Installing Kato Unitrack on your Layout
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ค. 2019
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Today we'll be taking a look at Kato Unitrack, and how I install it on my railroad!
Here are some links to various unitrack starter sets and the wires I use.
Link to Kato Unitrack Arduino Turnout Control Tutorial
• Controlling Kato Turno...
Starter Oval with power pack
amzn.to/2YufI93
Yard set
amzn.to/2YnLi8k
Passing Siding
amzn.to/30YsX3e
Unitrack Terminal Wires
amzn.to/2ypScix
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You can contact me at diyanddigitalrr@gmail.com - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
Kato Unitrack, love it! Tip for EZ feeder wires; drill your hole, snip off the stock connector, push the wires through a drinking straw, push straw/wires down the hole, pull the straw off and repeat for next section. No more fighting the wires down the layer/layers of sub-roadbed!
Jimmy, I use Kato Unitrack on my layout and absolutely love it. After I paint and ballast it, it looks every bit as realistic as any other brand of track. I won't be going back to flex track - ever. ...Roy
Yeah I think it looks pretty realistic right out of the gate (box/package). Thank you for these videos. I am making my first N Scale Layout in 25 years with my Grandson and decided on Kato Unitrack because of you and several other content creators. :)
About to fasten the unitrack in place in my tunnel. This video helped my decision to use caulk. Have time to get everything set in place perfect. Take care!
Cool to know about Kato Unitrack. I do use Bachmann EZ. Im happy with mine. Thanks for sharing, Jimmy.
Hate to trigger an old video but this has made up my mind on what track I'm rolling with. Thanks!
I use Kato unitrack also I remove the rail joiners from the clips and solder my feeder to the joiner then re insert to the clip. a bit cheaper but you need to make sure you have a good neat solder joint an patience. I also set my switches to non-power routing which is very easy to do. Make sure to wire the sides of the track consistently or your have a really bad short. Thanks Jimmy
Great video Jimmy. I’m starting my modules soon and was wondering how to set the track to the board. Tks for this tutorial it helps greatly.
This is really helpful to me getting back into the hobby once again.
I am using Kato track. I like that it comes with the ballast already in place and the joiners are great. I also like how the power changes with the rail switches. That allows me to place trains on connected sidetracks that only get power when switched properly. Thanks.
I love that if you wanted to you could connect code 80 flex track to it also if you have a reason to mix and use regular rail joiners. A unique feature.
I had Bachmann. It was great. I switched to Kato for the superelevations. I love how the Kato switches work. If you are DC you don't need insulators.
Finally Found some Kato Track. For my Wife Already Put some track down Now Now she Is gonna Have 2 Brands Of Track. All in All she is gonna have an monster Layout when Done. Now gotta do some Homework for Kato Track.
Thanks Jimmy. Gluing down the sectional as you do is something I need to try on my layout.
Just a thought, i've also used a lowtemp glue gun on 3/16 stick to glue unitrack down... just a bead along oitsode base, covered later with a bit of ballasting..... easy to remove if needed with thin case cutter knife and its very transparent.
I use Kato but I made my own connectors. When you look closely at the rail connector you see two small string ends that can be moved to release the metal rail joiner from the connector. I soldered a wire to the bottom of the rail joiner and re assembled the connector and installed on my layout. Works great and a lot cheaper than the Kato product. I drill my hole about 2 inches from the solder connection so the wire lays flat to the hole and down through the hole to the power buss. Love It!
I've attempted to solder my own wire to a Unijoiner, but so far I haven't been successful. I've been amassing quite a collection of spare Unijoiners to experiment on when I'm ready to try again, though. Maybe one of these days I'll get it right.
Great stuff....I had some doubts re connections but it's so simple...
A very nice video. I have HO scale Unitrack, and figure the Terminal Unijoiners will come in very handy, as I plan on connecting them to the service tracks off my turntable as well as the auto-reversing units I'll have (I have two reversing loops).
Unitrack works great. Don't be afraid to modify it as needed. Soldering wires to the track underside and cutting sections to length. To trim Unitrack section length turn it over and cut out the excess length from the middle with a hobby saw and miter box. One end of rail is pinned/crimped attached to the ballast but after one cut through to the rails backside (being somewhat careful not to tear into the bottom of the rail) the ballast will slide off one end of the rails that isn't crimp tab attached. Cut the exact length you need to remove from that loose side of plastic ballast, be sure to count the cuts thickness for all cuts including the first in your calculations. Leave .1mm or so for sanding both edges to mate cleanly. After the section of ballast is removed reinsert the rails in the trimmed end and glue the ballast sections back together. Last trim the overhanging rails to the length with snips and a file, reinsert the joiners, and its perfect length custom Unitrack section. If you did your cuts clean and sanded the edge and kept tie spacing as much as possible it looks stock with no gap.
AlohaMilton- great description of a technique I hadn't yet imagined I need, but now can see it will be a great help in track laying.
Make a video of your great idea ! Thanks George
thank you that new any thing i enjoy explaining you are great at that
Thanks Jimmy.
