Description: We are an "unclub" (see unconference for reference) that is based online via Facebook Groups. We do not have a physical meeting location, nor do we have a formal club structure. We are a bunch of people who all enjoy model railroading. Members are from all over, and everyone is welcome. Our T-TRAK layouts and active participants center around Western Pennsylvania/Pittsburgh and the Tri-State region.
We have now been called the "Official T-TRAK guys" of A Modeler Life Podcast (see episode 217) !!!
Location: Online FB group, with a focus on Western PA (but not limited to)
FaceBook Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/255764356305922
T-Trak Standards:
- Track spacing: 33mm Spacing
- Fascia Color: We do not have an official standard for fascia color. Prefer it to be a dark, flat color (forest green, charcoal grey, black, etc); but if pink with yellow polka-dots works well with your scenery, we are OK with that too!
- Skyboards: Optional, but most of our members prefer them. Prefered height is between 10-12 inches above the deck. But again, if something smaller or taller works for your scenery, we are OK with that too! If you have a Skyboard, we encourage you the make them removable so they can "play well" with other organizations who do not use skyboards, or should we need to remove them for a specific show and/or specific unforeseen reason.
- Wiring: T-TRAK standard of BWWB, or also called "blue to the outside"
- Power: We run both DC and DCC depending on the show and/or the participants coming. We encourage that all straight modules (Doubles, Triples, etc) have powerdrops. Powerdrops on singles can be considered "optional".
Un-Club Events, Members and Modules
Iron City N-Scale Modelers have opted to list our modules by owner, not by club. (We are an unclub, you would expect us to be a little bit troublesome :-D ) We do have a few modules that are either (a) built by a member specifically for club use, or (b) are built/owned by a person who does not want to be listed. Those modules will be listed as "owned by club". Please go to the ICNS Modules page to see a full list of modules associated with our unclub.
Un-Club Train
At our July West View show, two of our members had taken a number of photographs, and entered them into the Micro-Train Line 50th Anniversary photo competition. The competition requirements were to send in a creative photograph of a Micro-Mouse cut-out around your layout/doing train things. Winners would get a custom 60' box car, with the winning photo printed on the side. One member turned in group shot (like the one above, but without the beer cans :-D ). Another member, unbenounced to the first, was turning six photos - one for each member at the show who had a module in the layout. Micro-Trains selected us as one of the winners! But the true surprise came when the cars arrive— yes, carS! Micro-Trains sent us 6 cars, one for each of us! Each car is tagged with "Best Teamwork". (we don't know if they always had that category, or if they just made it up special for us) and each car has 2 different photos on it - the group shot on one side, and our module on the other side!!!! Huge shout-out to Micro-Trains, we are all just so ecstatic from all of this! (Photos of each individual car can be found here.)
So for our next T-TRAK show, we had to run all the cars together. But what locomotive would get the honor to head up this special consist? Well a custom, gold painted, Iron City Modeller locomotive and matching caboose of course!
NOTE: one of the best surprises of all was that we found out that the overall winner for the Summer contest was another of our groups members! He does not participate in the T-TRAK stuff, but had sent in a photo of MicroMouse and his own home layout. Hopefully sometime in the near future we will be able to get him out to a show, and add his gold car to the consist as well!
