UPCOMING EVENTS
Very likely Great Train Show in Ventura, CA, March 8-9 2025 - awaiting confirmation, stay tuned or follow our calendar below!
If you are interested in hosting Group 160 at your location or event, please contact group160ntrak@gmail.com for additional information.
If you are interested in hosting Group 160 at your location or event, please contact group160ntrak@gmail.com for additional information.
ABOut
Group 160 NTRAK is a modular model railroad club with members in Los Angeles, Kern, and Ventura Counties of Southern California. We display and operate our layouts approximately six or seven times a year throughout these counties.
Group 160 welcomes all those who wish to participate in the enjoyable hobby of N-Scale model railroading, watching real trains, talking about trains, and just about anything train related. Owning a module is not a requirement and anyone who wishes to operate trains is just as welcome to join. We even offer Youth membership to those between 12 & 18 years of age.
Group 160 welcomes all those who wish to participate in the enjoyable hobby of N-Scale model railroading, watching real trains, talking about trains, and just about anything train related. Owning a module is not a requirement and anyone who wishes to operate trains is just as welcome to join. We even offer Youth membership to those between 12 & 18 years of age.
Check the Club Calendar below for information on upcoming displays.
If you see us at a show or event, please stop by and say hello! We might even let you drive a train or two.
If you see us at a show or event, please stop by and say hello! We might even let you drive a train or two.
Club Calendar
Click the "Add to Google Calendar" button at the bottom to get these events in your calendar!
If you don't use Google Calendar, you can also add this .ics link as a web calendar.
If you don't use Google Calendar, you can also add this .ics link as a web calendar.
History
Founded in 1993 by George Johnsen and others interested in N-Scale model railroading, the idea was to bring together modelers who enjoyed N-Scale model railroading but who had little or no room for a home layout, or those who had home layouts but wanted to run long trains. They also hoped to spread the word about the hobby of model railroading.
Group 160’s layouts are modular in nature; we do not have a permanent layout, but rather we bring modules to shows. We follow the NTRAK 2000 standard for most of our modules, which is an older version of the NTRAK standards characterized by slightly wider modules with more room between tracks.
The main theme of Group 160’s club-owned NTRAK modules depicts the Pacific Northwest lumber industry. Club-owned modules include four corner modules, a small town, an animated tornado & fireworks factory, a yard, and an access bridge to the inside of the layout.
The remainder of the layout modules are owned by individual members of the club. Members’ modules express a broad range of interests including: small towns & industries, orange groves and fruit packing, a gorge, and even the English countryside. There are no rules when coming up with the theme for a member-owned module, save one: Have fun!
In 2021, T-TRAK modules were added to the club, following no specific theme. T-TRAK modules are an inexpensive and fun way to be involved in N-Scale model railroading and follows the concept of introducing people to the hobby.
T-TRAK modules are much smaller than NTRAK ones; while a typical NTRAK module the club uses is 30x48 inches, a typical T-TRAK module is about 1 foot square! This allows for folks to participate in the club even if they do not have the space or means to transport a large module.
Group 160’s layouts are modular in nature; we do not have a permanent layout, but rather we bring modules to shows. We follow the NTRAK 2000 standard for most of our modules, which is an older version of the NTRAK standards characterized by slightly wider modules with more room between tracks.
The main theme of Group 160’s club-owned NTRAK modules depicts the Pacific Northwest lumber industry. Club-owned modules include four corner modules, a small town, an animated tornado & fireworks factory, a yard, and an access bridge to the inside of the layout.
The remainder of the layout modules are owned by individual members of the club. Members’ modules express a broad range of interests including: small towns & industries, orange groves and fruit packing, a gorge, and even the English countryside. There are no rules when coming up with the theme for a member-owned module, save one: Have fun!
In 2021, T-TRAK modules were added to the club, following no specific theme. T-TRAK modules are an inexpensive and fun way to be involved in N-Scale model railroading and follows the concept of introducing people to the hobby.
T-TRAK modules are much smaller than NTRAK ones; while a typical NTRAK module the club uses is 30x48 inches, a typical T-TRAK module is about 1 foot square! This allows for folks to participate in the club even if they do not have the space or means to transport a large module.
Our monthly organizational meetings are held on the 2nd Thursday of the month.
Meetings are currently being held via ZOOM.
Please email us for meeting information.
Meetings are currently being held via ZOOM.
Please email us for meeting information.
MEMBERSHIP INFO
You do not need to have a module to join the club! Many long-time members don't have any modules. What is most important is being able to run trains in front of the public, and giving the public something they can look at in shows.
The most important thing a member can do is provide labor for setting up and taking down the modules. Depending on the size of the layout, setup can take several hours - so help is appreciated!
