Does painting Unitrack make a difference?...HECK YEA!!!

[arbomambo]

I agree that Unitrack can look decent with ballasting, and paint.  However, whenever I go to train shows and witness Code 55 in person I think "ughhh, it just looks soo much better."  But Unitrack absolutely has a place in the modeling world, for a wide range of skill levels. It is a great product.

I am admittedly still intimidated by even laying Code 55 flex track -alignment, cork roadbed, servos to throw turnouts  .  I think my next "layout" will either be a smaller shelf time saver, or FreeMo-N module using Code 55, just to get the hang of it.  And yet, in the distant future, hand laying track seems soo appealing to me!

Here is my attempt at making Unitrack look less Unitracky:

Noah,
couldn't agree with you, and others here, more...Unitrack is a guilty pleasure for me now, simply because of the t-Trak thing allowing me to get the folks out there interested in n scale...if they want to take it further and get into Fine scale...hey, the more the merrier...
that Kato track of yours looks fantastic!!!!!!!
~Bruce

[Noah Lane]

Noah, that looks great!   Can you tell me what kind/color of ballast you are using?  I've been having trouble getting my ballast to look "white" enough, especially in photos.  Yours is about perfect for the look I want.

Thanks, Doug! For mainlines I used Arizona Rock & Mineral N-Scale UP/Silverton/WP Bold Gray.  For my spurs I used N-Scale Empire Builder Basalt.

IMHO, the Kato Ballast doesn't look bad. But it also makes it look like Unitrack. 

I went through several colors: Woodland Scenics Medium Gray Fine. WS Med Gray mixed with WS Cinders.  Then I liked the color of the Arizona Rock & Mineral Empire Builder Basalt -when it was in the bag.  But it was too dark once applied (see below). However, it works for my spurs.

I was stoked when I finally discovered the UP/Silverton/WP Bold Gray. It was the exact color I was looking for. And it looks great with Unitrack.


This is the Empire Builder Basalt. Neolube on the rails, and ties painted/spike heads with a combo of Rail Tie Brown and Rail Brown. NOTE: I always use a isopropyl alcohol on a q-tip to clean the rail tops after letting the Neolube dry. Yes, Neolube conducts electricity, but trains won't run well with it covering rail tops.

[arbomambo]

Thanks, Doug! For mainlines I used Arizona Rock & Mineral N-Scale UP/Silverton/WP Bold Gray.  For my spurs I used N-Scale Empire Builder Basalt.

IMHO, the Kato Ballast doesn't look bad. But it also makes it look like Unitrack. 

I went through several colors: Woodland Scenics Medium Gray Fine. WS Med Gray mixed with WS Cinders.  Then I liked the color of the Arizona Rock & Mineral Empire Builder Basalt -when it was in the bag.  But it was too dark once applied (see below). However, it works for my spurs.

I was stoked when I finally discovered the UP/Silverton/WP Bold Gray. It was the exact color I was looking for. And it looks great with Unitrack.


This is the Empire Builder Basalt. Neolube on the rails, and ties painted/spike heads with a combo of Rail Tie Brown and Rail Brown. NOTE: I always use a isopropyl alcohol on a q-tip to clean the rail tops after letting the Neolube dry. Yes, Neolube conducts electricity, but trains won't run well with it covering rail tops.

love the basalt too...it's the color on my ATSF Kingman Canyon code 55 layout...can't beat the AZRM ballast...
Bruce

[arbomambo]

just a little more detailing... a few road signs, crossbucks, and power pole...still left to do, some more 'Farm' details (tractor, etc), a barbed wire fence and corral fence, highway guardrails, and static grass...
~Bruce

[tom mann]

It just dawned on me that all of the "cons" listed in the responses become less of an issue with the Atlas True Track.  However, it looks like there is minimal selection and most of it is out of stock at retailers.

[Dave V]

It just dawned on me that all of the "cons" listed in the responses become less of an issue with the Atlas True Track.  However, it looks like there is minimal selection and most of it is out of stock at retailers.

Exactly this.  If Atlas could match the Unitrack selection, it would be a money machine.  They need to start by offering numbered turnouts instead of trainset-curve turnouts.

[Denver Road Doug]

It just dawned on me that all of the "cons" listed in the responses become less of an issue with the Atlas True Track.  However, it looks like there is minimal selection and most of it is out of stock at retailers.

Exactly this.  If Atlas could match the Unitrack selection, it would be a money machine.  They need to start by offering numbered turnouts instead of trainset-curve turnouts.

But... (there's always a big BUT  )

While you address the cons,  you also eliminate many of the PRO's, and some very critical ones.

First off, is the rail.  I'm not debating what material they use or that it is different than any other.  All I know is...it seems to permit trains to run just a little bit better, for whatever reason.  Feel free to completely dismiss this as a PRO, but in my mind it is real.

