he Easter bunny came early this year so Easter is now over. While the holiday has come and gone, FUNTRAK’s construction phase carries on. As mention on
page one, two projects for the n scale t-trak portion of
FUNTRAK’s modular railroad
systems are in the works, John’s
triple mine module and the
mountain tunnel double. These
two projects have lead to much
discussion within the FUNTRAK
ranks about some new concepts.
In Australia, Mark Bean is
actively working on implementing
some of these newer ideas in his
module construction plans.
FUNTRAK would need to build some
new mountain modules to
accommodate these fresh ideas,
but that is a very good
possibility for the future.
FUNTRAK has notably been in the
forefront of incorporating new
ideas into the t-trak concept.
Some of the ideas proposed
include developing an interface
that goes under the mountain
line to the inside of the layout
from the yellow line and
eventually works its way up to
the mountain line via a two
percent incline. All this is
being designed to be inside the
traditional loop. One of the
drawbacks is that the mountain
corners would need to be
separate so modules could be
inserted between them to make
room for the track work inside
the layout. This might mean
using banquet tables side by
side as well as lengthwise, but
this still only makes a layout
five feet wide. The advantage to
this is that this would provide
a means of servicing industries
in the mountain region of the
layout and provide more reasons
for operations on the layout.
From the Desk: April 2016
Mine Your Own Business
Construction season continues for FUNTRAK as the above photograph indicates. This is John Fleming’s latest
endeavor and is something new for FUNTRAK, a triple! As is quite obvious, this is in the very early stages of building
but the layout and planning provide some idea of the scope and size of the eventual finished project. More pictures of the
beginnings of this module are inside so its progress can be observed. This module has additional bracing due to its longer
length. This was necessary to prevent sagging in the middle of the module and to provide a more stable and robust
framework. More FUNTRAK modules are also under construction. A new mountain module with a tunnel at the front is
underway. Pictures of the progress of this module are also inside. This module is unique in that the front is hinged to allow
access to the main tracks inside the tunnel if necessary. The tunnel construction idea allows for more scenery to be placed
on top of the module providing more depth of field..Meanwhile, our southern counterpart in Australia, Mark Bean, is
merrily designing and building a set of mountain modules for t-trak in Australia. Mark and Brian have been conversing
regularly and developing some new ideas to try with the t-trak mountain modules. These have not caught on as much as
the regular modules yet, but time will tell how this goes. Discussion on some of the Internet forums has been in the direction
of a second level of modules but no mention of the mountain line has come up. This may provide an alternative to trying
to figure a way to put up a second level independent of the modules on a lower level. Mark and Brian are also looking into
the possibility of having the mountain and main lines interconnect via an interface junction that would allow the trains to
go from the main line to the mountain line utilizing a gradient inside the layout. All this is in the very early planning and
research stages but standby for more in the near future.
Mark Your Calendar
Upcoming events include the annual PicNik on the first Sunday in August.
This year, the Leatherstocking Railway Historical Society is sponsoring a Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley Railroad Railfan Day 2015 on Saturday, August 1, 2015. This will be an all day affair with many different activities scheduled including train rides. Many of the scheduled events are free to the public. The action is set to begin at 9:00am and run until 10:00pm. If you are interested in attending this event and would like to make it an excursion from Brian’s house, let him know and we can see if we can make this a convoy from Brian’s house.
In support of the 2015 PicNik, the July club meeting will be on Saturday, July 18 at Brian’s house in Cooperstown from 11:00am until ? Everyone is welcome! Come on down and see what it takes to get ready for this great PicNik! Looking
forward to seeing you.
Brian
From the desk: June 2015
Now that the unofficial summer has arrived, FUNTRAK has begun doing some outdoor activities.
First up is the June meeting tentatively scheduled for Dave’s Diner on the ninth. FUNTRAK usually does this venue a couple times each year. June will be the first one this year with possibly
more in the future. This is a fun time in conjunction with Dave’s Cruise In where all kinds of cars are on display. There is always a large crowd of happy people who are pleased to see the little trains running at such an unconventional outlet. FUNTRAK members have a great time conversing with the attendees at these events and usually manages to attract some new interests in the model railroad hobby.
Last month provided a unique opportunity for FUNTRAK when we were asked to come to
the New York Central System Historical Society’s annual convention and bring a small layout representative of the New York Central System railroad. FUNTRAK was glad to oblige and set up a small layout with Jim Domser’s Rome Station out front and center of the layout. This was well received by the public and comments were all positive about how well the station reflected our area. Of course, Lorenzo’s tornado was also the usual crowd pleaser!
