Width of four Unitracks?

[randgust]

Ed, as I'm tinkering with T-Trak modules I've had the chance to deal with Kato Unitrack and what it will and won't do.   

From my testing it will stay a LOT cleaner, which is a huge plus for staging tracks.  I put a Unitrack staging track behind the HVRR backdrop where it's almost completely inaccessible because I can literally put it out and disassemble it to clean it if I need to.   I have to say that really impressed me.   Like most Kato stuff, they simply have better metallurgy.

With T-trak I've been introduced to the whole business of track spacing, and what-fits-with-what in a snap-together world. 

I just got my first Kato #4, which in a nutshell, sets you up for 33mm track centers, not bad, actually.  But you'll hear a lot of grumbling about Kato #4's and derailments,  and now I see why - the points are on a very weak solenoid spring and have very little force into the stock rail.  They do not seat into the stock rail very well, or are all that sharp, so pre-installation you've got some work to do from what I've seen.   At least with the finger-throw mine is not all that consistent to close with the stock rail on the straight route.  The #6's that have a more reliable reputation have a wider track center standard to 41mm.  See this:  http://www.sumidacrossing.org/ModelTrains/PassengerPlatforms/files/platform-tracks-viaduct-stn1.jpg

You do have some rather slick abilities to set them up with power-routing, frog powering, etc., but I remain unconvinced that they'd be more reliable than any other given turnout with a Tortoise underneath to do power routing (which is how I've always built before) and 'bulletproofed' with jumper wires between points and stock rail so they don't go dead over time.

One thing I actually can see is the potential, just the potential, to simply build a yard so you can pull the entire darn thing back out to maintain it if you had to rather than the usual nightmare of a staging yard sandwiched between plywood layers.   That's a paradigm shift if there ever was one.  With Unitrack, do you really need to permanently secure the track to a surface?   On the HV, I glued down strips of stripwood so that the track sets/slides in a shallow channel, and then you just slide the track behind the backdrop.   I can't reach it to clean it.  I have to unclip it and slide it back out out.  But, that works.  It would probably work on a four-track yard if you can deal with the turnout wires somehow.   I'm not sure how well that would work in staging yard design, but think about that.    If a turnout starts driving you nuts, just pull the yard out and fix it and then slide the yard back in.   Brilliant!

[Ed Kapuscinski]

You just hit on a bunch of reasons I'm leaning toward using it in this capacity.


And 41mm. Hmm... that means I need 7" to fit in 4 tracks, but I think that's doable.

And sure, the Peco + Tortoise route might work ok, but I don't want to have to build that out in the location these need to go, so these are a perfect option.

Now, I don't know if I'm going to do all of the staging tracks with Unitrack (I mean, 12' x 4 tracks is a lot: $100 worth of track), but definitely the interlocking plant.

[Bob Bufkin]

Ed I think I have some extra Unitrak.  Have to check when I get time.   You can have what I've got. 

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Wow, awesome, thanks Bob!

[Dave V]

If the staging is even partially visible, it can still be made to look pretty decent:



That's my Unitrack experiment...  Left track is Unitrack and the right is Atlas code 80 flex.

[Bob Bufkin]

Got around 10 pieces of straight, a couple short pieces,  2 bumper posts and assorted curve you can have.  Also found 3 no 6 turnouts which you don't need

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Oh no, the #6s are perfect. But you have to let me give you something for them.

[Carolina Northern]

You just hit on a bunch of reasons I'm leaning toward using it in this capacity.


And 41mm. Hmm... that means I need 7" to fit in 4 tracks, but I think that's doable.

And sure, the Peco + Tortoise route might work ok, but I don't want to have to build that out in the location these need to go, so these are a perfect option.

Now, I don't know if I'm going to do all of the staging tracks with Unitrack (I mean, 12' x 4 tracks is a lot: $100 worth of track), but definitely the interlocking plant.

Used Unitrack is nearly as good as new. Check the evilbay for lots of straights. I just got 50 brown straights for less than $20.00. Just fine for my staging.

Remember #6 turnouts are 1.5 times as good as #4's.

Don

[Bob Bufkin]

ED I have one left and one right #6s.   One still in the package (marked  $25.00).  You can have everything for $25.00.   I still need the other switch for a future project.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Sounds like a deal to me Bob! I need two of one and one of the other.

We'll have to find a time to meet up and make the deal.

[Bob Bufkin]

Busy the next few days.  I might try for St Denis on Sunday since I haven't been out railfanning for a couple weeks..  Might be able to meet there.

[wm3798]

Don't forget, you'll also need that invisible switch to run your ghost trains through the yard that aren't supposed to be there to get to the staging tracks that will be inadequately short and full of traffic that will be in the way of the yard crew because they have to go through the yard twice to get to the staging that shouldn't be where it is because it's not at a logical place that's more accessible and out of the way of the actual traffic you want to model in and out of the yard, which will be hung up behind the invisible ghost moves that AREN'T going down the Helix that you should have built in the first place....

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Don't forget, you'll also need that invisible switch to run your ghost trains through the yard that aren't supposed to be there to get to the staging tracks that will be inadequately short and full of traffic that will be in the way of the yard crew because they have to go through the yard twice to get to the staging that shouldn't be where it is because it's not at a logical place that's more accessible and out of the way of the actual traffic you want to model in and out of the yard, which will be hung up behind the invisible ghost moves that AREN'T going down the Helix that you should have built in the first place....

Shuddup you.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Busy the next few days.  I might try for St Denis on Sunday since I haven't been out railfanning for a couple weeks..  Might be able to meet there.

It'll be a while. Heading out of town this weekend. I'm not in a particular hurry.

[Bob Bufkin]

OK, we'll figure something out.