TRAK Modular Railroading Society. Inc. NEWSLETTER

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1 November/December, 2007 Edited by Jim FitzGerald and Lee Monaco-FitzGerald TRAK Modular Railroading Society. Inc. NEWSLETTER NTRAK Website: The day after the last issue went to the print shop, I received a CD from Mike Wingfield of the Louisville KSONS Club. He had gone to the Detroit NMRA Convention and taken photos, not only of the NTRAK layout, but of the Detroit area and trains at Greenfield Village in Dearborn, MI. You will find some of these photos featured in this issue to supplement the coverage in the previous issue. Seen above is an overall photo of the NTRAK layout. Below is a wide view of Cobo Hall and the entrance to the parking area. The bottom photo is of an elevated two car People Mover train that runs through the downtown area. Photos by Mike Wingfield. Page 1

2 Ghost Train Cars sold out. Thanks to all of you who ordered some of the Atlas Tank cars that were to have been part of an NTRAK Train fund raiser. All cars have now been sold. N Scale Steam Locomotive Book Addendum. Jim Kline and Craig Barrow have rounded up some great articles on kit bashing N scale steam engines. These are published in a separate 44 page booklet that will be included with new orders for the year old 144 page N Steam Locomotive book. The addendum is also available separately for $6.00 Included are six 50 s era SP steam that Russell Straw built to go with his NTRAK module set of the Sugar Land, Texas sugar refinery complex. Gerd Ziller from Germany shows how he built three truck Shay locomotives out of Atlas two truck Shays. Victor Miranda reworked the Bachmann switcher for a better motor and improved pickup. The result is a smooth running switcher. Dave Vollmer converted a Bachmann Spectrum into a Pennsy H10 class locomotive. An Erie S-1 Berkshire was created from a Life-Like engine by Chris Schmuck. Paul Downs used the same engine to create Louisville and Nashville M1 Big Emmas and includes tips on how he made mold masters so that he could have a fleet of locomotives. Tony Hines, following Russ Straw s idea for stretching a Kato Mikado from a to a and built a B&O S-1 Big Six. This is a very detailed article. Tsuguo Ebihara has two articles on reworking Japanese models to create a Pennsy K4 and a UP There are also reviews of recent new N steam and useful DCC compatibility and steam detail parts lists. See page 23 or for ordering information. Photos in this issue. As noted on the front page, much of this issue is devoted to the CD of photos that Mike Wingfield sent to me, taken at Detroit in July during his trip to the convention and sightseeing in the area. I am always looking for NTRAK Module photos, but any train related photos or information is always welcome. This is your place to share our hobby. NTRAK, Inc Officers & Directors General questions and Newsletter material. Jim FitzGerald, NTRAK President, Editor Lee Monaco-FitzGerald Corporate Secretary, Editor 1150 Wine Country Place Templeton, CA Phone & Fax ntrak@tcsn.net Bob Gatland, Chief Financial Officer PO Box 2386, Wilton, NY rgatland@nycap.rr.com Next Issue Deadline: Dec. 1st Page 2 Renewals, Orders & Shipping Dave Porter, Director PO Box 3618, Parker, CO dave@ntrak.org Phone: (303) Bruce Alcock, Director 1030 County St 2930, Tuttle, OK nytrr@hotmail.com Web Master, Bruce Alcock nytrr@hotmail.com Web site: Deadline for Coming Events & other material is the 1st of the month before publication. (Feb 1st, Apr 1st June 1st, Aug 1st, Oct 1st, and Dec 1st.)

