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Kato Unitrack

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tramboy

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8 Jun 2005
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Hi all!

Anyone else used it? I've just bought a starter kit today, and I must say it's very good! It's easy to set up, doesn't require permanence, and the bonus for me is that it will now take me less time to create working layouts in Durham of a weekend!

It's by Kato, a Japanese company, and is apparently the most popular track system in Japan. All accessories et al are in Japanese, but with good pictures. The only stockist I've found (cos they are the sole official stockist in the UK) are MG Sharp, of Attercliffe, Sheffield. www.mgsharp.com.

It works with generally whatever controller you've got...although you might have to disassemble the odd plastic plug first, and comes in both N and OO. There are also track sections that allow you to connect unitrack to whatever track you might currently have using standard fishplates (instead of the unijoiners)

All I can say is take a look at the pictures, and if you think it might suit you (not a lot of room, short time layouts down) try it...I like it!

I was just wondering if anyone else had used it!

Cheers

Dave
 
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Nick

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8 Jun 2005
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Since its built for HO I presume the sleepers will look too far apart for our models. Or vicea versa, I can never remember which is bigger HO or 00.
 

tramboy

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8 Jun 2005
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It definitely is...great runner. One flaw is that going forwards the balanced cars tend to fall apart if the track isn't dead flat...we're working on a solution!

You can just about see the end of it there (look for the faint outline of a pan), and that's in 8 cars. I have another 4 cars to make it to 12...but hadn't got them in in that photo!

Regards

Dave
 

Dennis

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8 Aug 2005
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I have seen layouts using the Kato track - very good too (in N gauge at least).


Moving OT, the Kato 25m DMU chassis are excellent runners; I was going to put some under my Farish 158's as the early Chinese built examples were so poor. I never actually got round to doing this, having decided it was beyond my capabilities.

Did do a cut and shut job on a 101 to create a 25m first generation single car DMU - looks daft but runs well!

As an aside, if anyone has a Farish 158 which 'clicks' during running or the bogies keep tipping up, change the wheelsets as the gears on the driving wheels are very prone to cracking (although this can be extremely difficult to see). I don't know if spares of the correct size are now available but loco wheels (eg class 37) will do; these are a bigger diameter than the originals but will at least allow the unit to be used.
 

Simming

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8 Jun 2005
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Cornwall
Nick said:
Since its built for HO I presume the sleepers will look too far apart for our models. Or vicea versa, I can never remember which is bigger HO or 00.

But then again most of our RTR Track is built to HO standards.
 
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