How many of us are dabbling in T gauge?

[martink]

In a number of threads lately, several people have mentioned that they are dabbling in T gauge.  While there are some severe limits to what is possible in that scale, I was wondering how many of us there are, what you/they have been trying, and what results you/they have been getting.

In my case I have spent some of the last couple of months building a little automated tail-chasing display layout named Sarum Bridge. 

Any other takers?

[Michael Shillabeer]

I've a small layout which I must get around to completing. It needs a curved viaduct and loads of buildings. Plus I really should buy a couple of the PWM controllers for it.



More pictures in my album at http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=media;sa=album;in=680

Best regards
Michael

[scottmitchell74]

I strongly considered T Gauge and even joined tgauge.net and spent some months researching it but because they don't have much in the way of British outline (diesel) I decided to go with another N Gauge layout. Maybe someday if/when the scale has gained more steam and a broader list of products I'll do it.

[Pengi]

This is as far as I have got

I'm still deciding what sort of layout to build  - I still have a dream of building a variation of Venezia Mestre to Venezia Santa Lucia across the Ponte della Libertà but suspect a rural layout is easiest and most convincing as no need for people/cars/boats etc.

[EtchedPixels]

I'm dabbling in T for narrow gauge a bit but my other T plans have been supplanted by N ones. I'd still like to build Berwyn in T, basically as a scenic exercise that happens to have a railway line in it, but I don't have time.

Big problem for T and UK models is that the mechanisms are too fat for 1:450 let alone the correct 1:480 British loading gauge.

[martink]

Michael - very, very nice bit of modelling there!
Scott - there are a few 3D diesel body shells available:  classes 66, 55, 42, 25, 24 and 08.  From a foot or so away, they don't look too bad.
Pengi - somehow I managed to miss that thread of yours - all of us are having to tread that same path to figure out how to do things.
EP - I am finding that many more compromises are necessary than just worrying about the correct width!  But within limits - narrow limits - it has potential. 

[Railwaygun]

I strongly considered T Gauge and even joined tgauge.net and spent some months researching it but because they don't have much in the way of British outline (diesel) I decided to go with another N Gauge layout. Maybe someday if/when the scale has gained more steam and a broader list of products I'll do it.

There is a strong UK Z gauge community - lots of 3D printed bodies, HST, Deltics etc. Worth a try??

The Z gauge show is at Swindon, Zedex 2014, 5/10/14.

[Pengi]

Big problem for T and UK models is that the mechanisms are too fat for 1:450 let alone the correct 1:480 British loading gauge.

Are the mechanisms ok for Continental trains

The worst thing about T for me, is the huge gap between the coaches 

Suspect that some UK trains are more likely to appear in T than N (and you all know which two I mean  )

[Claude Dreyfus]

I have been dabbling in T gauge since it first came out in about 2007/08. My plan is eventually to construct a small rural Japanese layout...but that has been the plan for the last 6 years or so!

[Agrippa]

In early videos of T gauge the trains seemed to whiz round at breakneck speed, perhaps now there is better and
more realistic motion. One feature of T is to have large scenic layouts in a small space. Might have a go some time.
A few years ago T was dismissed as a short lived gimmick, however the range of  rolling stock and lineside stuff
seems to be increasing .

[martink]

Here's a short video of what I've been doing for the last couple of months.  I've just got to rework the controllers to fix the speed management problems, and then I'll be getting back to N for the second half of the year.  Plymouth Citadel has been sitting there, crying for some attention.


http://youtu.be/dfCoFVD2H_U

[Michael Shillabeer]

I love it Martin!

I've been pondering using one of the baseboards (6'x1'6") I built for Royal Wootton Bassett for a T Gauge layout... I don't have room for all the baseboards I built!

Best regards
Michael

[martink]

I've been pondering using one of the baseboards (6'x1'6") I built for Royal Wootton Bassett for a T Gauge layout... I don't have room for all the baseboards I built!

What keeps surprising me is how much can be squeezed in - the layout is just 4' 8.5" (a nice round number!) x 1' 8", but that works out to the equivalent of 14' x 5' in N - yours would be a massive 18' long.   Keeping everything on one board really simplifies things too.  Alas, in many ways it still isn't a fully-fledged working scale, but there is enough there to do some original work.  Another big benefit is that because there are so few people playing with it, you almost can't help being the first to break new ground.

[Michael Shillabeer]

Hello Martin

Are your cars magnets being moved by a linear motor under the road?

I'm thinking of a 4 track (or more) line through a city. I downloaded a couple of skyscrapers a while back and printed them out at 1:450 I can't remember where from though (Japanese architect's site I think)

Best regards
Michael

[martink]

Are your cars magnets being moved by a linear motor under the road?

Yep - they are by a company called IDL Motors.  The basic product is pretty limited, but with a bit of work...  Their website is http://www.teenytrains.com/

I'm thinking of a 4 track (or more) line through a city. I downloaded a couple of skyscrapers a while back and printed them out at 1:450 I can't remember where from though (Japanese architect's site I think)

That would look impressive.  The idea of a multi-track line would work well and is a straightforward way to get plenty of movement.