T-Trak Progress

My T-Trak modules have been going slowly, although I've expanded the layout to a 30" by 6' folding table. I've started scenery work and finished some basic wiring on one of the new modules:

One advantage, that I've talked about before, of my approach to T-Trak is that the DCC bus uses the Unijoiner connectors to pass current between modules. Each track is connected to a single terminal strip on the bottom of the module. If any connection via Unijoiner connectors is unreliable, any other connection will pass the current to the terminal strip, so that the overall electrical net is very reliable.

Also, the DCC bus is available on the terminal strip on each module. In this case, I can connect a Digitrax DS52 switch controller to the bus on the terminal strip and address it via my PowerCab. As I add structures, I can also add NCE Illuminator decoders for the Woodland Scenics Just Plug lighting system. These are also powered off the DCC bus and can be connected to the terminal strip on each module.

The electrical work and DCC decoders are self-documenting on the bottom side of the module surface. This continues with the idea that each module is self-contained, but there's a lot more function available than with the standard T-Trak system.

I'm starting to follow Roy Smith's ideas (via the YouTube channel linked in the last post) on ballasting Unitrack. Scenery on this module is started. The foam area will be covered with spackle and then ground cover and vegetation added. There will be an industry located on the spur.

The big "communal" T-Trak layouts tend not to have switches on the modules, since you really can't have individual module owners throwing switches and interfering with the main line trains. In addition, the T-Trak standards require the two main lines to have opposite polarity, so you can't have any sort of crossovers between the two main lines. I think this is unnecessarily limiting for home use. The ability to cross trains from one main to the other is a very good feature for home operation.