3 New From MicroTrains The 12 Days of Christmas cars are at the 11th hour with the release of 10 Lords a Leaping and 11 Pipers Piping. MT # & 511. They are $19.95 each. A 50 double plug door box car with no roof walk and tall ladders, yellow, red and deep red. Louisiana Pacific leased these cars. USLX is $23.40 and MT# Blt In front is a Canadian Pacific 89 flatcar with two 40 containers with doors that open. CP is $36.60 and MT Blt 7-75 Behind it is an ATSF tri-level auto rack, one of two road numbers & The cars are Santa Fe red with white lettering. MT & 052 are $27.85 each.blt 6-64 A new generator load rides on a 50 flat, SSW 85382, MT is $ Blt Diamond Chemicals 39 single dome tank car is light grey with black lettering and a red diamond logo. GATX is MT and $ Blt Page 3

4 Atlas RS-3 in new paint schemes. Jersey Central, Red/White, Coast Guard Scheme In April of 2008 Atlas will be releasing new paint schemes and road numbers for their model of the Alco RS-3. The prototypes were built in the 1950 to 1956 era and are popular with people who model the steam/diesel transition era. They were used in everything from commuter runs to heavy freight and local freight. More were found in the Eastern and Central regions of USA. To be released are two new road numbers for Burlington Northern (Green/Black). New paint schemes are for Green Bay & Western (Red/Grey/Black), Jersey Central (Red/ White) (Coast Guard), Lehigh & Hudson (Green/Yellow), Long Island (Grey/Orange), Ontario Northland (Orange/Blue), Rock Island (Maroon/Silver), Rutland (Green/Yellow) and Spokane, Portland & Seattle (Brown/ Yellow). Expected price is $ DCC Frames for Sound Aztec Manufacturing has precision machined diesel frames on an exchange basis that make it easy for you to install DCC decoders and now they are also offering frames machined to accept the speakers for sound systems in the Atlas GP40 as well. For full details on how it looks and how the exchange works, go to and to the DCC Frames page. They also have a line of custom painted cars featuring such things as Micro Brewery logos, excellent track cleaning cars and working FRED equipped box cars. Aztec Manufacturing, 2701 Connestoga Dr #113, Carson City, NV 89706, Phone ()775) Old Cars From Kits Bill Erwin, one of the founding members of the Ottawa Valley NTRAK club, sent photos of three cars that he built in the 1980 s from wood and paper kits. As you can see from the photos, Bill made great looking cars from the kits. He can t remember the kit company name. If anyone can identify the source of the kits, please contact Bill. "Bill Erwin" <willy4@canada.com> Rock Island Maroon / Silver Spokane, Portland & Seattle Brown & Yellow) Page 4

5 E A Run around track F D C B Adding Home Operation to an NTRAK Module A E F B by Jim FitzGerald This article is based on pages 2-22 & 2-23 in our How-to Book. If you want some more suggestions and ideas, please refer to the book. You live in an apartment or a mobile home. You really don t have space for a home layout. By building an NTRAK module, you can be part of large layouts with a local club. But what to do with the module between shows? Could it also be a home layout? See diagram on pg 21. Shown here is a four foot long and 18 wide special unit that turns a NTRAK module into a mini layout with a lot of switching puzzles to solve. When you are ready for an operating session, the special unit can be taken out of storage and connected to the module. This will add six industries to your layout. The key to operating this small layout is the run around track. It makes it possible to leave four cars by industry #A and shift the engine around the cars and couple to the other end. Now you can D C work Industries #B,C,D & F. With the engine on the original end of the car string you can work Industry #A and E. If you have industries on your module, they can be worked from the Blue track and the red and yellow can be yard tracks. A simple extension can be used on the other end of the NTRAK module. In the How to Book a second Special Unit is also added and six more industries are available. Depending on the design of the second unit, the three NTRAK tracks could have other uses. The units would C clamp to the module and would need at least one leg on the outer end for support, two would be better. All tracks would be wired to a single throttle. MicroTrains magnetic uncoupling ramps could be used, or you could do as the railroads do and uncouple by hand. Some modelers use a long toothpick or the Rix Pix uncoupling tool to spread the couplers as they pull the train away. Page 5

