York TCA - National Capital Trackers Modular Club Layout

This is a sort of note to myself to record this. But, read on if you wish. Kinda long.

As far as I can tell the only modular club layout at York TCA is that of the National Capital Trackers.

The club has about 90 members and attends about 24 events a year in this region which has half the population of the USA more than likely. Actually they can do two separate layouts at different events on the same weekends and have two trailers strategically located within 100 miles of each other in MD and VA I think.

This layout is 112 feet X 22 feet!! Boy, could Rick and Ricky get a long reefer train going on this layout!!

Actually it's two layouts connected by a cross track in the middle. Track 1 runs on both layouts and the other tracks stay on one or the other of the two layouts.

They run several trains on Track 1 and, man, that 90 degree crossing between both layouts is a real crowd pleaser. One spectator thought there was gonna be a meet at the crossing and couldn't help himself and reached in and stopped an engine. Then got a very embarrassed look and kinda wandered off.

They use TMCC, DCS and Legacy and all three are working great. I have the details on how they've implemented DCS.

As configured Layout 1 has 3 tracks. Track 1 has two outside sidings and is integrated with Layout 2 via the crossover. Track 2 has no sidings. Track 3 has inside sidings. No connections between the tracks. Tracks are on 4.25 inch centers. 072 curves. Both 45 degree and 90 degree corners.

Layout 2 has two tracks on 8.5 inch centers. Again Track 1 connects to the other layout via the crossing. No sidings on the loops.

Track two has a huge turntable and a long interior 9 track single ended yard about 34 feet long. Both enter Track 2 on a wye.

They use plexiglass for protection on the spectator side of all modules. Corners are about 6 in high and some are about 3 in on the straight modules. All one eighth inch thickness.

Their modules use every single brand of track, AtlasO, Gargraves, Ross, Lionel and K-line. Switches the same.

Their modules range from fully scenicked to green paint about the same color as ours. Most have that fake grass mat.

That 32 feet interior single ended yard for setting up and staging trains worked really well. They intend to do a crossover so their track 2 can also be accessed. And on the other layout the double ended sidings closely approximated the way we use our yard modules complex.

Check 'em out. Might get some good ideas for our club and home layouts.

Time for the baseball playoffs and some pizza and liquid refreshments.