NTRAK

Layout Registration:
To register an NTRAK module, first email Paul.
To submit a proposal to register a layout (other than NTRAK), click here.
Please note that WGH is not handling layouts for this show.

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NTRAK Layout Design
Frank Wethington, Chair

Need help? Ask us!
Modules & Layout - Frank Wethington
Red Line Power - Mike Curtis
DCC/Digitrax - John Wallis
DC Throttles (Aristo, non-DCC radio - see below) - Steve Gillett
Other Convention Concerns - Paul Downs

Directions to the Convention Center Click Here
The entrance to the loading dock is on Second St between Market and Jefferson. YOU MUST BE HEADING SOUTH ON SECOND TO GET TO THE DOCK. The door to the dock is the second door on your right. You will enter and go up a long spiral ramp to reach the hall. The hall is located on the second floor.
Once there, you will be directed to the hall and temporary parking/unloading areas. You will not be allowed to leave your vehicle or trailer in the loading dock area for any time except for unloading, so please be ready to move it as soon as you can.
For vehicles and trailers that will NOT fit into a traditional parking garage, we have off-site parking. It is about 2 miles from the site and very easy to access. Just head north on Second, cross the bridge, and you're there. Details and parking permits will be available when you arrive.

PARKING - We have off-site parking arranged for vehicles that are too large to fit in a parking garage. This is limited to large trucks, trailers, and vehicles towing trailers. This is NOT parking for any vehicle transporting a layout. It is limited to vehicles too large for a parking garage. Contact Steve Shetter for parking details.

(See at bottom of this page for Layout & Hall Diagrams and Loop Captains.)

For Pictures of Modules and Trains click here

Basic Information on our 50,000 Square Feet of NTRAK!

Due to the huge amount of interest and room for “only” approximately 750 NTRAK modules, space for modules will be limited to registered delegates on a first-come, first-served basis. Any individual wishing to have an NTRAK module in the layout must be a registered delegate. Click here to register.

Please note that club members and layout/module owners who are not registered for the convention will only be allowed in the layout area during the initial set-up and then on Saturday and Sunday during the public show hours. info

The Layout Committee requests that unless you contact us and make other arrangements there can be no more than four modules per person.

We require that all modules or module scenes comply with strict NTRAK standards and that you have someone capable of doing maintenance available until the layout is up and running. With your cooperation set up should proceed smoothly with limited problems.

Please keep in mind that the Red Line will be dispatched by the Layout Committee, so there can be no special restrictions on what can operate on the Red Line on your modules. The Red Line must meet all NTRAK radius, height, grade and power minimums without exception.

If you are coordinating club modules, provide a draft of your loop proposal. If you are an individual with modules, after you have registered for the convention contact a club that is attending to see if you can join their loop. If you need help having your module placed in a loop, contact us and we’ll provide some assistance. Individuals not associated with a participating club must register for the convention.

Each loop will have a Loop Captain (see Loop Captain assignments below) who will serve as a coordinator and liaison to the Layout Planner. If a loop is composed of more than one club, each section within the loop will be coordinated by a Layout Helper. The Layout Helper will report to the Loop Captain. If you would like to serve as a Loop Captain or a Layout Helper, please include all of your contact information, all phones, email, and mailing address and send it to Frank Wethington, DCE NTRAK Layout Planner.

Just to give you an idea of the response, we had over five loops tentatively proposed before registration even opened! We suggest that all modules be registered as soon as possible!

It is the policy of the Derby City Express that all modules that meet or can easily be made to meet NTRAK standards must be in the NTRAK layout. There will no space allocated for independent NTRAK layouts.

Operating Rules

Please show common courtesy and good manners toward all operators, everyone, involved with the layout, and the general public
The entire red line will be dispatched by the Derby City Express (DCE). No one may enter the red line until approved by the DCE dispatcher. The Red Line will be DCC.
The red line is considered a special feature of the DCE. Only those who have registered for the DCE Convention may run on the red line. Guests and visitors are welcome to run on other parts of the layout during public show hours as approved by the loop captains.
Everyone must register with both the dispatcher and the DCC master before running the Red line.
Your DCC address will be your convention registration number. Please have your engines programmed to your number when you arrive, if possible.
The 00 address (running analog engines on DCC) will not be available during this show. If your engines must be programmed at the show, any speed settings or special effects may be lost in the reprogramming process.
Please limit your freights to 50 cars and four diesels or 50 cars and two steam engines. Please limit passenger trains to 20 cars. Please use reliable equipment during the show as no one wants to see trains derailed or stopped. Quality over Quantity during the public show should be stressed.
Provisions are being made to run longer trains during the off hours and later in the evening. Check with the dispatch table and other officials about the additional hours.
When you have a train running on the Red Line, you must STAY with the train on the outside of the layout - no exceptions. If you need time to chat or work on the train, pull it off the layout or into a yard until you are ready to move on.
If you experience a problem, carts will be available to help remove trains from the layout.
When finished running, please return to the dispatcher’s desk and have your address purged from the system. This will help the system to remain reliable and operate smoothly.
The Operations Committee retains the right to remove any equipment from the red line that is impeding or stopping operations. Carts will be available to help remove equipment from the red line.
No one has ever tried to put this large of a layout together, and we hope there are no problems. No one wants the layout to run more smoothly than the layout committee. Please have patience during any down time caused by any number of problems that could occur. Remember that we all want to run trains.
Aristo-Craft frequency assignments
Contact Steve Gillett for additional information. Loop 1a - Frequency 8, all 10 channels (yellow and blue) Loop 1B - Frequency 10, channels 4 through 10 (yellow and blue) (also switchable to Digitrax) Loop 1C - Frequency 10, channels 1 through 3 (yellow and blue) Loop 6 - Frequency 6, all 10 channels (yellow) Loop 8 - Frequency 4, all 10 channels. If you need more, I have reserved Frequency 2 for you if it is not needed for the non N-Trak layouts. (yellow, blue and green) Loops 2, 3 & 7 will be using Digitrax on all tracks. Loop 4 will use an N-Trak throttle system on yellow and Lenz DCC on blue. Loop 5 will be using Digitrax on yellow and green and a hard wired DC system on blue. Frequencies 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 (all 10 channels on each) are currently unassigned and are available for the non N-Trak layouts if and when any of them submit a request.s the right to edit and change these rules at any time. 
Layout & Hall PDF Click Here to download or scroll down to view online.

Loop Captains - see layout diagram below.
To view a list of the clubs participating within each loop, click here
Loop 1: Steve Gillett email
Loop 2: Domenic Rago email
Loop 3: Domenic Rago email
Loop 4: Ed Schultz email
Loop 5: Dave Porter email
Loop 6: Dick Stous email
Loop 7: Hans-Jochen Trost email
Loop 8: John Steitz email

Download the DCE Detailed Schedule

DCC Design Specification
click here

View the Convention Timeline Click Here

Share and view photos of the DCE - Click Here