6 Convention-goers admiring the No VA NTRAK Nn3 layout. Sometimes this layout was surrounded threedeep. Below, a pile driver barge on one of the exquisitely detailed Nn3 NVNTRAK modules. By Tom Knapp (with notes from Jim La Baugh) The 27th National Narrow Gauge Convention was held this September in the sea port (and 2-foot-gauge railroad town) of Portland, Maine a wonderful town with a vibrant old town on the waterfront. The waterfront is a working water front with fisherman's boats, tugboats, and a Coast Guard cutter. The waterfront borders a city street, at the base of a hill full of old brick buildings now converted to dwellings, boutiques, wine bars, and restaurants of all kinds. For those unfamiliar with the NNGC, it is simply the best model train show of the year, attract- Page 6 More fine model building on the Nn3 modules this time, one of Bar Mill s Saulena s Tavern kits. This one includes a fully detailed and lighted interior!

7 Right: My DCCequipped pager-motor powered Nn3 railbus and trailer, built from a brass Japanese kit. Below:Noll Horan s S-curved trestle on the No Va NTRAK Nn3 layout. ing narrow gauge modelers from all over the world. The modeling you see at the NNGC is the best there is whatever scale you model in. Jim LaBaugh, Steve Zutter, Bill and JoAnn Redfearn, and Noll Horan had the w o n d e r f u l NVNTRAK Nn3 layout there (with Noll Horan's s-curve trestle) one of many modular layouts on display in scales ranging from Nn3 to Fn3. (I must admit to being impressed with the Fn3 (1:20.3) K s with great sound and smoke. Another highlight of the NNGC is the vendor room or rooms in this case on two floors. Next time,tom will tell of some prototype Narrow gauge trains he saw and rode on. Above, The passenger car category in the Contest Room there are four scales represented in this photo! Left: Clear-cut logging slash on the NVNTRAK Nn3 layout. Page 7

8 Winterfest 2008 Springfield, MA, January 25-27, 2008 Northeast Ntrak will host Winterfest 2008, the 14th Annual Northeast Ntrak Convention held in conjunction with the Big Railroad Hobby Show of the Amherst Railway Society, Inc. at the Eastern States Exposition Grounds, The Big E, at 1305 Memorial Avenue, West Springfield, MA on January 26-27, The Ntrak layout set up will take place on Friday between noon and 5:00 P.M. The Hilton Garden Inn, 800 Columbus Avenue, Springfield, MA will again be the convention hotel with registration and clinics Friday night and the traditional banquet, contest awards presentation, guest speaker, etc. on Saturday night. Model, module, photo, and parade-of-trains (best train) contests will be held at the layout on Saturday. To reserve space for your module in the Ntrak layout, please call the Layout Coordinator, John Dunne at Hotel reservations should be made before January 11, 2008, by calling or and mentioning NTRAK to get the convention rate. Details and the on-line registration form are scheduled to be available at: no later than November 25, 2007 by clicking on Winterfest Information. Those who attended Winterfest 2007 will be notified when the details and online registration forms are ready. For other questions write Bob Pawlak, Chairman, Winterfest 2008, at: or call him at Oklahoma City N Convention NtrakOK, the 13th Annual Southern Plain N Scale Convention and the Oklahoma City Train Show being held November 29th through Sunday, December 2nd, The thirteenth NtrakOK starts on Thursday, November 29th, with a trip to Enid to visit the Railroad Museum of Oklahoma, then travel to Guthrie, the first capital of Oklahoma for lunch at the Old Santa Fe Depot, which is situated right next to the busy BNSF main running between Kansas and Texas followed by a tour of the Model Train and Automobile Museum, also in Guthrie. When we return to the convention hotel, we have three clinics scheduled for the afternoon, each about one hour in length. One new addition is scheduling a room for the evening, allowing people a place to set up exhibits, or just put out items for sale or swap. Friday morning is show setup, but our guests will be able to travel down to Norman and see the old Santa Fe station in that town. In the Page 8 afternoon, we start setting up the big Ntrak layout, which occupies an area that is 100 by 60 feet in size. We usually try to reserve table space for T-TRAK modules and our white elephant sale. This provides attendees with the opportunity to bring items to the show and sell them without having to reserve a booth. The Oklahoma City Train Show starts Saturday morning at 9 am at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds in the Transportation Building. Attendance usually tops 12,000 attendees over the two days. The show has layouts in all scales, and vendors from as far away as New Hampshire. Items for sale range from Z scale to tinplate to memorabilia, to sound recording, books and everything in between. After the show closes on Saturday, we will be going back to the convention hotel, and having our annual banquet. Last year, Bobeye Hall was our guest speaker. This year's speaker has not been announced, yet. Our master of ceremonies is Mr. Richard Fisher and we try to have a door prize for everyone.

