Unitrack painting problem

[peteski]

Yep. Did it already. Just realized it was like that after seeing the photo.

So to confirm, the Kato Unijoiners *DO* work with Peco Code 55 rail?

[Point353]

This kato piece is designed to transition to Tomy track-in-roadbed, to use it for any other track you have to shim it quite a bit.
Better to save money and just shim whatever track you’re going to connect to a regular piece of Unitrack.

Actually, Kato markets the 20-045 as a "Snap-Track Conversion Track" - with Snap-Track being the Atlas tradename for their code 80 sectional track.

[pdx1955]

So to confirm, the Kato Unijoiners *DO* work with Peco Code 55 rail?

Yes, they work fine. I do a little filing of the railhead but works out great.

[arbomambo]

Actually, Kato markets the 20-045 as a "Snap-Track Conversion Track" - with Snap-Track being the Atlas tradename for their code 80 sectional track.

Regardless of how they ‘market’ it, it was designed, as I said, to transition to the widely available and popular, in Japan, Tomix track-in-roadbed system, which fits perfectly without shimming.
Atlas Snap Track needs quite a bit of shimming to fit, level, rail to rail.

[Dave V]

So interesting (back to my OP), the Kato crossovers I just bought... The rails take the paint pen just fine.

[arbomambo]

So interesting (back to my OP), the Kato crossovers I just bought... The rails take the paint pen just fine.

I would have been concerned if they hadn’t…
Mine took paint w/o any issue.

[apudelek]

Dave,

I'm not sure what your plans are for tweaking those Kato single crossovers...  I know when I first bought mine, I had significant issues with them until I filed notches to allow the points to sit better inside the rails.  I now have a fraction of the derailments that used to plague these turnouts.  I would recommend it to anyone planning on running large steam or full-length passenger cars on their Unitrack with #4 turnouts.

I got the idea from Mike Fifer's Youtube channel. Here's the video link: 

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I also beveled the tips of the rails at the end of every track piece so the wheelsets wouldn't catch on the pointed tips, which seemed to help my operation as well.  This might just be an issue for me, as I don't have a standalone layout at the moment and level surface for track can be difficult to obtain.  I know I also saw this somewhere on Youtube at one point.

[Freight Train]

Dave,
   You might want to get a hold of Mike Fifer of Fifer Hobbies and asks how he paints his unitrack ? He paints his stuff all the time and I don't remember him ever saying he has a problem with paint sticking in his YouTube videos ?
                                                Rick

[Point353]

[Ed Kapuscinski]

So to confirm, the Kato Unijoiners *DO* work with Peco Code 55 rail?

Yep. All weekend, and with this ugly gap too.

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[Dave V]

Yep. All weekend, and with this ugly gap too.

(Attachment Link)

Oh! OH! Yikes! That gives me the willies; especially the twist in the track to the rear.

I've seen that video. The good news is I think it was just a batch issue; as I mentioned I was easily able to paint the crossovers I bought.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Oh! OH! Yikes! That gives me the willies; especially the twist in the track to the rear.

I've seen that video. The good news is I think it was just a batch issue; as I mentioned I was easily able to paint the crossovers I bought.

Me too.

But you know what?

Nobody had any problems with it (at least that I had heard of) over the entire weekend.

And THAT is a lesson I think folks need to hear. We're not talking about an environment where you're backing 200 car trains around it. It's VERY forgiving.

[Dwight in Toronto]

@Ed Kapuscinski  … I first saw pics of your ‘dead season’ modeling when I joined TRW a couple years ago, became intrigued, and have found it to be increasingly appealing ever since.

I spent some time admiring your diorama on Saturday, and I was sold … this is the “look” I will strive for if/when my next layout gets underway.  The environs here in southern Ontario goes through just that sort of dead season, from November to early April, so it would be entirely fitting.

Anyway, just wanted to pass along my appreciation for a job well done.  I would have liked to have had a brief chat, but we were never in the same place at the same time (I did, however, have the pleasure of meeting TRW regulars Lee Weldon and Bob Bunge). 

The drive from Toronto to Altoona was beautiful and effortless, and N Scale Weekend surpassed my expectations … it was fun, exciting, stimulating and rewarding, and I genuinely look forward to participating again.  Kudos to all the organizers who delivered a truly worthwhile and memorable experience.

[arbomambo]

Yep. All weekend, and with this ugly gap too.

(Attachment Link)

Ouch!
Perhaps the transition piece would benefit frim a redesign, allowing the adjacent unijoiner to seat more fully into the piece, therefore eliminating that gap. Of course, the ‘double web’ design of the Peco code 55 rail probably prevents a good unijoiner seating.
  Quite frankly, in our local and regional combined layout setups, we wouldn’t allow a module that creates a gap like that. We routinely run 35-60 modern car (50-60-82’ length) trains, with some 80-100 car trains. Most with fine scale wheelsets.
I’m a little surprised that a gap like that isn’t flagged. Too many possibilities for tracking problems, though including much higher possibilities of ‘humps’ and ‘dips’ at that module interface, in addition to the more obvious wheelsets ‘banging’ into the facing railhead after dropping, even ever so slightly, into that gap.
  I’ll admit, we’re pretty anal about tolerances and super leveling of modules in layouts here in the Southeast, but it certainly pays off in trouble free operations and layout performance.

[MK]

And THAT is a lesson I think folks need to hear. We're not talking about an environment where you're backing 200 car trains around it. It's VERY forgiving.

But we were talking about my 8+ ft 16-car Shinkansen running at moderate speed with no issues around the entire red line on the Combined T-Trak layout in Altoona.  I didn't even know there were gaps like that!   

It will let you know about bad inter-module connections as the carriages are very low to the rails.  I was holding my breath on the initial loop run but had a big smile when it passed with flying colors!