Hex-trak

[Oxbox]

Not strictly N scale or a layout as such, but this guy's project has caught my eye in the YouTube algorithm and I can definitely see it being appealing to people on here: https://www.youtube.com/@TabletopRailroad

 

He is developing a new mini-module format based around Unitrack that seems like it could turn into a really neat standard

 

 

 

 

Edited May 29, 2024 by Oxbox

[Cat]

Fun!  Gives very nice options for re-arranging the scenic hexes too.  Miniature waragmers have been using modular hexagon terrain tiles for decades. 

Edited May 29, 2024 by Cat

[Oxbox]

Yeah, that’s where it surprises me it hasn’t really been done (or at least publicized) before. He does mention in the first video that table top gaming was a major influence. I dig it!

[Martijn Meerts]

Looks really quite interesting. I do wonder if you can at least get some turnouts in there to make a siding for a 2-track station for example. Overall, I do think it looks more fun than T-Trak though 🙂

 

[KateM]

Threw some Tomix math at hexagons and, given the limitations of set tracks, came up with two viable hexagon sizes that would fit Tomix geometry.

 

Short diagonal of 280mm with 243mm radius curve centered into the center of hexagon side. Some examples below, AnyRail file. Fits most basic geometry features. A little larger than the Kato one, however seems to be much more versatile.

Short diagonal of 387.5mm (280 + 72.5 + 35) with double track 317mm + 354mm radius curves centered into the center of hexagon side. Some examples below, AnyRail file. Another 100mm added to the short diagonal so the hexagon is quite large, but allows for even more features. The straights are little clunky but workable.

 

All other hexagons are much more clunky, some calculations are in the AnyRail file if interested.

[brill27mcb]

If you really want to go all the way with Tomix hexagons, you could design them to be controlled with these hexagonal control panel blocks:

 

 

 

 

 

These were (and still are) made by a company in Germany. I can't find the link to their website - thought I had saved it...

 

Rich K.

Edited May 31, 2024 by brill27mcb

[Martijn Meerts]

They posted another video with modules in 2 heights, which allows for multilevel running and tunnels and bridges and all that.

 

I have to say, I'm tempted to get some of these lasercut and use them for some H0e stuff 🙂

 

[Jaco3011]

I wonder how to make it work with non-sectional track.

[cteno4]

Looks like train trax is making hex track modules.

 

jeff

 

 

[erurbot]

I have a game on steam that uses Hex tracks. Its very relaxing and alot of fun.

Dorfromantik on Steam

[cteno4]

Nrail had a nice intro and update to what’s going on with hex-trak on the last zoom-trak meeting.

 

Looks like fun if you are more interested in puzzling together interesting layouts from the puzzle pieces. But it’s not my cup of tea as it’s going down the road that something other than the scene is ruling your scene and track and module conformity are also very strong. These are the things that dive me to working on mini onetrak. But then that’s me. I can see the game and puzzle like quality being a big draw and a new way to snag new folks into the hobby with a different angle and troll new ponds.

cheers

 

jeff

[Cat]

Yeah, the lack of focus on scene is not so attractive for me neither.

[cteno4]

I am looking forward to when I have a pile of mini onetrak modules to just play with moving them around to create nice bigger scenes, interesting shapes, and nice meandering layouts.

 

i can see some really enjoying the puzzle aspect of hextrak. It was a nice idea of the hextrak folks to make the little game tiles with various track situations on them to sort of quickly do a plan before plopping modules down.
 

One nice thing is the modules should be quite a bit cheaper than Ttrak modules and no real construction for those nervous on assembling a box.

 

They also just ditched the module leveling and just shim some where needed. This is a huge time and hassle saver. We’ve been running our Ttrak w.o leveling legs (except for modules below 2.75” forever and it’s a lot easier. We have a few minutes shimming with business cards to make up for some minor module differences or table issues. We make tables match by just shimming table leg feet to begin with. 
 

jeff

[Junech]

I feel like you're a bit to focused on the puzzle aspect of the modules. 

 

Given the size and shape makes it easy to do but at the end of the day it is just another modular system. So it is what you make out of it and nothing is in the way of just numbering them to get a nice bigger scene...

 

Just one example would be doing a nice track plan and just switch the town sections around when you have a nice new building to put down.