Second is the lack of Unijoiners.  I attribute a LOT of Unitrack's advantage to the Unijoiners. (see also--and maybe contribute to--first point)  There is both a mechanical and an electrical connection being made that seems to just work well with Unitrack.  If you've ever experimented with Atlas True Track, you know it is a much less sophisticated and less effective method of joining track. (and especially important for the next point...)

Durability...is borderline non-existent with Atlas True Track.  I had been working with mine for about five minutes before destroying one piece.  Attempted to pull two pieces apart, and one rail just came completely out when the pieces separated. (picture: one complete piece of track, a rail joiner, and a piece of just the rail from the other piece still connected.)   I will concede that this is an extremely small sample size, but looking at an almost infinitely larger sample size of Unitrack I've worked with and NEVER had any problems like this, it just kinda sticks with me.   I just get the feeling that Atlas isn't aiming for the same market that Kato is, and that's fine.   They really just want a basic trainset line they can have and that's it.

The aforementioned track selection.  Surprisingly, if you throw out Kato's esoteric stuff like viaduct track, the double track stuff, and some other non-essentials, Atlas actually would stack up really well if they would release about 4-5 more pieces.  (I looked into this in depth at one point and I seem to recall it being two turnouts, a crossing or two, and on or two curve radii to be fairly equal to the Kato line.)   In my mind, unless/until Atlas releases a larger/better turnout, the True Track discussion dies there.  If/when they do, then it might be worth revisiting.

[Dave V]

Ture 'nuff...  The Unijoiner is kinda the key...enough so that when Blackstone released their new HOn3 code 70 line (still heavy rail for narrow gauge, except maybe the EBT) they used Kato Unijoiners.

[Denver Road Doug]

Thanks, Doug! For mainlines I used Arizona Rock & Mineral N-Scale UP/Silverton/WP Bold Gray.  For my spurs I used N-Scale Empire Builder Basalt.

IMHO, the Kato Ballast doesn't look bad. But it also makes it look like Unitrack. 

I went through several colors: Woodland Scenics Medium Gray Fine. WS Med Gray mixed with WS Cinders.  Then I liked the color of the Arizona Rock & Mineral Empire Builder Basalt -when it was in the bag.  But it was too dark once applied (see below). However, it works for my spurs.  I was stoked when I finally discovered the UP/Silverton/WP Bold Gray. It was the exact color I was looking for. And it looks great with Unitrack.

This is the Empire Builder Basalt. Neolube on the rails, and ties painted/spike heads with a combo of Rail Tie Brown and Rail Brown. NOTE: I always use a isopropyl alcohol on a q-tip to clean the rail tops after letting the Neolube dry. Yes, Neolube conducts electricity, but trains won't run well with it covering rail tops.

Thank you for the rundown, that is very useful information.   I'm not a fan of the Kato ballast because--as you stated--it looks just like the track and that's what I'm trying to fix in the first place. 

I love the AR&M product and have hoards of it...not sure if I have any UP/Silverton/WP though I'll have to see.  Recently I've been boycotting AR&M as a company because of the very unbelievable comments their owner made when Woodland Scenics had a fire at one of their factories.  I guess I need to get over that but it still makes me sick to think about.   Anyway, thanks again for sharing  your "recipe" and I suppose I'll take a look at emulating what you've done.

[tom mann]

I have to say that the NeoLube on the rails is a pretty good idea. 

[arbomambo]

Noah,
I can't get over how nice your ballast treatment looks!

guard rail installed...











Bruce

[fifer]

Bruce , I guess it would be safe to say , "the kato bug has bitten another of us"  LOL
Mike

[pwnj]

Love how that module turned out, Bruce. FANTASTIC! Can't wait to start building my T-Trak "layout".

[Kentuckian]

Bruce,

Excellent work on the module.  I really like the farm scene.

The first track on my HCD layout was all unitrack.  I like the flexibility of trying different track plans.  When Atlas's code 55 first became popular, I loved the tie spacing and went with that for most of what will be the scenicked part of the layout.  Unitrack is still the hidden staging area.  My layout is kind of a track test deck before I build the big one; Kato, Atlas, Micro-engineering, and Peco are all on the layout.  One of the spurs is code 40, the rest code 55.

[strummer]

This has been an interesting thread.

I remember back on the "old" Atlas forum that a lot of discussions regarding Unitrack could get pretty ugly; kind of like reading about O scale 2 rail vs. 3 rail.

Like so many others, I would prefer to be using Atlas code 55, but I know the Kato stuff works, and is always available. I do wish they would make a #8 switch,and perhaps some other items, but in the meantime...

It seems that Unitrack has been accorded the acceptance I feel it deserves. And that guard rail is spot on!

Mark in Oregon