Learning to use a track planning program. In my case: 3rd Planit

The Takadanobaba layout is taking shape -- in bytes, bits and pixels.

Well, sort of. If you were to look at what I have the reality is there's a long way to go. The reason is that I'm learning how to use the 3rd Planit track planning software. They do have a tutorial and that's been helpful, but I've also been trying the old "trial and error" method of teaching myself.

The good news is that I have defined the room and the benchwork. The track board (also defined) will sit above the benchwork. That height is to be determined.

I tried to draw track and then I ran into a hitch. I can pick out a track element and place it on the track board. I need to learn how to connect them and to properly space them.

Lots to learn. Lots of fun.

Cheers.

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Adventures in T-Trak: Laying track

Laying track on my new T-Trak module was not a complicated job. Still, the process hit a minor snag, providing a learning experience. My friend, Steven Cox is the owner of precisionmodelrailroad.com/ . His new firm builds laser-cut model railroad benchwork parts. The company offers helix parts, straight benchwork sections and T-Trak modules. The T-Trak modules are an early product used to test the concept. T-Trak is a modular system that uses Kato N-scale Unitrack. The idea is that if you have limited space its possible to get modeling and participate in the hobby. The T-Trak concept is young, born in 2000. It has international interest. In part, that’s due to the partnership between the T-Trak standards group and Kato. Steven sent me a pre-production T-Trak kit. It assembled into a 12-inch by 12-inch box. I’m not going to post a blog about building that kit because the current kit design is different. It took me a couple of hours to build the module. Most of the time was waiting for

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Catching up -- I may not have been very social. I have been busy, though.

I'll catch you up, since my last post. I've been buried with a variety of issues. I'm back from Japan. Most of those posts (and there are more to come) were published on an after-the-fact basis. In December 2023 (just before Christmas), I developed a left inguinal hernia. Surgery fixed that on March 22, 2024. Just when it seemed that my health life should calm down, last week, I caught Covid. I'm still recovering from both. This spring, I sent myself back to college. I'm taking an architectural rendering class (using computers) and a Japanese tools and woodworking class. The architecture class is teaching me how to use Sketchup. I'll use the skills from the rendering class to start designing custom structures for the B&OCT layout and Takadanobaba in Alameda. I have historical pictures of four interlocking towers I want to represent on the B&OCT layout (Western Ave., Ash St. Jct., 49th St. and 75th St.) Pictures of 75th St and Ash St. (If you zoom i

Takadanobaba Station in Alameda

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