[cteno4]

Well it is way more puzzle like than any other modular format out there and it’s getting more and more complex. It really is one of its most fascinating aspects. For those that want that aspect it beats all others hands down. Ttrak has none of this for small setups and in big setups this sort of mixing it up is sort of lost in the big setups. I see this as a bonus to attract a new crowd that wants more complexity in layout design with a modular format.i also love that it focuses on what you can do on a table or two and thinking out of the usual 2 track box. It also sort of negates the mega modules (Ttrak seems to be ever migrating to larger modules) thinking. Of course this can still happen with multiple modules but due to the hex shape it kind of deters this.

 

But I do see this coming at a cost as it as more limiting in the scenery aspect with limited and odd scenery spaces where module and track space will control the scene design. Nesting of modules in more of a hive will also do some interesting visual things brings potential differing scenes next to each other in more random setups. Of course you can do integrated sets of modules to blend a scene across many modules. But the many angular pieces May do some odd things visually in mass. 

 

its very different from what has come before and it will be interesting to see what gets done with it. It’s just not my cup of tea, but I see some folks really enjoying the “puzzle like” that hex-trak provides.

 

just goes to show that with model railroading you can never have it all and it’s always a tradeoff.

 

jeff

[Cat]

Hmm..... 
 
What could actually spice this up is some No-Trak hexes!  Hex bases with just scenery elements that can be dropped in around the track hexes.   They wouldn't even need any sort of joiners.  
 
c.f. Model Railroader, April 2002.

[Junech]

13 minutes ago, Cat said:

What could actually spice this up is some No-Trak hexes!  Hex bases with just scenery elements that can be dropped in around the track hexes.   They wouldn't even need any sort of joiners.  

 

I thought that that was so obvious that there was no need to mention that... That was the reason why I said this:

 

10 hours ago, Junech said:

Just one example would be doing a nice track plan and just switch the town sections around when you have a nice new building to put down.

 

[MeTheSwede]

Now and then I see miniatures wargamers construct terrain in the form of hex modules. In my opinion it locks ugly because there are ckearky visible module boundaries zigzaging everywhere and also I don't see how it solves any practical problem (unless they are playing a grid based game). Rolling out a green mat and putting down terrain pieces on top is more flexible with what you can create as you aren't limited by a grid and you can also make it look better.

 

I can't help but think I feel the same about this project. Why not just put down a mat, get out your track pieces, connect them in a way that makes most sense from a model railway perspective rather than force the track to adhere to a hex grid, and then everyone puts down their ready made terrain pieces on top?

 

(Below is an example of what it looks like when I'm wargaming with model trains as part of the scenery.)

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 6 by MeTheSwede

[Cat]

20 minutes ago, Junech said:

 

I thought that that was so obvious that there was no need to mention that... That was the reason why I said this:

 

To date, I haven't seen a hint of just scenery hexes in any of the hex track or pocket module posts I've seen go by on Facebook.

[Junech]

7 minutes ago, Cat said:

To date, I haven't seen a hint of just scenery hexes in any of the hex track or pocket module posts I've seen go by on Facebook.

 

You can see just scenery hex modules on Train Trax (link) in the pictures of them selling the pieces and you can order them with and without track.

 

10 minutes ago, MeTheSwede said:

Why not just put down a mat, get out your track pieces, connect them in a way that makes most sense from a model railway perspective rather than force the track to adhere to a hex grid, and then everyone puts down their ready made terrain pieces on top?

 

As someone who participated and watched a German H0 forum grow its own Fremo-like meetups and module system, I can give you some reasons:

 

1. Practice and testing on smaller "throw-away" modules involve less cost than building a full layout. If it goes wrong you can just throw it into the bin but you went through all possible steps for a future layout.

2. Easy to take with you and show others how you do things (you can even do it on side for most stuff).

3. Small and easy to expand on. There are a lot of people who struggle with bigger layout projects but find a small module doable. One reason is just getting lost in all the things that need to be done and it is a way shorter timeframe on small modules.

 

And all that while having the feeling of a more permanent layout you can throw together at a meet-up. At least thats what I got as reasons so far.

