A lifelong model railroader, Fay also founded the Northeast N-TRAK Club in 1976. For more information on either club visit www.nenscale.org. Pictured with Fay are fellow T-TRAK Group members Julia and Chris Saari-Franks who helped run trains and answer questions.
Julia and Chris only recently got into the hobby. At last year’s show they bought a Kato N scale Unitrack set and some equipment to run, then discovered the T-TRAK group. “T-TRAK provided an easy way to get started,” said Chris, “The club proved a good way to get some guidance.”
Like other modular model railroad systems, T-TRAK (ttrak.org) follows standards to ensure interoperability between modules. T-TRAK is similar to N-TRAK but uses smaller modules and sectional “train set” track. The N scale modules displayed at the show all used Kato Unitrack. There are also T-TRAK standards for other scales using specific brands of sectional track. These include Z scale (Micro Trains track), HO (Kato Unitrack), S (MTH S-Trax), and O gauge (Lionel Fastrack).
With the typical module size of 1 x 1 foot, T-TRAK allows modelers to experiment and learn techniques without having to commit to a large amount of space. At shows or meets the modules are designed to go together without any extra clamps or wiring. “It’s great to see everything come together,” said Julia, “The layout can be different every time.”
In August, Fay and fellow club members plan on displaying modules at the National Model Railroad Association National Convention in Kansas City, Mo. “We look forward to having some Midwestern T-TRAK enthusiasts come and join the fun,” Fay said.
Dear Sirs:
Thanks for covering T-TRAK! I would like to point out though that the proper “branding” for the T-TRAK modular system is T-TRAK always in upper case, with a dash, and no “c”. Thanks again for the coverage!
-Vic