Just would like some opinions on the KATO Unitrack. I’m building a small N scale layout I saw in a MRR magazine (coffin mountain Columbia sept 2012 issue) its my first layout and I’m considering using the Unitrack instead of laying roadbed, rails and ballast (doing all that seems intimidating for my first project) I’m not expecting a perfect “museum quality” layout. Just something that looks cool in the corner of my computer room at home. Derek
Kato Unitrack, both N and HO, is an excellent product. It is the best of the tracks with built in roadbed.
I built my mini-modular N scale layout using Kato Unitrack. Like most (or all) track with integrated roadbed, it has a plastic look to it, but with a little work, it can be improved a lot.
I spray-painted the track in a dark brown color and re-ballasted it carefully.
If you wish to mix the Kato track with “standard” tracks like Atlas or Peco flex and sectional track there is an adapter section available.
Reasons for connecting the brands include an open deck bridge, special trackwork, expanding the layout with “standard” track".
The adapter is not needed.
I connect the brands by removing the Kato connecter (it’s a snap fit) and using standard rail joiners.
Another modeler puts a Kato connecter on the second rail, and removes removes several ties from the “standard” track so it fits into the Kato connecter.
Hi Derek,
The Mount Coffin and Columbia is an awesome small modelrailroad.
However you need access to three sides and together with the detachable staging cassette the total space requirement is rather large.
Mr MC Fujiwara handlaid some, if not all, of his turnouts, so building this layout with standard pieces of snaptrack might turn out pretty difficult. You should be able to allow more space to your project when using Kato track.
The 9" minimum radius is very limiting to the kind of cars and engines that can be used. The question if this layout is really the best choice for some-one who is already intimidated remains open, at least to me.
With a 11,25 minimum radius and #5 turnouts you would need a 5x3 bench.
Wish you luck
Paul
Is Kato Uni-track and Atlas Tru-track the same thing?
They are basically the same except for the way they connect together. None of the track products with built-in roadbed will connect with a different brand without some modificaiton.
A local (Milwaukee area) N scale modeler uses Kato Uni-Track exclusively on his large and well detailed layout, and his reason is that he likes to totally change his track plan from time to time. He has announced another major change for later this year, but will keep the current layout long enough for it to be toured during the big N scale convention scheduled for Milwaukee this summer:
http://www.nationalnscaleconvention.com/
Dave Nelson
I suppose I should have had more clarity in my post 
I’m not going to build a “carbon copy” of his layout, only use it as a “general plan” will be eliminating the 3 way switch, and a lot of rhe water so I can use more of the “ground”. As for cars will be mostly 33’ coal hoppers pulled by a MDT Plymouth, short boxcars/reefers pulled by a Nw2 switcher. And an old f3 as the mainline engine when I just want to watch it run. Won’t be doing the staging cassette. Will most likely add onto the “left side” (in the diagram above) and have a small yard off a switch/tunnel thru the small mountain on the back corner
Typo… Running a f2 for the mainline.
While I Have been Using Bachmann EZ Track on my current layout my new layout will have a mix of the EZ Track and Atlas Code 100 Flex Track and turnouts ( I have had a lot of triuble with Bachmann turnouts but finally figured out how to file them to get the points sharp so they work now) I have been using Anyrail to mix and match the track on paper and this past weekend I picked up the Atlas track at the greenberg show in Somerset NJ.
I believe Kato is code 83 and could be joined to standard code 83 by removing the clip from the road bed and using rail joiners
And the way they connect together is an important difference. The Kato Unitrack has a more-robust connection between sections than does the Atlas Tru-Track. This probably makes Unitrack more reliable over time and repeated connection/disconnection.
Byron
… and should one of the joiners wear out, they can be replaced.
If you haven’t run your model before, the N scale Bachmann MDT Plymouths are usually very poor runners, so you might not be able to count on that one. Also note that the KATO N scale NW2 (a wonderful engine) is a bit “stiffer” than most N scale engines its same size, so you may have a little trouble at the smallest radii of 9 3/4" or so. Worth testing first before you do your layout design.
Are you sure? I’m not aware of an N scale EMD F-2 model – these were extremely rare in real life. Are you thinking of the Lifelike Alco FA-2? These were likewise not necessarily the greatest runners, but varied a lot from model-to-model and it was possible to get a good one.
Byron
I think you are smart. I have redone all my layouts with Kato track. HO & N. As soon as it arrives I am doing the Scenic Ridge with Kato track. I have used Bachman track and then moved to flex track and Atlas switches with cork and foam. After ballasting and painting those layouts I ripped them up as I was having too many derailments. There are a lot of really great modelers who can lay perfect track but I am not one of them. Kato offers ballast that is real crushed stone not like the Woodland Scenic stuff that is made from nut shells that float and are a pain when ballasting. It is much more expensive. Don’t get me wrong, I love Woodland Scenics. In the past four years I have learned a lot and needlessly spent a lot of money. I just started reading this forum and it is a great place for information.
My Scenic Ridge Plan - with Kato track [:)]
Note that you have s-curves at the ends of the siding through the turnouts.
One of those s-curves is (inexplicably) in the Scenic Ridge plan already (on the right) and you may have added the one on the left. These may cause reliability problems and would be easy to engineer out of the plan.
Best of luck.
I model in N-Scale and I use both Atlas code 80 snap track and the Kato Unitrack. About 60 to 70% of my layout is Atlas track with a majority of the main line Kato track. The adapter piece to go between the different type of track works fine for me. I use Woodland Senics foam road bed under the Atlas track. I cut the foam so it inserts into the adapter track under the Atlas track. One of the nice things about the Kato Track is when you are laying everything out it stays together quite well. It takes some force to seperate from itself and you do not need to make sure everything is still connected as much when you get to the end of the line.
Thanks I did not see that before - obvious now that you point it out. I can shorten the space between the switches and insert straights or maybe just put in a double cross-over.
Back to the drawing board![bow]
F3a I think is correct. Sorry about that, getting back into this after a really long break (and dont have the package to look at). it’s a western pacific engine (I know it was usually a passenger engine, kinda like the old school look of it though was in the case at my local train shop, he’d had it about 3-4 years. May be wrong but think its a Kato. I’ll look when I get home.