More T-Trak Progress

I got a Kato N North American station and assembled it, with a slightly extended platform. I also added Woodland Scenics Just Plug LED lights to the interior, powered with an NCE Illuminator as a test. Checking prototype photos, I noticed that the actual Schaumburg, IL METRA station on which the Kato model is based is quite a bit longer, so this model is selectively compressed. You can see in the photo that Kato METRA equipment looks quite good with it. I airbrushed over the bare plastic parts in the kit to give a better impression and to prevent bleedthrough of the lighting.

There's still some bleedthrough with the LEDs at default brightness. The NCE Illuminator documentation is very poor, and the instructions don't seem to give correct information on how to regulate the lighting brightness via CVs, so I still need to pursue this with NCE. However, it's possible to address each Illuminator separately and turn the lights on and off via the PowerCab.

The lights are off in the photo above, on in the photo below. If nothing else, this alone is a good feature!

I made a temporary staging "module" to connect to one of the end T-Trak modules from scrap material and surplus Unitrack. When I moved the T-Trak modules to a new 6 foot by 30 inch folding table, this left the old computer desk on which I originally assembled the modules free. The temporary stage will give me some ideas on how to operate the layout and expand it to a version 3.0 with a new module on the computer desk in the indefinite future.

The stage can just about handle a 3-car Amfleet train with a P42. This could be an abbreviated Illinois or Michigan service train, or a full-length Boston section of the Lake Shore.

Given the overall size of the layout, I'm likely to stick with passenger and commuter service with some limited local freight operation.