Don’t use unitrack however it seems very simple. Nice tutorial on the use. Anthony
Coming back this year after not being interested since the mid 90s, it was so weird to see so many people talking about this kind of track, with the track being part of a plastic roadbed. It always felt so cheap to me when I was younger. I just stuck with turnouts, flextrack, and my own roadbed. I will admit though, part of the reasons why I was driven away from unitrack was the huge amount of choices they had. It's crazy trying to make sense of it from nowhere. I also wanted to run double track on a pretty small layout, but didn't want to use their minimum radius. I'm currently building 2.5' x 4'.
Very informative video Jimmy. One question I have...do you solder the feeder wires to the Bus? Thanks, MGRailroad
I love your channel and am getting ready to get into the hobby. I bought flex track and I struggle to get the rail joiners solders. They just don't stay. Kato seems much easier with the connections from what I can see. Do you know if the rail joiners need to be soldered? I am not sure I'd be able to start this hobby without your channel. Thank you so much!
Can you compare these tracks with fleischmann's H0 profi tracks according to theis usage and compatibility?
Well , I'm just getting started in N scale . Thought I had to glue every inch of track down . So , just a little at every Joint ??? . Enjoy your video's . Keep up the good work . I have a question about your Building's you sell , Are they kits or are they built . Thanks , Steve
all well and good Jimmy, but how do you connect the Kato feeders to the bus? Is there a follow-up video on this important step?
Thanks for the tips. I'm using DC at the moment, but attaching feeder wires is basically the same? Any feedback is appreciated as I'm new to the hobby. Cheers, Patrick.
One thing! If you decide to go with Unitrack, make sure to buy the little extensions and the other extra pieces. I.E. 64mm & 62mm you’ll need them if you have/mix a #4 and a #6 on the same line.
I only say that because I couldn’t figure out why it was to short/long and wouldn’t fit together properly. Also! Get a small file 95% of the joiners are great and you won’t have any issue, however some like to derail trains!
Does a Pack of N scale Kato track come with 4 straight Pieces or just 2?
I'm setting up a siding track with my kato unitrack, when all power is on an engines are running an I switch the turn out ahead I lose power to the engine that is waiting. What am I doing wrong here?
I use cork and handlay via pc board ties and atlas rail
Long time model railroader, have used flex track and cork/flex track and woodland scenics newer roadbed several times on various projects. Not a guy that enjoys trackwork and especially ballast work. I like scale rather than toy train appearance (like the 027 guys and TTOS members) so this product is interesting to me. I have a project in the works (10' X 16") dual mainline oval in a man cave. More of a display layout for running trains rather than heavy operations. I think I am going to give this product a try, I am especially interested in weathering it with either dry pigments or an air brush. ONE QUESTION Jimmy, I see that you put it down with caulk below the joints. How did this workout? It looks like it wouldn't be enough to keep the track firm. Have you weathered it or did you leave it as purchased? Thanks.
What dcc system to use for kato unit track in ho scale?
I have been watching a lot of your videos lately. You have changed my mind about N Scale rather than HO. I am however a total noob but I am learning and I am going to try your MRR layout. My question is this: I get that these connect power to the track. I am used to a small slot car track and it has one power source and away you go. I realize that is a total difference hobby/animal. When I was looking at you MRR you have like 6 of these connected to the track. Why do you need 6? Where specifically do they need to be installed? Is there some rhyme or reason to it? A certain amount of distance between them? Placed at certain parts of the track like curves? Again I am a noobie.
do you need to put the unijoiners on all 4 corners of a piece of track
Instead of gluing down Kato track with caulk, can you screw it down so it can be reused more easily? I can see some small holes underneath the track, but the hole does not go completely through to the top surface so i can't put a tack or screw through the track.
do you need insulated joiners on a kato 6 switch?
I have made my whole layout from the Kato single and double unitrack and have had problems with the crossover switches and too the double track rails. I love the super elevated look that the track that is built into the double track. My problem is in several locations the rails on one section will rise up higher into the joiner than the other section.making a bump for the wheel to cross. My guess that with the very small flanges in a turn they ride up and fall over the next section of track derailing the car. It too would derail engines in a turn as if on the high side the truck the truck would extend out over the lower rail in the next section and then too derail. I can get the track to match up well using the tip of a screw driver and pushing down on the high side at the joiner. Now, I don't like the option of pulling up a new section of track and replacing the joiner as I have everything in place where I want it.. My idea is to do the push down to match the rail heights. and then super glue with fast drying cement, hopefully locking the two together.
These rail height problems also dead stopped my few low riding Fox Valley models.The front steps would catch the misaligned rails. This misalignment is so small But running ones finger across them one can feel the poor alignment.. Have you had these problems.Wish there was a way to post a photo.
I’ve had similar issues running my E5 and E6 Shinkansen trains over such joints. Taking a file to the rail ends fixed it right up.
I use Kato, I think u and I are the only ones who use Kato track Haha correct me I I'm wrong Haha layout is coming along nice
Eric Tietel, you two aren’t the only ones! I love Unitrack too. I only wish they made it in code 55. Sadly my next layout will be with ME code 55. It just looks so much more prototypical to me. I thought I would be happy with code 80. But I just am not. I’m sure I will cry throughout tipping up the old and laying down the new. Why oh why can’t things be perfect? Lol
Thanks for video. I am working to glue down my unitrack. Would Liquid nails for projects work as well as caulk? Bough that because I didn’t want something eating the foam.
