A Reminder Of The Start Of The Freight Car Graffiti Era

I just rediscovered this photo I took on Cajon Pass sometime in early BNSF but pre-triple track in the late 1990s. What's most notable is that it dates from the early freight car graffiti period, where I would see just occasional cars with one tag on one side of the door. Soon enough this expanded to tags on both sides all across the car, as things are now.

Cajon Pass in this specific time fame was double track with concrete ties, with the telegraph lines still in place. This would quickly change.

Scenery On The N Micros

I'm slowly doing scenery work on my N 3-2-2 Inglenook and interchangeable quasi-T-TRAK modules I collectively call the Ingle Secondary. Running in and debugging the track are making good progress.

I added Woodland Scenics light green edging strips to the edges of the channel. This will eventually be filled with Woodland Scenics water.

The structures are from Custom Z Scale so far. These are card kits, cut and scored for assembly, and are very reasonably priced.

The dummy track that crosses the main on a diamond isn't really a dummy, I've wired it as the Digitrax programming track, and it works very well.

More Work With The Cardboard T-TRAK Module

Since I'm using recycled cardboard and track and scenery components from former layouts, this is all a cheap experiment, and if it doesn't work out, I can just deconstruct things or toss it all. But I have a number of DVDs covering Norfolk Southern operations on its Pocahontas Division, especially some of the coal branches, and I wanted to try to see what kind of Virginia-West Virginia coal branch scenery I could squeeze into less than one square foot.

I had a couple of tunnel portals from former N layouts that I decided to reuse. One is an old Alexander Scale Models Lough portal; the other is a Chooch rock portal. I set them up about an inch and a half apart. The short length of the "tunnel" will be concealed with scenery.

I tested the clearances with a Micro Trains high cube boxcar. I had to raise the Chooch rock portal with my Dremel.

I added profiles for the eventual landforms with more corrugated cardboard. Hardshell lattice will be attached to these.

Here's a view of the side with the Chooch rock portal.

I drove an hour to a hobby shop that carries Arizona Rock & Mineral ballast. I found some N White Limestone ballast that matches what the NS uses on its Buchanan Branch. Again, the switch is an old Peco that I damaged removing it from an old layout. It's scenery only and will lead to an abandoned spur.

Corrugated Cardboard T-TRAK Architecture

Now and then I've seen references to building T-TRAK modules from corrugated cardboard. One modeler on his website said he had to get ready for a meet, but he lacked an important module for the intended plan. Looking for a quick solution, he settled on buidling a temporary module from corrugated cardboard. He wound up surprised at how robust it proved to be, and it wound up being a permanent part of his T-TRAK repertoire.

I decided to try a proof-of-concept using corrugated cardboard from packing boxes that had come in from UPS and USPS. They'd otherwise be recycled. I added stiffeners at the corners made from used fireplace matches, and I also added a central stiffening member.

I measured this one out to be full width and half depth, following the dimensions of those that used to be available from Masterpiece Modules. However, the only key dimension is the height, 2-3/4 inches. Even module kits that have been advertised as following T-TRAK standards have some variation, but for home use where you aren't required to fit a layout plan that uses standard modules, you actually have a lot of flexibility in width and depth.

In my case, this is another T-TRAK module I've built using single track. The switch on this one is non-operating, scenery-only using a damaged Peco from a former layout. My first impression is that it's sturdier than I expected and perfectly acceptable for home use.