The Layout

More than 500 separate pieces called NTRAK modules were assembled in ½ of the Dulles Expo hall, creating the largest layout ever assembled.  It filled an area of approximately 40,000 square feet. This giant interconnected operating layout took more than 2 hours for a single train to travel throughout. 

The layout was made up of many different types of scenery. Huge mountains, river valleys, deserts, cities with tall buildings and small rural towns are depicted. You found seaports, immense railroad yards with thousands of freight cars, and small home-town depots. Hundreds of participants have spent many thousands of hours constructing the buildings, bridges and tunnels found on this once-in-a-lifetime layout. 

Galleries of pictures from the layout have been posted over on the convention website - take a look at them at www.ntrak2004.org/galleries.php!  

Here's a much smaller layout, set up in a local shopping mall.  

More than 35 trains operated simultaneously over the 200 scale miles of track, including trains over 100 cars in length.

N Scale and NTRAK modelers from across the U.S. and around the world came to participate in this largest ever layout.  Many of these modelers have won awards for their work and were happy to explain how they created their modules and what inspired their creations.

What is N Scale and NTRAK?