u/aengusoglugh

I have been fussing with fitting PowerPole Paks into two modules all day — or it feels that way!

This is the reward — the PowerPole Paks were on my last two single straight modules.

Now that they are in place, the a layout is 9’6” x 4’8”.

The next two steps are probably to re-wire the corner modules — they work, but I think I have found a better way.

And then I think I build the 15 VAC aux bus and wire in the circuits I built to control the Kato turnouts and the Cobalt Lever switches that that will work with the circuits to control the switches and LEDs that indicate the switch positions.

And then I will learn how to ballast track …

And then … I forget whether is Sam or Frodo who sings, “The road goes ever on,” but it seems appropriate.

I don’t know what kind of bug bit me last January — but a something definitely got ahold of me. :-)

This is my last post on the topic — I promise. :-)

If you look at the photo on the left, the wings are filing “popped” out — braced against the plywood. The PowerPole Pak slide easily laterally — but not at all in and out of the hole.

I had to trim the wings a little bit more than the 1/4” width of the plywood — because of the geometry of the wings.

But if you look, the wings are not trapped the hole on the module — they are fully popped out and braced against the plywood.

I think that is precisely the way they are supposed to function in sheet metal — which is what they are designed for.

I finally decided to trim the length of the PowerPole Pak wings — if you look at the picture of the PowerPole Pak in the clamp as tight as I dated to make the clamp, the wings only compressed to 1-3/8” inches, which id not going into a 1” hole.

I also realized that the wings are supposed to spread out once they have been compressed and inserted through the hole, bracing against the inside of the plywood.

In the picture if the receptacle in the vice, I have trimmed the wings so that there was a 1/4” of clearance between the end of the wings and the panel lip.

The PowerPole Pak is designed for a sheet metal panel, which is much thinner than plywood.

In the picture of the whole thing inserted in the module, you can see that the wings have spread out some to brace it in place — I also beveled the hole in the plywood a bit.

It’s still not optimal — I think the wings are supposed to spread out a lot more.

But the PowerPole Pak seems the be in there pretty solidly.

I will trim the next a bit shorter. :-)

Do I need to trim the ears that hold the PowerPole Pak in place when I install them jn a square hole in a module?

I tried jamming one in and got it stuck and had to cut it up with a Dremel tool to get it out.

The holes in my modules are precisely 1”x1” — and the square body of the PowerPole Pak is just a little over 13/16”, and the plastic ears that hold it in place are a little over 1/16 wide — so it seems like it should fit — but it sure did not.

I wonder if I need to trim the ears in some way to make these fit?

I would love to hear from someone else who has used these.

Thanks.

So this is my latest theory. The two big innovations were attaching the terminal blocks to a scape piece Velcro's to the bottom of the module, and using the PowerPole panel mount.

In the picture, I am holding the panel mount in place -- it took like a pretty tight fit -- a one way operation, so I really want to make sure it's right before I press it into place.

The PowerPole connectors as in the "Module Interface" picture on page 48 (numbered page 42) of the BBMRA "Considerations" in the wiki. I want to double check that before I drive the panel mount into place.

The panel mount looks too big for the whole, but I think it must be correct?

Yes u/HomeyHal, I am definitely supporting the hardware industry! :-)

I can't tell if this overkill or not, but when I fasten my Unitrack to the base, I want a screw -- wiht a washer -- for every screw post in the bottom of the Unitrack base.

I think the Kato's spacing of the holes has changed over the years -- and that may concrete are different from wooden ties -- but if there it seems like the pre-drilled end holes in the CMR modules line up pretty well -- but the intermediate holes do not.

I have really only ever seen this -- I think in the longer pieces of track.

When that happens, I mark the holes on the baseboard and drill them so I can fill every screw post.

In the picture, you can see the the red track holes -- the ones on the right were off by maybe ⅛" so I drilled new holes.

Careful or overkill? :-)

Since all of the track in my T-TRAK module is Kato T-TRAK, I thought that Kato USA Track Builder might be a useful tool.

The interface is completely in comprehensible to me.

Almost every type of track planing software has some pretty similar basic interfaces -- you select a piece of track from a track library and drag it into layout window.

Once it is there, I can move it, rotate it, etc.

When I want to add another piece of track, I drag it from the menu until little dots at the end of the new track overlap or touch, and they snap into place -- properly aligned.

I think that I have figured out that that I select a piece from the Kato track library, and wherever I click on canvas, that piece of track is deposited.

If I try to select that piece of track to do something with it, another piece of track is deposited.

I think that I figured out that I have to hit the "M" key to move a piece -- but that's only good for one move. If I try to move it again, the clock has reverted to "insert" mode -- and it deposits another piece of track.

I think "Q" allows me to rotate track, but again it reverts to insert mode after each click.

From what I can tell, the track never snaps into proper alignment.

If I moved one piece of track so that it touches another piece of track in some kind of cock-eyed alignment -- where most track planning software would snap it into alignment, Track Builder just leaves it there.

I am a bit puzzled -- it seems like having track pieces snap into place is pretty old technology at this point.