If you are interested in building a module, the club follows the NTRAK 2000 standard for most of its modules. We do have several transition modules which allow us to incorporate standard NTRAK modules as needed. The differences between NTRAK 2000 and standard NTRAK are as follows:
The club owns a Digitrax system which is used to run the layout via Digital Command and Control (DCC). While we strongly encourage members to bring a Digitrax throttle to use at shows, we also provide the ability for members to connect their phones to the club's DCC system so that trains can be operated from a mobile phone (see the WiThrottle documentation for further details).
The club does not have a permanent layout space, but we do travel to various locations in Los Angeles County (as well as occasionally Kern County and very occasionally other places in SoCal).
We commonly have a show in Ventura in March, Lomita in September (near Long Beach), and Glendora (border of LA/San Bernardino County) around the holidays. Other shows pop up throughout the year in a less predictable fashion, but we usually attend 6-7 events per year. Shows are agreed to by membership during our monthly club meetings.
Note that due to logistics, sometimes shows can have fairly short notice! Once voted on by members, we put our name out for shows as they come up. We usually only get told that we are "good to go" for a show about a month before that show happens.
We usually bring out our NTRAK modules for shows, but for smaller shows (such as Lomita) we occasionally bring out the T-TRAK setup instead. Very occasionally, we bring out both NTRAK and T-TRAK as separate loops in the same show. The exact setup to be used is discussed as part of the club meeting prior to voting to attend a show. Our T-TRAK setup follows the official T-TRAK standards as mentioned on the NTRAK website.
To become a full voting member of the club, membership dues are $100/year. This helps pay for upkeep and regular maintenance of club-owned modules. Becoming a club member gives you a complementary membership to NRail.
We also require that all members also be a member of the NMRA. Proof of NMRA membership is required each year.
We do offer Youth Memberships for any person between the ages of 12 and 18 years old. No dues are charged for Youth Memberships. However, Youth Members must be accompanied at club functions by a parent or guardian who is registered as a "regular" club member.
For further details, please look at the Group 160 Rules of the Road below. This includes more information about everything listed above and agreement is a requirement for membership.
The most important thing a member can do is provide labor for setting up and taking down the modules. Depending on the size of the layout, setup can take several hours - so help is appreciated!
If you are interested in building a module, the club follows the NTRAK 2000 standard for most of its modules. We do have several transition modules which allow us to incorporate standard NTRAK modules as needed. The differences between NTRAK 2000 and standard NTRAK are as follows:
- Module Width – 30 inches (instead of 24 inches)
- Red Line – centerline 4 inches from the fascia
- Yellow Line – centerline 5 1/2 inches from the fascia
- Branch Line / Blue Line – centerline 14 inches from the fascia
- Group 160 Green Line (optional) – centerline 25 inches from the fascia and track 3 inches above the module tabletop
The club owns a Digitrax system which is used to run the layout via Digital Command and Control (DCC). While we strongly encourage members to bring a Digitrax throttle to use at shows, we also provide the ability for members to connect their phones to the club's DCC system so that trains can be operated from a mobile phone (see the WiThrottle documentation for further details).
The club does not have a permanent layout space, but we do travel to various locations in Los Angeles County (as well as occasionally Kern County and very occasionally other places in SoCal).
We commonly have a show in Ventura in March, Lomita in September (near Long Beach), and Glendora (border of LA/San Bernardino County) around the holidays. Other shows pop up throughout the year in a less predictable fashion, but we usually attend 6-7 events per year. Shows are agreed to by membership during our monthly club meetings.
Note that due to logistics, sometimes shows can have fairly short notice! Once voted on by members, we put our name out for shows as they come up. We usually only get told that we are "good to go" for a show about a month before that show happens.
We usually bring out our NTRAK modules for shows, but for smaller shows (such as Lomita) we occasionally bring out the T-TRAK setup instead. Very occasionally, we bring out both NTRAK and T-TRAK as separate loops in the same show. The exact setup to be used is discussed as part of the club meeting prior to voting to attend a show. Our T-TRAK setup follows the official T-TRAK standards as mentioned on the NTRAK website.
To become a full voting member of the club, membership dues are $100/year. This helps pay for upkeep and regular maintenance of club-owned modules. Becoming a club member gives you a complementary membership to NRail.
We also require that all members also be a member of the NMRA. Proof of NMRA membership is required each year.
We do offer Youth Memberships for any person between the ages of 12 and 18 years old. No dues are charged for Youth Memberships. However, Youth Members must be accompanied at club functions by a parent or guardian who is registered as a "regular" club member.
For further details, please look at the Group 160 Rules of the Road below. This includes more information about everything listed above and agreement is a requirement for membership.
| group_160_rules_of_the_road_11-22.pdf |
If you are interested in joining our club, feel free to drop us a line at group160ntrak@gmail.com or come chat with us at one of our events!
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Group 160 is a 100% National Model Railroad Association (NMRA) Club.
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Group 160 is proud to be an NRail Super Club.
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Group 160 NTRAK is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization