Kato Unitrack switch problem

Model Railroader Electronics and DCC
1

Hi everyone,

I’m new to this site and this is first post. Over the last month I have been slowly building a small train set using Kato Unitrack N-guage. This past weekend i got my first switch with their electric switcher. The switcher works great but the switch itself has a ‘dead zone’. From what I have been able to find online this is a know and common issue created by the way Kato makes the track power only the line the train would go on. What I have not been able to find is if there is a way to fix it.

Does anyone here know if this can be fixed?

Also I have been running into issue when the train will randomly stutter like it is losing power for a second or 2 then continues on. My track isn’t huge, it’s in a 4’x4’ space, but do I need to use more than 1 power feeder track or is there something else going on?

Thank you all in advanced for your assistance,

Gadgetkk

P.S. is there a way to do a search on the forum? I couldn’t find a way.

2

First, clean your track – all of it, with some rubbing alcohol, and see if the hesitation stops. Loose rail joiners can also be part of your problem.

I never use any type of sectional track, so can’t offer any more suggestions about possible loss of power between sections.

3

The best way is to use Google with the “site” option. For example, if I wanted to search for Kato switches, I would type the following:

kato switches site:cs.trains.com

As for the Kato N-scale turnouts, they are power routin by design. This means that the power will follow the direction of the turnout. if you want power on the track, regardless of the setting of the turnout, the easiest way is to run feeders to both sections of track.

4

I think what he’s running into is not the “they’re power routing” so much as “my locomotive stutters/dies as it’s trying to cross the frog”.

Best bet is to start with “clean all the things” (track, loco wheels, etc), and see if that helps. If it doesn’t, then we’ll need some extra information (locomotive, relative speed, “where” it’s dying, etc.)

5

Not sure with the N version, but HO unitrack switches have a screw underneath with two holes. The screw comes in the hole that makes it power-routing, switching the screw to the other hole makes it non-power routing. If you’re in DCC, you should try making that change. In my experience, setting it to non-power routing makes engines less likely to stall going over the points and frog.

6

Unfortunately, this is not the case with N.

7

Not sure. In the OP, he said, “From what I have been able to find online this is a know and common issue created by the way Kato makes the track power only the line the train would go on.” This is what drove me in the power routing direction.

8

Gadgetkk,

[#welcome] To The Forums.

When You have time…take a look at some of these you-tube video’s about Kato N-scale unitrack and switch operation DC/DCC:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7exowICNwg

Just click on link and the others…on the right column.

Take Care! [:D]

Frank

9

Same here. Though, in my (admittedly limited) experience with the power-routing turnouts, they get touchy at the frogs.

10

You have a #6 turnout then. #4 turnouts have the screws. Only way to make the diverging section powered is to add feeders to the diverging section…