r/TTRAK

My module was shipped today, so I thought I should get busy working on the stuff going in the module.

I started with the machine/conveyor house of the Charleston, SC Coal Tipple. I started cobbling the building together with DPM’s brick wall sections and scratch-building and kit bashing pieces.

I’m building it before the rear wall collapsed. The rough structure is done and then onto the foundation. I included a couple of pics of the real building.

I am working on prepping my wiring for my module and I’m using the Anderson connectors and I was reading, the standard uses the Kato male connectors.

How do I replace the white and blue wire in the Kato connectors with the red and yellow wires? Enquiring minds want to know or at least me?

Doing a bit of an experiment to see if I can 3d print a layout, the first 3 boards are now wired trains are running (btw ignore the missing buffer and coal on the j50, I brought it like that and im going to fix it one day)

After reviewing this circuit with some people who know more about electronics than I do, I ordered the parts and the perfboard to build this circuit.

Gulp.

This will be my first series foray into electronics -- probably not much of a foray for some people -- but a big step for me.

I guess that's one of the aspects of this hobby that drew me in.

I really enjoyed learning what I think of as the electrical part -- using PowerPole connectors and crimping tools to build what seems to be a pretty reliable power system for modules.

I enjoyed laying track correctly -- figuring out how to do a good job of attaching Unitrack with screws from the bottom, getting everything aligned correctly so the module fit together well -- and after I take the layout apart and put it back together.

Now onto electronics.

I am nervous -- but not as nervous as I am about scenery. :-)

I now understand why it can take a long time to build even a simple layout. :-)

Real and model GG1s at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania today.

Not the same loco, but still got to run my n scale Conrail loco next to a real one today!

That double track concrete tie stuff has taken a beating on this module but it still works. Who knows, maybe it actually is bulletproof.

Set ups in railroad museums are the best.

3 engines, 25 loads and a caboose. Send it.

The T-TRAK standard -- as adopted by my local club -- specifies a 15 vac accessory bus. I want to rectify the power and use it for two purposes: steady DC for powering LEDs to indicate the position of the turnout, and a DCU controlled by a momentary SPDT switch.

Kato turnouts use a single bi-polar solenoid move the points, a momentary +- charge fires the solenoid in one direction, a momentary -+ charge fires solenoids fires the solenoid in another direction.

Voltage isn't critical -- people report success with anywhere from 9 vdc to 25 vdc. What is critical is the duration of the post is < 250 ms or so to prevent burning out the coil.

It would be simpler to use a DPDT momentary switch to control the turnouts, but the DCC Concepts Cobalt switch I want to use only one SPDT momentary contact -- it has two continuous SPDT contacts I want to use as a DPDT switch to control the LEDs.

Here is what I then the circuit does from left to right.

The 15 vac comes in at the left is rectified by RR1 (a bridge rectifier), and the C1 buffers that output.

J2 taps into the +20v rail and the ground to provide DC for LEDs.

The circuit to the right of J2 is the DCU circuit. I copied that from this RR-Circkits CDU Kato Swtich Machine Circuit. C2 is wired in series with L1 -- the Kato turnout -- through J3.

The anode (+) is of C2 is wired to the 20v rail, and the cathode (-) is wired to the SW1, the momentary SPST switch. SW1 is physically connected to the cathode, +20v and ground through J4.

When SW1 connects C2 cathode to the +20v rail -- cathode to the anode -- short circuiting the C2 -- C2 dumps its charge very quickly, firing the solenoid in one direction.

When SW1 connects C2 cathode to ground -- the anode is at +20v and the cathode is at 0v, the capacitor charges very quickly -- firing the solenoid the other direction. When C2 is fully charged -- which takes < 100 ms -- current stops flowing.

That gives me what I want -- a momentary pulse in either direction to fire the turnout.

This is my first attempt ever at design and drawing a circuit.

Does it look correct?

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.)

So a year ago I thought I had a great start on a layout ( https://www.reddit.com/r/modeltrains/s/3qkVAi7c0S ), but life got in the way & I had to take down the desk & shelf, which kiboshed what little I had done.

1 year later I’ve started on a much smaller 2.5 x 4 layout based on something I found online ( first one @ www.cke1st.com/m_train2.htm ), but I’ve modified it so that it’s T-Trak compatible, in case I get my act together & reach out to the Erin Mills Model Railroad Association ~ an hour away (they’ve got a big collection of T-Trak modules that they take to shows).

Since space is at a premium I’ve built a shelf over my hobby desk to hold it (still need to trim that out).

Everything seems to roll ok when I push boxcars around; nest step is to wire up all the feeder wires I’ve added to a bus & see what I’ve screwed up WRT wiring …

Aside to anyone reading this that wants to get into the hobby & has planned out a room-sized thing of beauty: start smaller. Do not underestimate the learning curve on this hobby. I’m (obviously) still in the early days, but I’m really glad my 4x8-ish layout never really happened. I’ve already made a ton of mistakes that are gonna stay in what I’ve done; next layout should be a lot better / go a lot smoother because of what I’ve learned here 🙂

The first modules I wired were corner modules, and I didn't have a clue what I was doing. :-)

I built a 3 way splitter for each wire using PowerPole connectors and a single wire from the splitter to the terminal strip, and a module feed from the terminal strip to the pigtail.

They work just fine, but look pretty crazy -- and there are PowerPole connectors that will never be disconnected, so they are sort of wasted.

When I posted a picture of that wiring, someone -- maybe u/HomeyHal or u/bissacs? -- posted picture of wiring where the splitting was done with a terminal strip.

I tried that for my second set of modules -- and I decided that I really preferred a method of wiring where a terminal strip was screwed to a block of wood that was glued the bottom of the module. and the connection from track feeds to the module feeds is all via a terminal strip.

But since that set of modules was were crossovers -- and the rule of O&O is a Kato Unijoiner at every track junction -- there were still a lot of wires. I used a 6 position terminal strip for each wire, where one side of the terminal stop strip was a bus bar, and the other side had 4 track feeds and one module feed.

I liked the terminal strip splitters better than PowerPole splitters.

Finally, I am wring a single straight T-TRAK module-- which means two prices of track for the red line, and two pieces of track for the yellow line.

This looks pretty clean and simple -- and it was very fast.

Now I am trying to decide if I want to go back and re-wire my corner modules using terminal strips instead of scratch built splitters.

I didn't realize when I took the picture that my feet and my living room carpet were included.

But the fact that my carpet was included makes a point about on of the things I love most about T-TRAK -- I doing this wiring in my living room sitting in a comfy office chair with the module upside down on a folding table next to my desk and not one -- but two -- desk lamps focused on the work.

For someone of my age, that is one heck of a lot more comfortable than crawling around under a layout holding a flashlight in my mouth while trying to string wires.

Mr. Starrett approves (:-)

After attending the NMRA Train Show in Chattanooga and seeing the incredible National T-Trak Layout, I decided to jump in with both feet and start a module.

I ordered a double module from T-Trak by Denniston. My mainline will be all deck girder bridges. It’s based on the abandoned Port of Charleston Coal Tipple with a new bridge installed across the Cooper River near it.

There will be a spot of “dry” land and rest water. I figure, if I’m diving in, go for it…