Jim Hoover's N-Trak Adapter

               Here is a good overall view of one of the Bend Track to N-Trak conversion schemes. In this scheme, basically what happens is Bend Track's main 1 is elongated as the line goes out and back on a series of N-Trak modules. At this show, there is only one small N-Trak module connected to the system. However, at some shows the Lincoln N-Scalers have gone to there have been as many as 32 feet of N-Trak modules.

For more information about connecting Bend Track and N-Trak modules, see the section on interfacing the two systems in the Bend Track manual.

Here you can see the Balloon module at the end of the N-Trak branch. Each N-Trak module is traversed twice by a train making one trip around Bend Track's main line 1. The train comes out onto the N-Trak section on what is N-Trak's main 1, and returns on either of N-Trak's main 2 or branch line. The balloon loops the train around for the return trip.

This photo shows what Jim has done to the "straight" side of his N-Trak adaptor module. Conceptually, the track on the left side of the photo is just two straight lines running the length of the module. What Jim has accomplished with this spaghetti bowl is to allow a train on either of the Bend Track mains to cross over to the other main in either direction. There is a way for the train to cross over and continue in the same direction around the layout or it can cross over and go in the opposite direction. This adds much flexibility at shows when someone wants to move their train over to the other main (to go on the N-Trak branch, for example) but the trains are going in the opposite direction on the other main.

You can see on the right of the photo that Bend Track's main 1 swings out to the N-Trak modules and then swings back in.

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