 

[cteno4]

Our club did the setup on the fly with colored paper covering the surface and scenery plates and buildings plopped down for about 4 years at events. It does allow for a lot of flexibility, but it is a huge PITA to haul and organize all the bits and it’s a huge setup and teardown effort. It was a good way to start out as we modified the track plan several times to try different things to see what worked best for shows, required a minimal of “building”to get started, it was easy for us for members to lend the club any spare track and buildings they had laying around for the events, and it required no funds other than about $100 to build some 1x3 sided 1” eps foam platforms (each 2’x4’ and they bolted together and sat on tables or sawhorses). As time went on we refined the process and added more and more scenery islands, but these meant we needed to lock down the track plan as many went between track areas and shapes.

 

It was fun experience, but it got very old after a while and we migrated to a large sectional layout. It requires a lot of coordination with members to get all the parts needed together (some may wanted their stuff back after each show) and organized (I think we had a thousand or two pieces to keep track of) as well as a lot of coordination on setup and teardown down. I could see this being daunting for some to take on as a new group and required the right folks with the right extra materials and then a few of us buying extra of stuff the club setup needed.

 

I don’t see any reason you can have scenery only hex-trak modules and I’m sure will be done after basic track modules are done to get running. I think it will talks a bit of time for folks to figure out hex-trak scenery spaces and what works best on what kind of track module and also how best to visually handle the hexagon hive structure vs the Ttrak square structure when assembled. 
 

Hex-trak has a lot of flexibility over ttrak and also allows for smaller setups and is smaller to transport (it will be interesting to see if there are good commercial plastic box(s) out there to plop modules in for transport as this is always a challenge for Ttrak). Again I see the extra combos of track shapes being great for those that want to play more with layout with a modular format. The variety and small size outstrips fremo really in being able to play a lot, with minimal investment. Again I will say the puzzle like systems of a big variety of track module forms I think will intrigue some folks out there frustrated by the very simple stuff most modular systems provide. I see more complex layout planning as a “puzzle” myself so that’s why I’m using this term, as it connects to other things out there outside of trains that are puzzles as well.

 

The hex-trak system could also add longer rectangular modules to so more traditional straightaways if wanted. 
 

But I do see the hive like pattern and limited scenery space per module may be a challenge to those that want to model the scenery more. Multiple module scenes will help but then they may limit the flexibility in layout design some and it gets into that slippery slope some of Ttrak has gotten into of supersizing everything. The hex pattern may also do some strange things visually too for larger viewing of a setup, this will just take some time to see.

 

I also really like it that the modules themselves are super simple and easy to create and assemble. This is a corner Ttrak has gotten pushed into as costs of laser and CNC cut modules keeps going up as well as shipping of the kits. Also I find many newbies I talk to (I do a lot of this at public events, mostly non train shows) are a bit shy on the idea of assembling the bases. I try to show them how they fit together and it’s no real carpentry, but for many they just get hung up it’s woodworking and scared. This is something I wanted to do with the mini onetrak idea using the wooden canvases to alleviate any fear of woodworking.

 

I'm glad it’s up and going and hopefully someone around here will start some so I can see it in person and who knows, maybe even play. I do see it as something that may help bring new folks into the hobby, especially those from other areas (ie like puzzles and gaming sort of aspect it has) and younger folks as it just looks fun and is out of the traditional rectangular boxes all other model train modular formats are locked into. Plus it’s just always good to have something new come along now and then to spice things up.

 

cheers,

 

jeff

[Junech]

I think a good way for a commercially produced storage and transport solution could look like this:

 

https://www.feldherr.net/euro-box/auer-packaging-60-x-40/eurobox-mit-rasterschaum

 

It consists of smaller sections you can take out and adapt the shape to the one you need. Maybe with enough traffic or the hex people asking them they could even do a ready-to-use inlay.

 

For the scenery, I see mainly 2 ways. A more or less segmental approach or add more thinking into the tiles and do something like the game Dorfromantik for more universal modules.

 

Once my current projects are finished I got already an Idea for a Hex-Trak project.

 

[cteno4]

Very nice containers but they get very expensive. Price is a big hurtle for many new modelers, especially younger ones. I get big hesitation when answering the price question module and track alone are $35-50 shipped and then cost of structures and such added to that. Even plastic tubs now are getting to the $20+ range for modules. There are a few commercial plastic tubs that hold various module sizes ok but always wasted space. We use a number of different ones and just have cardboard and eps foam blocks that wedge modules into the tub so they don’t slide around.