9 Sunday morning starts off with a pancake breakfast for conventioneers, dealers and other exhibitors, that is a show tradition. Doors open at 11 am and the show runs until 5 pm. We don't charge a registration fee for attendees who bring a module or are members of a club that brings modules. However, we do require that everyone register and this has become even more important for running DCC. In the past, we have been able to let people run their engines as they program them and there have been only a few conflicts. As the number of people running DCC grows and as people increase the size of their DCC fleets, it is now becoming necessary to start assigning numbers, and we are giving out registration numbers that can be used for the ad- Photo furnished by Bruce Alcock vanced consisting address. We will also be giving out extra blocks of 25 numbers for those who request them. Our convention hotel is the Clarion, which is located only a few miles from the Fair Grounds where the Train Show is held. There is a train show rate of $62 per night which can be guaranteed by calling Reservations must be made before November 14th. To register, just visit the Oklahoma N-Rail web site at oknrail.org and click on the convention link. If you need more information, you can send mail to convention@oknrail.org or call We do request that registration be completed by November 23rd. We look forward to seeing you. Anaheim NMRA National Train Show The NMRA National Train Show will be July 15-19, 2008 at the convention center in Anaheim, California, near Disney Land. If you would like to have a module, or two or three or more, in this layout we would like to hear from you so that space and layout plans to fit can be worked out. People with a module and a helper can get Exhibitor Passes to the Train Show. This doesn t get you into the NMRA Convention, Clinics or Tours. That is a separate registration through the NMRA. Go to their web site for information. If you want to have modules in the layout, please contact: Please indicate the length of the module, whether it has Mountain Division tracks or is extra deep, etc. Size for corners or junction modules. If the module should be next to another person s module or in a club part of the layout, please indicate that and we will try and find the right location for your modules Plan your 2008 vacation to include a trip for the whole family in Southern California. There are lots of things to see and do.. Arnold Arons, 1524 S Long Beach Ave, Los Angeles, CA aronsmfgco@dslextreme.com. Page 9

