r/1trac

By day, the “Kontrol Module” is just a normal 125x400mm track module with a turnout and a siding.

Note that the corners are rounded and open on both. This keeps them from getting dinged and chipped, and also allows for easy passing of cables back and forth.

The 2nd picture shows that the ubiquitous Bachmann controllers also fit really well.

The 3rd picture shows a 125x200mm module for when less is still enough. And still plenty of room below for a battery pack. (The track module in 3rd pic is 200x400 and can accommodate 2 turnouts.)

(Ok, not really Kaos, but I’m amused by alliteration … )

I wanted to be able to mount my controller to a wooden module, along with a bunch of switches and possibly a second controller as well.

I couldn’t find that anyone else had done this, so this is what I came up with:

- I popped open the controller (the screws are under the rubber feet) and CA’ed 3x 8-32 blind nuts to the bottom (I had already marked and drilled the holes.

You don’t need to use blind nuts but they are nice because they have a deep thread, lots of surface area, and the barbs help lock it in place 100%.

- I have a lot of 12V Eflite power supplies, so I swapped the Kato connector to one that fits the Eflite. I put the old one in a little baggie and tucked it away inside the controller in case I ever want to switch back.

- I like blinking lights, so I added some blinking lights.

Still to do:

- Lock down the switches securely.

- Install a second controller.

- Make and install a battery pack.

- I want to be able to use this on layouts with modular configuration that might change from time to time. I think I will mount a strip of white 1/4” dry-erase board behind the switches to note what any of them are switching on that particular day.

Anyway, this is it for now. I will use it as is for a few days before I decide what to do next.

I apologize in advance to the Redditor who complained about my profligate and flagrant use of dinosaurs on my train layouts.

(I also apologize for the mixed English and U.S. buildings, for the HOn30 trains alongside N-gauge trains, for the moon landing module, the NYC subway map, for the mini-modules covered in pretty paper, for the green bridge “borrowed” from an XTS children’s toy train set, and for the Rokenbok elevator.)

Tiny trains for tiny layout (:-)

The bits I cut off from each car are front of each of them.

They didn’t come out factory-perfect but they’re good enough for me and I’m happy (:-)

I have a couple of these ubiquitous guys that just kind of showed up (:-)

Their normal input is 16 VAC because they pass it along to the spring-loaded terminals to power track accessories.

My problem is that I seem to always misplace the 16 VAC supplies.

The AC input is then passed through a bridge rectifier etc. Will anything awful happen if I hook it up to 12 VDC input?

I realize that without the headroom I might get reduced power or whatever. But will it catch fire or damage the thing itself?

I’m slowly making progress on my little layout:

- The re-railer / bridge that I made from a Kato rerailer and parts of an unlovely flatcar is mostly finished (and even gained nice railings).

- The “valleys” are ok but the transition to flat seems too abrupt. I plan to add a couple of small raised berms at the transition lines to heighten the contrast and to help disguise the transitions.

- I decided to extend the valley on the right side as shown in the pics.

- I also have not decided if this will be HOn30 or N. I have more N buildings and more of my N rolling stock has Arnold / Rapido couplers that will interconnect. My HOn30 stuff is all different brands and none of their couplers have especially nice things to say about any of the others.

- I might do a shallow, round valley in the center, but I don’t know what to put in it.

- I want to do a tunnel / mountain along the left side and back corner but don’t know how tall to make it and what to have on top. The height can be anywhere from 2.5” to 4-5”. I would love to make it something composed of just desert rock formations because it would save me having to do greenery etc, but on the other hand my ability to sculpt convincing stone formations is approx zero (:-)

(I did mention that this is my first layout, yes?)

Kato makes a great many varieties of Unitrack. But sometimes a particular size is missing, or the local hobby shop is out of stock or the big brown truck of happiness is late …

I had a package of 282mm radius 45 degree track, but they were a little too long. And I didn’t want to wait. This whole thing took only 10 minutes to do, including taking the pictures.

The plastic trackbed that Kato uses glues up very well with CA.

I used a razor saw to cut the track off at 2 of the bulkheads. The bulkheads make it easy to sand everything square so it can glue back together well.

Next thread the track stub in place and glue the track back together.

Use a Xuron track cutter to cut the metal tracks flush.

Pop in the Unitrack rail joiner and you’re done!