 

Space is another issue as cases/boxes add a lot of extra space for transport and storage. I built one small case that compactly held 6 modules for a friend. It was nice as modules slid in sideways (two layers of 3) so case was about 13” wide x 13” high x 30” long. One end came off and modules just slid in sideways so you didn’t have to try to drop/lift out modules into the box which can be a pain. It was about as compact as you could get things and still bulky. I came up with a nice design for simple roadie cases like this for or club sectional 3.0 layout we did got stalled on and I’ve been meaning to make a couple of cases like this to hold many of the standard club owned modules to save storage and transport space.
 

Part of the issue is the 2.75” high Ttrak module base, which half or more is pure wasted space and just an eyesore design wise, but it’s the de facto standard (but not necessary at all and can be shortened and appropriate length legs or other lift systems used to run with standard modules). I live hex-trak has not followed this and simplified. Visually it’s a bit on the minimal side and the edge a bit too thin, but building it up a little would be a big added cost and a seemly. The little float to the panels is really nice, I played with this on the mini one trak and especially with smaller module size just a tad of float off the tables really is wonderful visually. Visual framing is really hard to do and very subtle and not a real conscious thing when viewing something.

 

Yes I see the hex-trak scenery being larger segmented scenes across multiple modules or sort of game tile like pieces with scenes more a center circle and more generic edges working well. The latter will have a very different feel I expect with the hex shapes than all the other current modular formats. Even segmented scenes will need to deal visually with the scene edged going in and out repeatedly. It’s going to be different, but that’s not bad, just different and new challenges which is always good for the hobby.

 

jeff

[Junech]

A single box goes for around 20€ without the foam inlay to do your own inlay from one of the pink foam boards people use for their layout bases. I just use those boxes already cause all my trains are stored in one of the specifically made ones (https://www.feldherr.net/euro-containers-for-model-railways-locomotives-and-vehicles-5-bars-for-h0-gauge-angled/a-60636). So it is already an established solution for a lot of other people at meet-ups. But that's still for people traveling a lot I think and have the money for it. So for me sliding in just another box is a nice tradeoff for losing a bit of space (where probably just something else I need will get stored anyway.

 

For my H0 modules, I think I have a similar design for transport and storage. But since it is a different standard we slide them in from the other side. We put some wooden wall plugs into the holes where the connecting bolts would be to secure them into place. That way there are no screws or bolts involved in the storage boxes.

 

I think we will see at least a double, triple (like a triangle), and quad (parallelogram) piece coming in the future for scenic pieces that are connected anyway. That will remove some edges.

 

[cteno4]

Which box for 20€ are you referring to for Ttrak modules? Their little cubic cardboard game box looked cool but unfortunately only 30cm so like a could of cm short inside for 1x module to fit.
 

I’ve stopped storing much with modules in their transport boxes unless securely in a smaller box that wedges in well. Anything loose can be havoc if a box is tipped over (this happens for one reason or another about once a year). Luckily most of our boxes don’t waste too much space around the modules, only an inch or two. It’s the vertical space above the module that varies a lot. Could make some custom boxes to fit under modules to store stuff, but we have little extra small stuff to stow outside of the modules and the boxes with cables, tools, table stuff. Etc that would not not mix well with modules. Plus trying to have everyone know what goes where is hard enough with the modules and boxes. One great improvement is we now have a picture of the module taped down in the bottom of its storage box so folks can easily tell what module goes in what box and each have custom foam and cardboard wedges to keep the module in place well and this has allow good survival of a few boxes tipped over.

 

One problem with getting good fitting boxes is then dropping the module in and taking it out is a problem as you have to add a strap under the module to lift/drop it with and store the ends of the strap without flopping onto the tip of the module. We have a could have modules like this and 3’ wide plastic warning tape works pretty well. But is a bit of a pain.

 

I spent some time way back at the beginning days of Ttrak making a corrugated cardboard box for module storage. Worked well. Basically a bankers box with a lid and one end could fold down when the lid was removed. I did the crate thing of gluing 1” strips of cardboard all along the seams all the way around and it beefed it up a lot, but it was just too fragile for the long term and would be a pain to try to make water resistance. We sometimes need to lad in and out in some weather so that was kind of the big killer. I did think of milling up some thin wood slats for the bracing but too much work involved. Also a bit of work to make and sourcing good sheet corrugated cardboard has gotten much harder and more expensive. On the up side I could make perfect sized boxes.

 

cheers,

 

jeff