LAS CRUCES, N.M. – JULY 25, 2026

The sound of miniature locomotives rolling down the rails, the excitement of children watching trains make their way through a miniature world and plenty of smiles filled the Mesilla Valley Mall on Saturday as the Southern New Mexico N Scalers hosted their T-Trak Run Day. 

For railroad enthusiasts, families, curious shoppers and everyone who simply enjoys seeing something a little different, the event offered a wonderful glimpse into the world of N-scale model railroading and demonstrated that model trains are about much more than trains. 

They are about people, creativity, imagination and togetherness. 

What is T-TRAK?

T-TRAK is a modular model railraod system designed around individual sections, or modules, that can be connected together to create a much larger layout. 

Unlike traditional permanent model railroad, a T-TRAK layout can be assembled, rearranged, expanded and transported. Each modeler can build and decorate their own module while following standardized track and wiring specifications. When the module comes together, individual scenes become part of one interconnecting miniature railroad. 

This modular approcah is what makes T-TRAK so special

One person’s module might feature a small-town business. Another might represent a farm, a railroad industry, or even Noah’s Ark.Put them together and suddenly those individual creations become a living railroad community. 

It’s much like the real railroad itself: different places, different people, different stories but all connected by the rails.  

Perhaps the most memorable part of the July 25 Run Day wasn’t any one particular locomotive, module or scenic detail. It was the reaction of the people who stopped to watch. Their smiles when the train came around the bend. The questions of how the tiny structures were built. The childhood memories of their first train set.

There were people who simply stopped simply because they were walking from one side of the mall to the other an something caught their eye. 

For a few moments, the busy mall became a place where people slowed down, looked, talked and shared experiences with one another.

If the smiles and wonder seen at the Mesilla valley Mall that day are any indication of the future of model railroading, teh Southern New Mexico N Scalers are traveling down a very promising track. 

The trains may be small – but the friendships, creativity and community they create are anything but.