Z SCALE MODULES IN THE WORKS

so, one of my plans for myself and the train club im a member of is...

www.T-TRAK.org

to have some sort of reperesntation of Z scale T-Trak at the train shows every year.
i had asked the president of the club if he wanted me to propose to the club to make these modules (which would include allocating some fundage for it) at one of the meetings. he never got back with me.

i had handed him some paperwork from the T-TRAK site for Z scale T-Track, last december...
tried several times to bring it up in a meeting beause the club now owns some z scale train cars (no engine as of yet). and i got shelved for another meeting, many many meetings.

finally i just asked him, after a meeting if he wanted me to go ahead and make some then id have them to show the clu, for them to decide upon, or not.
thinking for that was, if they said there was no need for them, or "how would they be transfered, blah blah" or "who would monitor them, blah blah blha" id have them, regardless, and when the club wated to use them, id have them for that reason...

took long enough to get my z scale INTO this club to begin with, but thats another long story for another post...

so, as soon as he agreed to allow mw to just go-ahead and make them for myself to show the club, my next issue was...how would i get them done? craig has no tools to cut anything with...(i really do need to get him some tools for holidays, just build up a set of tools).

i was talking about this at one of the last meetings--or was it when we visited him at his house? i dont remember now, lol (within 3 months) and one of the guys (who i adore! LOVE HIM!) said hed be willing to cut the modules for me...

so ive been waiting for a paycheck that was free and not seriously committed to any funds so much...
and i emailed this guy.
asked if he had looked over those plans and had an estimate for me for cost of materials, and labor included to cut this stuff...

he emailed me back, said he thinks he has most of the materails on hand at his place, and says he thinks to cut them, hed do it for $10-15 per module...not too bad a rate. heck, im not even sure what the cost for materials would be so his qotes fine with me...

anyway, hes gonna cut everything.
i told him id be willing to assemble it, to give me something to do...

then we have to think about track, and purchasing Z scale track.

ive been looking for Z scale structures...
found a CD for sale on Ebay that has over 150 z scale building plan for papaer modules on it..
i was thinking of  printing up the digrams, and then either gluing them to blocks of wood the size they are, or cutting styrene and using the print as a template, might just be easier to glue them to blocks...theyll need some stiffer structure if they will be moved around allot.

cd was being sold for 9.99...gonna have to get that.

this will be so good to have, because we can customize these independent modules anyway we want too, and have any season, any theme, any era wed like on them...
and they arnt that large to begin with...so portability is easy...

MICHELLE

Z SCALE CLUB SHIRT/BUTTON IDEA

i have tossed around the idea, for a while now, to have a club shirt for MY division of the OKNRAIL train club.

i dont usually participate in anything (much) to do with N scale...even though i do own N Scale cars, and engines. i never run this stuff on the main layout.
and i do own 2 of the modules in T-Track (in N-scale) when thats at shows as well.

i try to focus more on MY scale. which is Z

so, i have a division within the club,m that i actually have a few other members in...
and felt there should be a way to distinguish the difference and yet still be IN the club. not trying to be SO separate as to appear to be a whole different club all together.

the club has Blue and Yellow as its colors.
and it so happens that yellow is MY favorite color...

so i thought, because i mess around on Zazzle.com sometimes to make different custom stuff, id go fiddle around and see if i couldnt make a Z scale T-Shirt, to represent the Z scale division within the club.

so i did.

the front has the Oknrail logo on the chest pocket area

close up of the chest pocket logo design

i felt like the back could be used to explain the Z scale and its differences...so i Wikipedia this info:

i also, because i know some members would prefer to wear the club shirt over my design, made buttons as well. so they can wear those and still represent...

everything on every design can be custom designed. as you see i have my name on the button above.

MICHELLE

Z-SCALE T-TRACK LAYOUT DIAGRAMS

http://www.t-trak.org/z-scale-1.html
http://www.t-trak.org/z-scale-2.html

i have asked a friend of mine in the train club to put together some base modules for the Z scale t-track division of the club. at this point, im thinking ill own some (if not all) until the club decides to make or purchase their own. i can do the scenic and do the module crafting (putting them together). i just want to have the ease and access, as well as different visuals, on hand for any shows the club might be involved in.

at current we have..myself, lyndle smith, and gerlad gardner in the Z scale division, and craig, if you want to add him...he has bought all my Z scale...he likes N-Scale better tho. CHEAPER! lol

MICHELLE

NOTE* NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED!

SENT AN EMAIL OFF TO GRAY BROTHERS (Z SCALE ARTISTS EXTRAORDINAIRE!)

everytime i look on ebay at z scale stuff, i always run across the gray brothers creations.
amazing! these things arnt much bigger than a quarter (always shown in each picture) and they have such detail.


anyway, i looked up their website, found it, and even noted the email to email them.


sent the email off inquiring about how they can gauge what is a Z scale building, do they use any form of templates, are there any books, or resources they know of..


because i want to do some for myself.


i seriously didnt think my email would have even gotten consideration, to be honest. and if it did, i wouldnt hear from them for a while.


not even an hour went by and i got the notice (because i request one with every email) that my email had been read!


WOOOOO HOOOO!


now, all i have to do is wait on a reply!


MICHELLE

some of the work they do:


selling for 135.00 


selling for 135.00


selling for 139.00


selling for 89.00


selling for 59.00


all items for sale on GRAYBROTHERS.com. 
prices subject to change, and on a 1st come 1st served basis.
some custom items can be made.

THIS PIC INSPIRED ME TO DO A T-GAUGE IN A DIFFERENT WAY

i saw this image on the net...opened it up, read what was being said about it on MODELRAILFORUM.com







and my creativity got the better of me, and i thought HOW COOL!

 
yes, folks, thats a microwave that has been used to place a Z scale (thats z you see in there on the track) inside of to show off, AND be protected at the same time...i LOVE this idea!
and actually considered using it for myself, we have an old microwave in my garage right now. craigs, but he wont part with it, because he says it still works..*sigh* thing HAS to be like 25 years old...sheesh! lol


so, i went a different route. with something we all use (well most of us, anyway) and have been figuring out things about it to enhance the idea.


i have pics to post of the steps as we have taken them to this point thus far. and im not giving away what it is were doing just yet, youll have to wait for the pics, to get the idea.
but i thought this was pretty cool, and it is the inspiration for my own unique T-Gauge diorama.


MICHELLE