10 7' 2' x 4' 3' x 3' Use curved joiner tracks 3' x 3' 10' wide pit. 3' x 3' 3' x 6' 10" Tangent track. By using curved joiner tracks, the two curved sections are continuous. Phoebus, VA. 3' 11' FREE FORM IN LAYOUTS by Matt Schaefer ADDING CURVES - I have always liked curvaceous track because that is the way my favorite prototypes really are and trains look good snaking around broad curves. The object was to add free form curves to layouts and also keep the basic layout width of 14, 18 or 20 etc. without the need for extra spacer modules. The addition of 2 and 2 sometimes boggles the mind in the rush to set up. I came up with several plans for special 2 x 6 corner that maybe looks like my New River modules but are smaller, lighter and simpler too. See sketch that Jim is using to keep me honest on the curve standards! NTRAK STANDARDS - One module can be a standard 3 x 3 corner and should have some scenery to match the new design. the 2 x 6 corner. This 2 x 6 can fit a 3 x 6 frame. One option is to give the outside yellow and red mains a radius of 24 and 25.5 radii so that the blue can have a 22.5 radius. This in turn allows more room for a healthy 10 tangent in the middle of the S curve thus helping to keep the long cars on the rails! LAYOUT DIMENSIONS - The other corners are the standard 3 x 3 size because they are smaller and lighter than the 4 x 4s and are what our club, NVNtrak, uses but the same free form ideas could be used based around larger 4 x 4 corners. The width of the layout shown is 14 which is the norm if using 2 ea. 4 footers on the ends with 3 x 3 corners. I call this "free form" because these are really curves and no longer 90-degree "corners". One or more similar free form could be added elsewhere in the layout. VARIETY FOR SPICE - An option is to extend the 180-degree loop on the bottom with more modules. When clamping up the modules it is always a good idea to eyeball the connector tracks a second time to ensure you do not make the curves worse but line them to make the smoothest curves. Variety is the spice of Ntrak. I hope it will get others to think outside the box layout, which was the whole reason for the New River style modules in the first place. Page 10

11 This is one of Matt s earlier curved track New River Modules. Drawing by Matt. Page 11

12 More Photos of the Detroit National Train Show Above is another view of the layout in Cobo Hall last July. The module below is by Len and Carol VanderJagt who were also active in coordinating the layout for their Lansing NTRAK Club. Photos by Mike Wingfield Page 12 A corner module is a great spot for a round house and turntable.

13 This 12 set of Ore Boat modules was built by Harry Smith of the Syracuse, NY Salt City NTRAK club. The 430 Ore boat was scratch built from styrene. the other boat is a kit. the unloading terminal is a free lance version of Great Lakes terminals. Photos by Mike Wingfield Page 13

14 The crane on Don Kreigbaum s scrap yard has sent out many loads of scrap, but it keeps coming back! The kids sure love to operate the crane. This is part of a mining scene on the Mtn. Div. level in a pair of module built by the Lansing NTRAK Club. Photos by Mike Wingfield Page 14

15 Greenfield Village in Dearborn is not just automobiles and Henry Ford related items. Trains are there as well. They have well equipped work shops where you can see restoration of cars and engines going on. There are also trains used to pull visitors around the Village. Photos by Mike Wingfield The Rio Grande locomotive was being backed into the shed after a day of pulling passenger cars at the Village. Page 15

16 A beautifully restored railroad crane used by the Detroit River Tunnel Co. is part of the Greenfield Village collection. Photos by Mike Wingfield Page 16

17 A fully restored steam engine, along with a small diesel switcher, are on display in the roundhouse and turntable area. Photos by Mike Wingfield Page 17

18 For this restored there is a pit underneath so that you can get a close look at seldom seen parts of a steam engine. Notice how narrow the tread on the drivers is, compared to our models. The eccentrics, straps, links, etc., which were a part of Stephenson Link Motion valve gear, are located on the main driving axle between the frames of the locomotive. Page 18

19 The under side of the roof is varnished wood and all the pipes and metal surfaces have been restored and polished. No doubt it looks better than the day it left the factory in Schenectady, New York in Photos by Mike Wingfield Built March 1902 Page 19

