What would keep you from building a TTRAK module?

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Lol, tea track. I absolutely love it.

[jargonlet]

Got pics?

I do but they aren’t that good. We will be at the Huntington, WV trainshow Thanksgiving weekend. I will get better ones there and post.

[timwatson]

I've been involved in OKC Cotten Ttrak group for many many many years (since 2011). Before it was ever a part of NTrak. When it was a small band of punk rocker model railroaders who wanted to see something different. I am going to have a picture speak louder than my words and then I am going to offer something constructive. Kato sponsored a mini diorama "booth" through a very creative and talented modeler named Stephen Moore. If you think Ttrak is big and audacious mini dioramas are even more so. Created by Kato to get kids involved in the hobby.

The below photo is a group of kids REAL TIME making mini scenes with Kato track on it on a piece of foam. These kids could start a layout based on these tiny little dioramas. This little event was so busy through the whole OKC train show. It was a crazy success.

Now my point. Here is a picture of Stephen running the mini diorama booth and look at the Ntrak layout in the background of this picture. See all the kids there? Yup me either. I do see them building these beautiful fanciful scenes that have trains at their core in the foreground (beside the ttrak layout). Give me that LEONARD COHEN afterworld! Ttrak has done FAR more for Ntrak than Ntrak has done for Ttrak.



The mini dioramas all together.



Now the helpful ...

The portability of ttrak is wonderful. That's what gives n scale it's appeal as well - so to put the two together is like chocolate and peanut butter. We've (my family and myself) have built the 2 different kinds of modules (fanciful fun and serious).

We managed to find and create n scaled versions of Lego Buildings and use n scale people and mostly n scaled vehicles for Legoville. We built it together, my son my daughter and my wife over the course of a month. It was a blast and the closest my wife has ever come to model railroading.


N scale passengers waiting for the commuter train in Legoville.


Whitmore falls is based off the same place in the Engineer Pass Cinnamon pass area in Colorado. The bridge is "floating" because I never finished the supports. It's kind of a fun conversation piece TBH. The little guy in that BG is my son. He is 17 now.



If you put a valance and LED lighting on a Ttrak module you can have a killer portable layout resistant to dust and a great platform to create a full modular layout with.



I dislike the tie spacing on Kato track as well but when painted and ballasted it can look good.


If you really dislike the Kato stuff use ME code 70 flex. That's what this inside corner uses.



Ttrak is doing lots for the hobby of model railroading. Especially for a newer generation of modelers. I'd challenge you to find a more positive movement in Model railroading than Ttrak. Also for the record if you've done superb modeling for a Star Wars scene and have modeled train track on it - you've still modeled a superb scene for BOTH model railroading and Star Wars. Steps off soapbox.

So yeh why aren't you giving Ttrak a try??

[peteski]

I love it Tim!

[MK]

Preach it Brother Tim!

[timwatson]

Now I'm just going to post some exceptional Ttrak modeling and maybe ask again - why not Ttrak?

Rick Inselman's farm.


Stephen Moore's "French Toast"


Unknown Modeler


Theresa Goff (and Steve too) - Theresa is one of the best modelers I know so yeh you've been bested by a girl!


KC TNuts (unknown modeler)


Run down street side unknown modler


And finally the best more realistic, well done et al. Ttrak modules I've ever seen ... in almost 13 years.

[timwatson]

My picture of Theresa's module doesn't do it justice she has hundreds of bicycles lined up along the left side of the module. Also Steve and Theresa own the module set that I said was the best I'd ever seen.

Found some better pics of her module (award winning).

[wm3798]

I'm a little gloomy that I couldn't upvote Tim's posts more than once!  Great examples of the flexibility of the medium.
Lee

[wm3798]

I just scanned through this entire thread, and realized I haven't posted any pictures of my set.  I started out with with a fairly non-standard box to accommodate models I had built for my home layout, which had been dismantled several years prior.



For those of you taking notes at home, that's my Cumberland Station (Maryland) that was itself a collaborative effort of several denizens of the Railwire.  At the left is the steel beam bridge just west of the station, then the station itself, and at right is the US48 (no I-68) highway bridge.  My main diversion from the standard was to add about 2" to the front of the box to allow for the stream bed and retaining wall that is such a signature of the prototype.



