March is again upon us and there is very little model railroad activity in the works. The end of the month brings RailRun, an annual activity in the Boston area where many FUNTRAK club members have had the good fortune to be participants in the past. A large number of the local model railroad layouts are opened up to a select group of modelers for operating sessions over a weekend at the end of the month. This year, Brian, along with club members Lorenzo Franchi and John Fleming, as well as our Canadian neighbor David
King, have been invited to attend this happening. Participation in this annual event often leads to many ideas about other ways of operating model railroads, including club layouts.

When there is actually a purpose for the trains other than to just go in a circle, it makes for much more interesting train running. FUNTRAK continues attempting to
incorporate this idea of operations into the T-trak displays. This has been a slow and ongoing task, but progress is being made and hopefully will be more successful in the future. The RailRun experience provides encouragement for club members to develop more operational ideas for use in our club layouts when the opportunity arises.

The idea of having a purpose has lead to the construction of specific modules that have particular industries on them to support railroad usage and encourage operations. With industry, schedules, and a purpose, it is easier to develop a plan for operations. The one-trak concept has been a work in progress for nearly two years now and lends itself greatly to supporting the operations concept with the t-trak modules. Although DCC adds to the enjoyment of operations because of the added features allowing trains to operate without having to accommodate conventional DC methods, FUNTRAK’s one-trak modules are being constructed with conventional DC power in mind. This allows anyone to use their own motive power regardless if it is DCC equipped or conventional. All DCC locomotives have a conventional feature while not all conventional locomotives can run on DCC. A great advantage of T-trak is that no two setups need ever be the same and the diversity of modules means operations will be ever changing to maintain more interest and challenge for operators. With all of these things in mind, FUNTRAK has managed to keep ahead of the game by planning ahead in the design of many of the T-trak modules, anticipating the inclusion of the modules in a layout design to accommodate operations using the features mentioned. These considerations have made FUNTRAK‘s layouts both interesting and fun for both operators and viewers.

The annual “Valley Rail Sights” club show coming up in April should prove to be more fun than ever this year if many of these operational ideas are included when setting up the T-trak layout. Come onout and join the fun.

Brian

“You know what I like less than the cold?” asks Clint Eastwood in a radio commercial. “What?” is the retort. Clint’s answer, “Not much!”

So here we are in beautiful upstate New York awaiting yet another blizzard and the numbing freezing cold enjoying it about as much as Clint. Fortunately, our primary pastime, model railroading, rarely involves the great outdoors at this
time of year, so the cold isn’t too much of a hindrance to our hobby. Other than having to go from the mode of transportation to the great indoors to set up for a show, we do not have to deal with the frigid
weather to enjoy our trains. Such was the case for the annual Union Station show in Utica this past January. Once set up, the trains ran superbly, as expected, and everyone was cozy and warm inside the expanse of the station. We have again established our presence at the show and have been kindly invited to attend again next year. FUNTRAK eagerly looks forward to this annual event and anticipates continued
participation over the coming years.

To assist in this participation, FUNTRAK recently welcomed our newest club member, Matthew de
Jongh. Matthew moved to Oneonta from Maine and quickly joined our ranks. Currently he is in the process of constructing a double wide t-trak N scale module. Club members have stepped up to help him in his efforts to build this module and expect it will be ready for showing in the near future. Welcome aboard, Matthew! We are all looking forward to your
participation and support in club and community activities.

And activities are arriving more and more often. This month, FUNTRAK is participating in a new activity at Mohawk Valley Community College in support of the Boy Scouts of America. This should prove to be a very fruitful undertaking as we hope to encourage the younger generation to learn, build, and run model trains in the years ahead.

FUNTRAK is getting back on track to attending approximately one show per month
again. This seems to keep the interest up in the hobby without overloading the workers involved. The t-trak concept has made this much easier since the trains are less bulky and more convenient to assemble at the
shows. Progress on new modules makes the variety of available layout designs different and intriguing and allows for an infinite combination of modules to keep everyone pleased with the changing scenery. Watch for the newest and differing layouts at the upcoming shows. FUNTRAK members are all looking forward to seeing you at the shows.

Brian