20 Short side "TRAMS, TROLLEYS, TRAINS, TWO TRACK, TABLE TOP". Have you tried a T-TRAK Module yet? T-TRAK Basic & Alternate Corner Modules Easy Instructions, by Lee Long side Basic Corner Top 1/4 plywood 12-1/4 sq Long side Short side 12-1/4" 310 mm All side pieces are 1/4 x 2-1/2 High. Basic Long- 12-1/4 Basic Short- 11-3/4 Alt. Long- 14-3/8 Alt. Short- 13-7/8 Short side Long side Alternate Corner Top 1/4 plywood 14-3/8 sq Long side Short side 1-1/2" 38 mm 12-1/4" 310 mm 1-1/2" 38 mm 1-1/8" 1-3/4" Kato Unitrack 4 ea #20-170, 8-1/2 R From Assort. #$ ea 1-1/8, 2 ea 1-3/4 14-3/8" 365 mm 1-1/2" 38 mm * Prepare Glue Blocks. * Glue blocks to short sides. * Let glue dry. * Glue long sides to short sides. * Let glue dry. * Glue top to frame * Glue small center blocks. * Add track. * Run Trains!!! 1-1/2" 38 mm Kato Unitrack 2 ea #20-120, 12-3/8 R 2 ea #20-110, 11 R 14-3/8" 365 mm Page 20 New N Scale Modeling by Lee Lee@T-TRAK.org

21 Large Train Show, Including Eliada Home T-TRAK Layout, Asheville, NC Area. The show is Dec.7-8 at the Haywood County Fairgrounds Fri.12:00-7 PM and Sat. 9 AM to 5 PM. I-40 exit 24 turn onto Hwy 209 South and follow signs. There will be three operating layouts including the Eliada Home T-TRAK. Free parking. Admission $5:00 Children under 13 free with adult. Over 100 tables. This is in the Lake Junaluska N.C. area, about 20 miles west of the Asheville. Phone for info. Information on future NTRAK layouts, meets or conventions is being gathered by NTRAK Director, Dave Porter: <dave@ntrak.org> PO Box 3618 Parker, Co Please submit your information to Dave. If you would like to join in with a module in a layout, please contact the layout coordinator listed for that event well ahead of time. There most likely will not be room, if you just show up the morning of a show, unannounced. Nov 10-11, Rosevillle, CA 31st Annual International Railfair, Placer County Fairgrounds, Display layouts, NTRAK, dealers, train rides, free parking, $7 per person, Sunday Family Special $10. Nov 10-11, Ft Worth, TX 23rd Annual Ft Worth Train Show, Amon Carter Exhibits Blg, Will Rogers Memorial Ctr.10 to 5 Sat, 10 to 4 Sun. $7 per person, under 12 free. Dec1-2, Oklahoma City, OK OK State Fairgrounds, Train Show & N conv, NTRAK Layout, See page 8 for details. Jan 25-27, Springfield, MA. 14th Annual Winterfest Eastern States Expo Big Railroad Hobby Show, NTRAK Layout and N convention. For Info/Registration: See page 8 for more details. Feb 2-3, Monroe, WA (Seattle area) United NW M RR Club 17th annual Train Show & Swap Meet. Evergreen State Fairgrounds Arena - Blg 100 (Horse Arena}. Benefit Equifriends, a therapeutic equestrian program. Adults $7. Seniors/Juniors $5 10 to 4 daily. Contact Tom Hart (425) Apr 24-27, 2008 Winslow, AZ Winslow Railroad Days, NTRAK Layout, Contact: John Scott, bnsfry@yahoo.com ~tucsonntrak/ May 23-25, Asheville, NC SER Regional Convention, Fairgrounds, T-TRAK & NTRAK Layouts. More details next issue. Jun 25-29, 2008, Louisville,KY ]2008 National N Scale Convention, Kentucky International Convention Center, Paul Downs, pauljdowns@mac.com Convention.com ,000 sq. feet of convention space, very large NTRAK layout. Jul 13-19, 2008, Anaheim, CA NMRA National Train Show, Anaheim Convention Center Hartford, CT NMRA National Train Show 2009 Edison, NJ National NTRAK Show? 2010 Milwaukee, WI NMRA National Train Show 2010 Richmond. VA National NTRAK Show 2011 Sacramento, CA NMRA National Train Show 2012 Grand Rapids, MI, NMRA National Train Show Note: We try to include any information about NTRAK or N scale layouts that will be at the events listed. If you send in a notice, please include that information. If space is tight, notices that don't mention N scale will not be published. Jim. Page 21