Australian Mini-T Guidelines (Consultation Draft – October 2014) Drawings by Graham Cocks and David Bromage Photos by John Rumming

Australian Mini-T modules are basically the same as the Japanese Mini-T* modules except the module height is 70mm instead of 100mm to allow connection with Australian T-TRAK modules if desired. First Australian Mini-T modules built by John Rumming in 2013 The basic module design is 3 pieces of 12mm hardwood or plywood. Pine and MDF are not recommended as they tend to warp or swell with age.

The standard depth of 150mm will comfortably take two tracks (at the “alternate” spacing of 33mm) if one wishes to include sidings or passing loops. 12 mm nominal Timber/Plywood Construction

Width (Depth) 150 mm

Height 70 mm

Length 308 mm

(diagrams are not to scale) Kato #20-040 straight or #20-041 feeder (drill 19mm hole for wires if using feeder)

Rail extends 1 mm beyond module ends

Kato #20-000 straight or Kato #20-040 + #20-410 150 mm

30 mm

308 mm

The diagram on the following page illustrates a range of possible module designs possible on a standard single module and an outside corner module.

John Rumming's article in Issue 20 of N Scale Modeller (http://www.nscale.org.au/nsm) shows some front-toback transition modules to break up the straight track. There are three possible ways of doing this with Kato Unitrack® using 282mm, 315mm or 481mm radius 15 curves and various straight pieces. Note that the design using 282mm radius curves is technically about 1mm too short so will require some very slight stretching of the track. The outside corner is based around a 290mm square, optionally with a corner cut off.

* Ref. Japanese Mini-T (http://space.geocities.jp/popoya2008/menu.html)

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Rather than being multiples of 310mm like standard T-TRAK, the original Japanese small module system allows straight modules to be any multiple of 62mm. This allows a lot more flexibility and some very inventive designs.

Here are two possible designs of inside corner, both using 282mm radius curves and with different combinations of straight pieces. It may be possible to build the design on the left in 2 or 3 pieces. A 2-piece design could split the 124mm straight into two 62mm pieces with a module join half way. Alternately it could be build as two 45 degree corners and a 124mm straight module.

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Examples by John Rumming showing stages of construction:

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