Green Valley Railroad Club
T-TRAK Subdivision
Operations
OPSmods
An OPSmod is our term for a group of T-TRAK modules that are used as a single entity during a T-TRAK Operating Session. OPSmods
will vary in size from just a Single Station Module, to an industrial switching area on set of four double modules, all the way up to a stub-end passenger terminal which uses over
forty single-module-equivalents.
WHY DO WE NEED OPSmods? We will have trains running on both the Red Line (CCW) and on the Yellow Line (CW). However, there are both electrical and opposing train issues when
going from the Red Line to the Yellow Line. If we want to allow bi-directional traffic on the Red Line, thereby, enabling meets; we also need to isolate the Yellow Line
so that it can be used normally without interfering with operations on the Red Line. The design of these OPSmods accomplish this objective.
CONSTRUCTION: construction details and methods are left to the modeler. All normal T-TRAK standards must be met at the edges where an OPSmod joins the rest of
the layout. Is is quite possible that nonstandard module widths might need to be used inside the OPSmod to accommodate the track plan. All of the examples presented here
use Kato Unitrack. As Unitrack comes in many, very short lengths,
almost any straight length is possible. There is also the available 78-108mm Expansion Track. Turnouts are all #6. Curved track is either 315mm or 285mm radius, and is
shown as either 45° or 15° sections. Remember that turnouts and curved track sections must meet the module edge at a 90° angle and must not bridge the gap between
two modules. It is possible to to have a straight track bridging the gap at an angle by using the Expansion Track section as the bridge. All of the passing sidings
shown require the addition of small (< 2") section on the module side that includes the passing siding. This IS permitted by the T-TRAK standards. Note that the four-doubles
industrial OPSmod presented here has two turnouts and the 15° crossing track bridging the gaps and therefore, should be probably be constructed as two triples and one double. Some
very fancy trackwork or carpentry will be needed for many of the example OPSmods.
MUST I BUILD ONE OF YOUR EXAMPLES? Absolutely not! These are just examples. We are sure that you will be able to design and build much better OPSmods. The examples are
merely intended to provide inspiration. Even if you use one of our examples as a starting point, every OPSmod will be different because of the design and building
choices made.
Do you need help designing or building an OPSmod? Send an email to: bob@gvrrclub.org. We need
many model railroaders to build OPSmods if we are to have true prototypical operations.