I feel as though there are half dozen web based track planning tools that have the basics down -- my sense is that the competition has mostly moved on to scenery layers, obscure track libraries calculating spiral easements, etc.

It feels like the basic math/geometry was figured out at least a decade ago -- and a lot of the algorithms are available in open source.

I also think of Kato as a premiere model railroading company.

I think some of the track planning software I use is produced by a one man company -- and that Kato would have the resources to put a very small team on the project and produce some stellar layout tools -- particularly became they only have one track library to deal with.

And they own the IP -- the precise geometry of every piece of track.

I think there must be something about the interface I am completely missing.

I would very much like to use this -- T-TRAK modules -- or at least my T-TRAK modules -- don't have any complicated track work.

A very simple Kato-specific tool would seem to be ideal.

Has anyone figure out how to use the Track Builder effectively?

What am I missing?

I tried something different on my last module -- and I think it worked pretty well.

I taped and glued the "frame" separately and let that dry before I glued on the top.

I have generally glued and taped the whole thing up at once -- and when I looked the next day, the corners are not as tight as I like.

I think this worked better. I will know more tomorrow when I take the clamps and tape off the top. :-)

I am amused -- this is my 8th module, and I am figuring things out and getting better at building modules, wiring, etc.

But this will very likely l be my last module for a number of years. I don't have any more room in my garage -- and I expect ballasting, structures, scenery, etc., take at least a couple of years.

I have learned a lot -- things I wish I had know earlier -- but I won't do those things again for a couple of years. Probably just long enough to forget everything I have learned. :-)

I met a guy from S&SS NC who really enjoyed building modules -- he had jugs set up and his technique down -- it seemed like he built modules for everyone in NC, and sold them at cost.

I didn't understand -- he only really enjoyed building modules and laying track, and was very good at what he did. He was quite happy -- from what I could tell -- running trains on plain plywood, or letting someone else do the wiring, scenery, etc.

I think I understand that now.

Vic McTee posted this picture on Facebook from his T-TRAK clinic at Chattanooga this year.

Occasionally I have second thoughts about going with HO over N scale. :-)

I wanted to slide my Catrike Expedition out, so I loosed the Quick Lock clamps — releasing the 2 levers on the boom clamp and loosening the released bolts until they spun easily in my fingers.

The boom was still extremely hard to move — I had to resort to a block of soft wood and a mallet to move it.

Is that functioning as designed? Or do I have another issue?

Wow! I am elated -- this is my first attempt at a circuit in my life and it worked!

To honest, it's really Dick Bronson's Kato Switch Machine Wiring circuit cobbled together with a rectifier so that it can be powered with a T-TRAK 15 vac power bus. :-)

I added a 2nd 2200 mF pulse capacitor in parallel with the first because Claude said that would ensure that that the response would be snappy, even if I switched two turnouts simultaneously.

As you can see from the video, the response is definitely snappy.

I jury rigged an expensive SPDT switch for testing purposes -- the whole point was use a Cobalt S Lever switch to control the turnouts.

The Cobalt S Lever has a continuous (ie, non-momentary) SPDT switch available, and the Kato turnouts are designed for a momentary DPDT switch, hence the CDU.

Now I need to build a second one for my other crossover.

It is very nice when something works.

I would like to cut this perfboard in half horizontally so that I can duplicate this circuit.

That presumes that the circuit works. :-)

I have a seen a several suggestions: scorning and snapping, using Dremel with a cut off blade, using a hack saw. The board is described as, "Double-sided high quality FR4 glass-epoxy PCB."

Any suggestions as to the best way to cut the board?

On the wiring on the back, the red wire is the +20v rail, the black wiring is the ground, the blue wire connects the cathodes of the pulse capacitors to the SPDT switch, and the green wire connects the anode of those capacitors in series with the turnouts.

A EE at a model railroad club meeting last night warned me, “Generally, electronics work better if you keep the smoke inside. If you let the smoke out, they don’t work so well.”

The smoke is staying inside.

All wired -- ready to test. Let's hope I don't need to head to the hobby shop tomorrow to by a new Kato turnout. :-)

Do yourself a favor and do not enlarge the picture of the wiring -- the solder joints are probably ugly enough to do permanent damage to your eyes.

I haven't had as much time to work on this as I wanted -- spent the weekend moving my daughter back closer to home after graduate school.

But this afternoon I spent some time soldering -- the first time that I have ever attempted circuit soldering. :-)

I haven't finished the +20v rail, yet, but I realized that I could jumper that and see of I had screwed up the 15 vac -> 20 vdc part of the circuit -- apparently not.

I know it's silly to be excited to see the green light -- but I am excited.

All this means is that I didn't screw up wiring the bridge rectifier, and that the inrush current limiting resistor and the resistor that limits current to the LED are not so insane that they the blow up the LED.

But that is something?

I hope to have the time tomorrow to complete the +20v bus.

For those who care, the 15 vac enter this module on the far right at the green screw terminals.

The small square black box is a bridge rectifier converts the AC to about 20 vdc.

