T-Trak RUS - Laser cut modules

[tossedman]

I stumbled across these videos about T-Trak RUS, which are basically laser cut modules that are 310 mm wide with bolts holding the modules together. He's made some interesting modifications including making the modules stackable. The videos are in Russian but have English subtitles. He also has the cut files available for download if you're interested in making your own.

 

 

He's got lots more videos here on his YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/user/CTPAHHuKChannel/videos

 

Cheers eh,

 

Todd

Edited February 26, 2017 by cteno4
Fixed YouTube embed

[cteno4]

Thanks Todd.

 

Interesting mods, but it's Ttrak! Folks have been modifying the module design, construction, wiring details, etc since Ttrak was started (even if lee objected to that.)

 

Not sure the bolting modules together gives a lot except for fewer leveling bots to fiddle with. Once sceniced you are limited to bolting only a line of modules you can tip on edge. Also stacking sceniced module will be tough as the corner blocks could crush scenery along with wiring and the corner feet are going to grind on any scenery materials in the corners on modules below.

 

Internal wiring bus thru anhole is nice depending on how much power you need to run thru the system. Motocycle connectors are about $1.50 per pair, so not a huge cost increase to add to each module.

 

Cheers

 

Jeff

[jasona2z]

I really like these laser cut modules.

 

The connectors for wiring are cool as well, not sure how well that would integrate with a club t-trak layout though... 

[kvp]

The connectors seems to be only used whitin the station, so won't be needed to connect through the standard ends. The cutout and the two connecting bolts look like a mini fremo end and could come handy for transport, but imho are not really needed. On the other hand, the dimensions, the track arrangements and even the leveling bolts are following the ttrak standard.

 

ps: imho for station wiring it's ok to use non standard connectors as connecting up a large station with standard Kato turnout, signal and lighting connectors could take ages even if every separate connector is labeled and there are enough extension cables

[tossedman]

The one difference I noted was that he makes the modules 310mm long, not 308mm. Being laser cut, it may be cut more accurately than some of those cut with a saw. The bolts hold the module tightly together hiding the gap between modules a little better.

[cteno4]

I usually got mine down to pretty close like lesss than a mm total. It helps when you do the flat 1" modules I do as I just mill a munch of 1"x3/4" stock for the front and back and put a rabit joint in it for the 4mm ply top to rest in. I make these in 8' lengths and then can just chop off module lengths exactly to what I want. Then I add in cross pieces in the end. With the traditional boxes I can be tough to get exact if you build them the traditional lee way as she has the ends going full width (this was done as it allowed a couple more parts to get ripped out of a sheet of ply). But this left joints showing on the ends along the front and also bigbox hardwood ply (like the usual birch sold) can actually change by 1mm in thickness across a sheet so a little slop was always thrown in.

 

A trick some have used to cover gaps is to add a strip of thin styrene or chipboard along same end of one end of each module a that hangs out a couple of mm to cover the gap that butts up the the next module on top to. Works really well for a set of modules that always go together as you can eve overlap the tops slightly, scenic over it and then carefully cut them apart to really hid the seams. Folks have also made fences, hedge rows, and looks foliage to break up the gaps. One chap I saw made some slips of chipboard with some ground cover matching the module ends glued along the edges and he dropped them into the gap. Also just a feature running along the gap on one module can help hide the gap a lot. With my streetcar I do this with cross streets and intersections along the edges.

 

Doesn't take much to help with the gaps and if the scenery is really good on the modules and each are independent modules a bit of gap line actually works as you are changing scenes abruptly module to module in this case. With module sets it becomes more important to try to unify things visually, but the eye sees these are modules usually so a little seem won't trip it up and the minds eye usually just ignores it then if not too glaring and blurs it all together. This is what I love with the minds eye, how you can play with it in situations like this.

 

Jeff

Edited February 26, 2017 by cteno4

[velotrain]

> Doesn't take much to help with the gaps and if the scenery is really good on the modules and each are independent modules a bit of gap line actually works as you are changing scenes abruptly module to module in this case.

 

That is just what I was thinking when he mentioned that change in the video.

[westfalen]

One of the things that we stress at shows when spectators comment negatively on the abrupt scenery changes and gaps between modules is that the one of concepts of T-TRAK is that it is all about individual modules done as the owner wants.

[cteno4]

The nature of Ttrak ends up spanning a lot from folks basically doing a sectional layout that can just come apart for transport to batch of totally different scenes on each module. They all work and it's testimony to the flrxibility of the concept. There is no right or wrong way with this. It's why i sort of laugh when folks try to brand it as something new!

 

Big thing with Ttrak is just track spacing and height adjustment, then everything else can vary and work pretty well with each other with some fiddling and planning. Lee didn't like the variations very much as she was from ntrak with strong standards, but the flexibility and ease of production of modules with this flexibility had caused it to take off as well has it has and kept it a growing hobby.

 

Jeff

[velotrain]

One of the things that we stress at shows when spectators comment negatively on the abrupt scenery changes and gaps between modules is that the one of concepts of T-TRAK is that it is all about individual modules done as the owner wants.

 

As far as abrupt scenery changes, I'd say that's true for almost every modular group that I've seen, unless the whole thing is designed in advance to be cohesive and always set-up in the same manner - which makes it a sectional layout, and not modules, which are interchangeable by definition. 

 

I'd say Fremo is somewhere in-between - all modules have a standard interface, but they do strive for a certain style of module arrangement, generally based on operational needs.

[cteno4]

Ttrak spans from completely modular to freemo to sectional, seen the whole spectrum!

 

Jeff

[velotrain]

Any chance the Fremo was in Japan?

 

I think I've seen photos of an Aussie sectional set-up, complete with their own lights.

[cteno4]

I've seen Japanese Ttrak that goes to the back and to the center as well as single track. There has been a lot of playing around with Ttrak as well as with module construction. Seen some big street sections that go into a larger sectional scene with large buildings that feel more like an ntrak module in scale!

 

Ttrak in the states has been a bit more focused on alternate spaced modules to make mini ntrak with a lot of rail Milage.. but again Ttrak allows for folks to rol their own way a lot! Adapter modules can even make different track spacing and alignment work together.

 

Jeff