I filled in around the station with a bunch of structures I've accumulated over 30 years or more.  Apart from the Unitrak, I don't think I spent more than about $25 on this build.  (The lumber came from my ample scrap pile from a lifetime of "those" projects!)


Details, Details...


Gradually the backdrop got added...


then lighting...


More Details...


Finally it was ready for showtime.




I really like doing scenery, so the simplicity of the box is a blessing and a curse.  Small enough to do quickly, but it does take a creative eye to deal with the straight line geometry of the trackwork.

Of course, the best part is always  when you can have "play group"


You can read all about it here:  https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=46708.0

Lee

[dem34]

I've been involved in OKC Cotten Ttrak group for many many many years (since 2011). Before it was ever a part of NTrak. When it was a small band of punk rocker model railroaders who wanted to see something different. I am going to have a picture speak louder than my words and then I am going to offer something constructive. Kato sponsored a mini diorama "booth" through a very creative and talented modeler named Stephen Moore. If you think Ttrak is big and audacious mini dioramas are even more so. Created by Kato to get kids involved in the hobby.

The below photo is a group of kids REAL TIME making mini scenes with Kato track on it on a piece of foam. These kids could start a layout based on these tiny little dioramas. This little event was so busy through the whole OKC train show. It was a crazy success.

Now my point. Here is a picture of Stephen running the mini diorama booth and look at the Ntrak layout in the background of this picture. See all the kids there? Yup me either. I do see them building these beautiful fanciful scenes that have trains at their core in the foreground (beside the ttrak layout). Give me that LEONARD COHEN afterworld! Ttrak has done FAR more for Ntrak than Ntrak has done for Ttrak.



The mini dioramas all together.

I like the convergent evolution of the Micro Module Clinic.
I'm currently planning a near identical one for my non model railroad LHS after my DnD party asked me about Modular N scale and it kinda started to snowball.

[timwatson]

I just scanned through this entire thread, and realized I haven't posted any pictures of my set.  I started out with with a fairly non-standard box to accommodate models I had built for my home layout, which had been dismantled several years prior.



For those of you taking notes at home, that's my Cumberland Station (Maryland) that was itself a collaborative effort of several denizens of the Railwire.  At the left is the steel beam bridge just west of the station, then the station itself, and at right is the US48 (no I-68) highway bridge.  My main diversion from the standard was to add about 2" to the front of the box to allow for the stream bed and retaining wall that is such a signature of the prototype.



I filled in around the station with a bunch of structures I've accumulated over 30 years or more.  Apart from the Unitrak, I don't think I spent more than about $25 on this build.  (The lumber came from my ample scrap pile from a lifetime of "those" projects!)


Details, Details...


Gradually the backdrop got added...


then lighting...


More Details...


Finally it was ready for showtime.




I really like doing scenery, so the simplicity of the box is a blessing and a curse.  Small enough to do quickly, but it does take a creative eye to deal with the straight line geometry of the trackwork.

Of course, the best part is always  when you can have "play group"


You can read all about it here:  https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=46708.0

Lee

I really like all the detail you have here @wm3798 Lee. Honestly what’s really cool is that at every angle you see a new scene. That’s some well thought out modeling.

[MK]

Oh Lee @wm3798, you Modest Modeler you!  Have you not forgotten about John, Paul, Ringo and George, aka The Beatles, on your T-Trak module?   

[wm3798]

I really like all the detail you have here @wm3798 Lee. Honestly what’s really cool is that at every angle you see a new scene. That’s some well thought out modeling.

Yeah, well ... you know how limiting small modules are!

Thank you very much!  I guess I build models as much for the camera as I do for the unwashed masses.

Lee

[keeper]

Lots of nice modules here!

I do like the concept. So far I have some unfinished Z scale modules and right now I'm building my first N scale module. Mor shortly in the layout section.

[timwatson]

Yeah, well ... you know how limiting small modules are!

Thank you very much!  I guess I build models as much for the camera as I do for the unwashed masses.

Lee

Bazinga! - Sheldon