The big green resistor is a 1 watt 48 ohm resistor to limit the current through the diodes in the bridge rectifier when the system is turned out the capacitors charge up.

There is a tiny 910 ohm resistor to protect the LED next to the first capacitor -- it is wired in parallel with the green power indicator LED from the +20v rail to ground.

That all apparently works.

The right most capacitor also runs from the +20 rail to ground, it filters the output from the bridge rectifier.

The other two capacitors are wired in series with the Kato -- they will actually deliver the pulse that fire the Kato coil one way and limit the the duration of the +20v pulse the other way.

I decided to use two pulse capacitors instead of one because Claude said firing two turnover simultaneously would be marginal with one capacitor.

The Kato turnout will be attached to the module through the middle two screw terminal on the left.

An SPDT switch will be attached to the upper 3 position screw terminal -- the whole point of the exercise was to have an SPDT switch control a Kato turnout.

The 2 position turnout in the lower left will power either a bi-color LED or two LEDs to indicate the position of the turnout.

It was very cool to look at the design and think, "I'd really like a power indicator" -- because the original design didn't have that.

And then a second later think,"Wait, I know how to do that!"

A EE friend at a club meeting tonight told me, "The electronics work better if you keep the smoke inside" -- and so far, all the smoke has stayed inside. :-)

Finishing the power rail and more testing tomorrow.

This has been a huge amount of fun!

I am beginning the process of building a circuit to control my Kato turnouts with an SPDT switch through a CDU.

My first joint look pretty bad -- by my continuity tester says at that I have no solder bridges, so it might work.

Just another skill in this hobby that looks wonderful and easy when you see a YouTube video of someone who knows what they are doing do it -- and maybe not so wonderful when you try to do it yourself.

I have 4 of these circuits to build -- I hope that I get better as I go along. :-)

The first two pieces are a screw terminal -- J1 -- for 15 vac coming into the circuit, and a bridge rectifier -- BR1 -- that will convert that to ~20 vdc.

I have included the Claude drawn perfboard layout and the schematic.

Wish me luck!

This is the first time I have booked a hotel room and spent two days at a train show. I volunteered for both my local NMRA division and my local T-TRAK club -- in the picture.

Note: the modules in the picture are not mine -- they are N scale, my modules are HO scale -- I am not the guy in the picture.

Neither club needed me on Saturday, so I wandered around the tabes -- finding nothing to buy.

In truth, that was a bit boring -- but hanging out with the guys from the T-TRAK club was fun.

Sunday was a slow day at the NMRA table, so I basically hung out at the table and chatted with members. I a very new member of the club -- both clubs, actually -- so it was fun to get to know some more of the guys.

I realized just how obscure my modeling choices were on my Saturday of wandering. :-)

I am modeling modern DMU transit system in a relatively affluent city -- with enough density to -- at least hypothetically -- support a DMU.

That meant that I was looking at for two categories of merchandise at the show: modern DMUs; and 3 story or more stone or concrete buildings -- preferably shops on the bottom level and apartments above. As a kid, I aways thought that combination looked cool.

I didn't find any modern DMUs -- which didn't surprise me. From what I can tell, the US isn't really building any modern DMUs -- while some of the DMUs in service may be technically built in the US, I think that they are all European or Japanese designs.

I am not what to thing about buildings -- I may have to look more closely at the DMU Transit Systems and think about modeling more of a suburban for at least some of the modules -- where 1 and 2 story buildings would make more sense.

The other odd thing I would note is that I am now 2-0 on someone at a show finding out that I model HO T-TRAk, and saying, "We'd love to have some HO at the show next year! Can you bring your layout?"

It seems like it's not easy to get HO at smallish local shows -- N scale T-TRAK guys show up at the drop of a hat, and occasionally N-TRAK. And around here, there is a very active S gauge club, and they show up.

But not lot of HO -- I think that the only HO I have seen at a show has been S&SS NC modules -- and they like lot of room. For their own shows around here they rent out high gyms -- and filled every inch

I don't know if Free-Mo is not active around here -- or if they just prefer their own shows.

I think the local ETE club had HO module, and they will be at a show in November -- I am excited to see that. They not only model HO, but they require live catenary in their standard, I want to see how they manage that with module.

It may be that N scale T-TRAK sees to dominate in my area because it's easily the most transportable of the popular modular systems. I helped tear down, and I think it was under an hour from power to out the building.

N-scale T-TRAK also doesn't take up much room -- which may important to club renting vendor tables.

I hate to have to the guys who invite me to bring my layout to a show "next year" that I am probably 2 years away from having show ready modules -- I don't mean show winning modules :-) -- I just mean modules that aren't mostly a bare or barely painted plywood

But it's nice think that when my modules are ready, they will be welcome at shows -- at least shows in desperate need of HO. :-)

I am going to my NMRA regional show in Virginia Beach in October -- I am very interested in seeing what scales show up there.

I would be interested to know how unique my area is.

I your area, is N scale T-TRAK the most likely to show up smallish ( < 2000 attendees for a Saturday-Sunday) non-scale specific show?

N-TRAK?

Free-Mo?