The same modules can be assembled into very different layouts depending on venue, operator count, and time available for setup. Three example layouts based on real Australian T-TRAK practice — starting points when planning a meet, a club night, or a public exhibition.
The working assumption across all three sample layouts is the standard 760 × 1830 mm trestle table — the size most halls, schools and clubrooms can supply without special arrangement. Two trestles end-to-end give roughly the run length the example "Regional Show" plan assumes, four to six the "Exhibition Dog-Bone".
For DC operation, plan at least one power-feed module per 9 m of running line; the same cadence is a conservative minimum for DCC and a sensible default until experience suggests otherwise on a particular layout. Layouts that fall well under the threshold (a six-module starter loop, for instance) get away with a single feed.
Every module that turns up on the day arrives with a completed Module Information Form, so the layout coordinator knows the track centres, polarity convention, and any quirks (sound, animation, uncoupling magnets, lighting load) before the loop is closed and power is applied. Surprises at the join are how rolling stock ends up on the carpet.
From a single trestle in a clubroom to a six-trestle dog-bone at a regional show, the modular vocabulary scales smoothly. Pick the layout closest to your venue and operator count, then adjust outward.
Six to eight modules total — two outside corners and four to six straights. One trestle, simple oval. Ideal for a club night, a school visit, or a first home running session. A single power feed is more than sufficient; the whole running line sits well under the 9 m rule.
Footprint roughly 1.8 × 0.8 m — fits a kitchen table or one borrowed trestle.
Sixteen to twenty-four modules — four outside corners with twelve to twenty straights or scenic. Two trestles back-to-back, total running line around 8–9 m. Two or three power feeds at the standard cadence.
Two to four operators share one or two controllers on a roster with breaks. Allow at least 1 m clear aisle behind the layout for operators, and a viewing barrier on the public side.
Forty to sixty modules including outside corners, inside corners, a passing-loop set, and a junction module. Four to six trestles laid out as a dog-bone or rectangle-with-extensions: roughly 7.3 × 1.6 m for four trestles, growing to 11 × 1.6 m for six.
Four or five power feeds at the 9 m cadence with an isolating switch at each. Three to five operators (dispatcher, two mainline drivers, yard pilot, occasional relief). Plan setup of three hours or more on Friday evening; check venue door access for an assembled length up to 2.4 m wide.
| Layout | Modules | Trestles | Use case | Power feeds | Footprint |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter Loop | 6–8 | 1 | Club night · school visit · home running | 1 | ~1.8 × 0.8 m |
| Regional Show | 16–24 | 2 | Local exhibition · library or community hall | 2–3 | ~3.7 × 1.6 m |
| Exhibition Dog-Bone | 40–60 | 4–6 | Major show · convention · multi-day exhibition | 4–5 | 7.3–11 × 1.6 m |
A six-module starter loop runs comfortably with one person and a coffee. As the layout grows, jobs separate out, and at a public show you want each role assigned to a named person before the doors open.
One operator per ten modules is a working ratio, not a hard rule. Highly scenic modules with a lot to show, or yard modules with shunting moves, may want a dedicated person. Plain mainline straights need much less attention.
Run through this list the day before, not the morning of. Anything missing on Friday evening is still findable; missing at 08:30 Saturday with the public arriving at 10:00 is not.
Venues that supply trestles often supply different trestles. Ring ahead and confirm the height: 760 mm is the assumption on which the standard rail-top height is calculated. A taller trestle adds setup awkwardness; a much shorter one means modules built to nominal feet height won't reach the public's eyeline cleanly.
For a Regional Show, plan setup of two to three hours on Friday evening or Saturday morning, doors open at 10:00, public running until 16:00 with a coffee break and crew swap at 12:30, then ninety minutes to break down and pack the cars.
For the Exhibition Dog-Bone, the same shape stretches: setup begins Friday evening with the trestles and skirts, modules unpacked and joined Saturday morning, electrical commissioning before the doors. Two-day shows split breakdown across Sunday afternoon and a return visit Monday for the heavy items, if the venue allows.
Keep a small "running spares" tray on the layout — half a dozen Unijoiners, a bottle of methylated spirit, the cleaning cloth, a track rubber for emergency-only use, a handful of replacement RCA leads. Most faults at a show are dirty rails or a tired Unijoiner; both are fifteen-second fixes if the parts are at hand.