Even being at the back of the layout, people went out of their way to observe this unusual module and appreciate Lorenzo’s creativity in designing and constructing this amazing module. FUNTRAK now has a large contingent of different modules ranging from Lorenzo’s tornado to the newer helicopter loop, eyeglasses
module set, and the still in the works interface tee supported by the Wilson modules, Flip and Flop. These three modules will be automated to allow the red line to be continuous and provide provision for the red line to be operated with DCC if so desired without conflicting with the conventional powered yellow line.
Innovation continues with FUNTRAK at the forefront of new ideas.
Looking forward to a great summer!
Brian
FUNTRAK at Utica Hotel
FUNTRAK had a great time running trains at the Utica Hotel this past weekend, as part of the NY Central System Historical Society‘s 2015 Convention. Thanks for having us!
From the Desk: May 2015
“How many years have we been coming here?”
I had to look it up myself. The answer? Seven! Each year gets better. This year FUNTRAK provided four scales for the public’s enjoyment: N scale, HO scale, Z scale, and the ever popular tinplate Lionel. The layouts all ran wonderfully, as expected, and everything cooperated fairly well.
John was able to get the one-trak portion of the layout to operate acceptably but not quite as perfectly as we would like. Hopefully, the new interface module that is under construction will overcome some of the shortcomings of the manual corner interface currently being used in the FUNTRAK setups. There are some issues with the new construction as well. These are being worked on by Brian in conjunction with our supporting friends David King in Canada and Mark Bean in Australia. Who says international cooperation isn’t possible? The only problem is the amount of time required to communicate solutions between people in these far off locations. The time issue aside, progress is being made and the new interface module is well on its way to completion.
In support of the new module, two more supporting modules will be constructed. These modules, which Mark likes to call “flip modules”, will allow the red line to bypass the interface module, thus allowing the red line to be run on DCC without interfering with the operation of the yellow line. These two modules will be set up to automatically operate to stop any trains necessary to avoid collisions. They will also have radio communications between them to ensure the placement of the two modules is able to accommodate any length of train. Currently there are some programming issues, but these should be straightened out promptly. Innovation is one area where FUNTRAK has been a leader in the model railroading field, especially t-trak. The club’s automated reverse loop module has made the one trak concept a reality and adds significantly to the operational abilities of any layout. The ability to change the direction of a train consist without having to do it manually “by hand” adds much to the realistic operation of the layout. The addition of a more automated interface module and the supporting flip modules will further enhance the FUNTRAK layouts in the future.
Speaking of the future, our old friend Jeff Sorenson pleasantly surprised everyone when he showed up at the show on Sunday. Jeff has been busy with many things and taking time to visit us was greatly appreciated. We are all looking forward to seeing more of Jeff in the future.
“In the future” includes a display for FUNTRAK at Hotel Utica in conjunction with the New York Central System Historical Society the first Sunday this month. FUNTRAK will set up in the morning and stay until the show ends at 3:00 o’clock. This will be a small display dedicated to the New York Central and local sights from our area. Jim Domser’s Rome module will be there for the crowds to appreciate along with other highly detailed FUNTRAK modules. Later in the month we will be meeting at Greg’s to discuss upcoming events, shows, meetings, and construction plans. FUNTRAK was also fortunate enough to enlist a new member, Tom Mayer, at the show. Welcome aboard, Tom!
Until next time, keep on training!
Brian
FUNTRAK and NYCSHS
FUNTRAK was cordially invited to attend the New York Central System Historical Society’s annual convention held in the beautiful historic Hotel Utica and provide
a small layout themed on the New York Central System railroad. Club members Lorenzo Franchi, John Fleming, Doug Davis and Brian King were all too happy to accommodate this request. As anticipated, the layout ran well and drew the usual
crowd of onlookers who were duly impressed with FUNTRAK’s representation of a small
portion of the New York Central System railroad.
Another Successful Valley Rail Sights!
FUNTRAK‘s 2015 “Valley Rail Sights” show came off again this year without any problems. Layouts in N scale, HO scale, Z scale, and Lionel mesmerized the visitors to this highly anticipated train show. Everyone has a great time at this show because of the laid back nature and ease of access to seeing everything. The “little folks” in the most formative years from a few months to teenagers are the most
delighted. Finally, trains at a level they can actually see! This makes parents happy too, since they don’t have to pick up the little one and can better keep an eye on their actions. All the layouts were in one room this year which made it nicer for exhibitors and attendees alike. New modules and different designs held the public’s interest at this show thanks to the versatility of the T-trak concept which allows for such
diversity. Make sure to check the calendar and come out for FUNTRAKs next show where a different and newer layout will be presented.
See you there!
Having fun at 2015 Valley Rail Sights
The Magic Doughnut
FUNTRAK club member Tim Brien chows down as other club members set up the t-trak layout for the show.
