MR's N Scale Salt Lake Route

[AlkemScaleModels]

I just watched Dick Christianson's video on track laying with Kato unitrak on his project layout. I must say I am amazed at how he got it all to come out.  Does the Unitrak sections come with easements?  It doesn't look like it in the videos, but I was wondering. The trains do look like they are running smoothly.

[Puddington]

Dick used the "somewhat" new Kato modern cement tie curves that do come with supervelevation; I believe he used some special  small Kato pieces that create the easement at the end of the super elevated curve. He talks about it in March MR.

[reinhardtjh]

The Kato Unitrack Viaduct set comes with an easement section that goes from the normal flat profile to the superelevated profile on each end of the curve.  You can see it in a couple of the pictures on the MR website (might not be available if you don't have a subscription).

[sundowner]

Yes it does. The track piece comes with a left and right easement for the super elevated track. Works nicely.

[AlkemScaleModels]

Yes it does. The track piece comes with a left and right easement for the super elevated track. Works nicely.

Is that both a vertical as well as lateral easement?

[wcfn100]

Yes it does. The track piece comes with a left and right easement for the super elevated track. Works nicely.

Is that both a vertical as well as lateral easement?

Doesn't look like it from this pic (the two on the right)





Jason

[sundowner]

Yes it does. The track piece comes with a left and right easement for the super elevated track. Works nicely.

Is that both a vertical as well as lateral easement?

Only vertical, the lateral stays at the same radius. It does look good when used with the strait pieces. There is also a tighter radius set that is two step below the radius shown in the picture that wcfn100 posted but it does not look as good.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

The thing that always amazed me about Unitrack is that when you're trying to build out something complexly shaped, it still seemed to just "work".

Kato might not have made the stuff LOOK all that pretty, but they really put a lot of effort and thought into the engineering of it.

Because of this I often have the impression that Kato is really an engineering company that just happens to make model trains.

[AlkemScaleModels]

The thing that always amazed me about Unitrack is that when you're trying to build out something complexly shaped, it still seemed to just "work".

Kato might not have made the stuff LOOK all that pretty, but they really put a lot of effort and thought into the engineering of it.

Because of this I often have the impression that Kato is really an engineering company that just happens to make model trains.

I am tempted to get some Unitrak just to see how far one could take w/re to realism. The MR project was brilliant as a marketing tool for Kato. They picked a perfect prototype too. I don't think it would not have worked as well in a 1940s era.

[wm3798]

Or on an eastern road... :  No, the project definitely portrays Kato's pathetically narrow offerings to a tee!

Lee

[wcfn100]

I can't wait for the next piece.




Jason

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I know we enjoy beating on Kato, but I do think that this project has a lot of merit. We have to remember, we (the crowd that hangs around here) tend to be much more exacting and demanding than the average modeler.

I think that MR is right on in knowing their core market, people who have more money than time to devote to the hobby, and want the biggest return for the resources they put in. When it comes to that, it's tough to think of a better solution than what MR's worked on here.

We tend to value our money more than our time here, but that's far from the case from the hobby's most valued consumer.

[wm3798]

I don't think it's always an issue of money vs. time, Ed.  I think we appreciate the output of our efforts and creativity more than either time or money.

So, we take a $2 basket case from a junk box and see what we can do with it.  Or we take .025 wire and make Z scale track that looks like a live prototype shot...etc. etc.

Yes, I'll concede that there's a market for Acme Instant Model Railroad, but where MR has been failing is that once the loopty loop of Unitrack is up, you hear Peggy Lee singing "Is that all there is?"

I suppose some of the basic crafts are being showcased, which can lead to bigger and better things.  And the relentless pursuit of operations helps, and frankly, is bit more socially engaging than idea of hunching over a work bench to animate a back hoe... (no offense intended, David!). 

I suppose the big difference for us is the satisfaction that is derived from the effort expended and the thought that goes into the creative process.

Lee

[tom mann]

I view unitrack and RTR like my (now defunct) car hobby.

I used to enjoy restoring old cars, but do not have the time for cars these days.  However, I still enjoy the thought of owning a vintage auto and wouldn't mind putting a little work into one again.  The difference would be that in years past, I enjoyed working on them; but now, I would rather just buy one in decent shape and have fun driving it.

In the past, I spent hours cleaning up floor pans and painting them, but I have no desire to do that now.

If someone goes through the trouble of devoting space in their home to a layout for then filling it up with kato and RtR, good on them.

[wcfn100]

Everyone knows that the track is nailed down right?

Jason