curves is that because they're super elevated you kinda get locked in to either using them for just 90° corners or 180° ones.

Making a 180 out of two 90s isn't ideal because you'd be going FLAT=>SUPERELEVATION=>FLAT=>SUPERELEVATION=>FLAT. It'd work, I guess, but would look weird.

The nice thing about the tighter ones is that they allow you to fit the whole thing you see there (or another 4 track quad) on a regular 36" table or even a door with legs. The wider ones require, as you can see, 4'.

[Point353]

I have been talking to @Ed Kapuscinski DAILY about the next possible phase:



As far as track goes, I want to do transitions to run with a club running vanilla tracks.
After that, we have some big curves. The bigger curve on the left, I think, uses the nicer looking concrete super eleveated double tracks, but apparently, it's huge and takes up lots o' space.

Some longer equipment (GG1 or Centipede) many not operate smoothly on the transition sections for the superelevated curves.
You may want to test that out before fully committing to their use.
Also, try to avoid the multiple reverse curves you have shown on the innermost track at the start of the 180° curves at the top of your plan.

The other down side with the larger curves is that because they're super elevated you kinda get locked in to either using them for just 90° corners or 180° ones.
Making a 180 out of two 90s isn't ideal because you'd be going FLAT=>SUPERELEVATION=>FLAT=>SUPERELEVATION=>FLAT. It'd work, I guess, but would look weird.

The transition/easement tracks come in 22.5° sections, while the superelevated sections are 45°.
So, you could also have a 45° curve using only two transition/easement tracks or 135° using two transition/easement tracks and two superelevated sections.
For a 180° curve, use two transition/easement tracks and three superelevated sections to avoid having the "FLAT" section in the middle.

[CodyO]

Some longer equipment (GG1 or Centipede) many not operate smoothly on the transition sections for the superelevated curves.

I had no issues with GG1s on my unitrack superelevated helix. 16 3/8" - 15" radius.

[Dave V]

I've never been convinced that reverse curves deserve the boogey man reputation they have...but if you want to ditch them you could move the turnouts on the backside inward.  And then you can ask why you need them in the first place when you could just keep four separate loops and run four trains at once!  Besides, straights are cheaper than turnouts.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Keep in mind that's modular. It was drawn like that to show how it works. I keep prodding Josh to do another four track module for the back and keep the transitions for use at shows.

[chicken45]

I’d like to see Ed compliment my MG by somehow doing AR and a balloon loop. 

[chicken45]

Also Kato GG1s run on the carpet.