Just curious if any experience with that. Would you just tack down at the joints?
Yes! Liquid nails should work fine. I have built 3 layouts with unitrack. Tacking down at the joints has worked great all 3 times.
I feed the railjoiners up through the hole. I like to keep the Kato plug because it's easy to switch from DC to DCC.
Why would you want to switch back to DC once you have it set up to DCC?
Because I only have 2 DCC locomotives. That's why I change back and forth. My HO layout the same way. What's wrong with that?
I love the realistic look of Kato track on the mainline, but in the switch yard it has a kinda high profile. How has anyone else dealt with that?
Thanks, Matt
have my layout on a door currently, have leveled and sanded it flat. However, my unitrack never joins up well and my locomotives catch on the height difference on the track joints. I am super frustrated with this, as I fix one joint and then 5 more joints get thrown out of alignment
Great video. Really enjoying everything you do on your channel. Thanks.
Question :
How do you recommend installing the unitrack so that it’s secure but can be removed in the future? Is latex caulk too strong? Should I use nails? The track will sit on a grass mat (Woodland Scenics) on top of foam glued to plywood. THANKS!
If you are looking to remove it without damaging the mat too much, I would consider double sided tape, if you don’t care about the mat, I would use white glue or hot glue.
@@DIYDigitalRailroad Thanks! I do not care about the mat. Rather I care about the track being secure but plan to change the layout in the future.
I Run Bachman ever since I saw it in a window Ho outside N scale inside for us my wife will be running Bachman and Maybe one of us may Run Lifelike N Scale But for now we need to get some track Bachman for her to start with.
I have found that if u don't get it all the same direction that it will grounded its self . Im using a kato power pack at the moment but when I go to dcc will that matter with side your power is connected to the track .
Hey Tony, yes it is the same with DCC. The layout will short circuit.
Hi I enjoyed your video. However I have a question. I made over 10 n scale train layouts all with flex track. Because I know I could adjust and cut my track to follow my track plans. But how to you do this with snap track. Please let me know how create a track plan that will join up with fix pieces of track.
Thank you.
Track planning with sectional track is much easier if you use one of the available track planning software packages. The software often comes with a library of a specific company’ s available track pieces ( in this case I looked for Kato UniTrack in n scale). The learning curve for the software may be daunting at first, but stick with it and go through the tutorials. If you have worked with a CAD or some type of mapping program you will recognize many of the functions.
Now you draw your layout boundary and start laying track. You select various pieces from the track library, then drag and drop them on the layout. If you enable the snap or auto connect function, your track will connect to the next piece. Much of the track fitting, especially in double track curves will require trial and error fitting. But you will learn what fits where over time.
I use a version of CadRail, but others I know use a number of packages. They all work well; just be sure they have the track libraries you want to use. Yes, I have simplified the process description, but with practice you will get good and fast with the software. Maybe too good, since I have redesigned some areas a dozen times or more. But making changes on a computer is much easier that on the layout. Good luck and happy modeling.
John
One thing that is unique about Unitrack (at least in N scale) among the sectional roadbed track systems is that there is an expandable track section available to fill in for odd spaces.
Is it compatible with flex track. I ask because unitrack cant bend for uphill grades.
Try cutting several cuts through the plastic base around the area where it is transitioning to the grade. Position the track so the connector is not at the start of the grade. Rather a long piece of track with the cuts in the middle. When you glue it down and weight it to dry, it will get a nice gentle curve rather than the connection.
Can you use different types of controllers?
Yes. Any type of controller that works on other track will work.
Get someone tell me if I can use easy track with code 83 at the same time
How many feeder wires do you recommend for a simple 7’ oval running DCC? I am new to Unitrak and DCC. Thanks
I see it’s a little late however I don’t think you need any for that. I have 26 feet plus up a helix and I had no feeders and it was flawless.
Dont you need to make sure that the connections are the same each time? One color to the same rail?
Hi Jimmy, great video. Do you have a video presentation wiring N scale Kato unitrak for DCC, please? I'm finished the "laying out" phase and need to leap into DCC... last venture was a DC HO setup and i'd like the DCC experience. Whole layout is Kato UniTrack. Thank you
Hey Michael. While I do not have a specific video on wiring Kato Unitrack for DCC. Part 2 of the MRROne series covers how I do it. It also covers how I attach the track just using latex caulk. I hope this helps! th-cam.com/video/gTzX158SSfM/w-d-xo.html
@@DIYDigitalRailroad very much thank you. Happy New Year, may 2021 fill your household with Joy and 2020 Hindsight wisdom. Cheers
Am I the only one that Nails down there Kato Unitrack??? I drill the holes and use tiny brads
The link that you reference regarding the turnout does not seem to exist.
Good catch! It is there now.
I need tips on how to convert my kato unitrack to dcc instead of dc.
Is it big? How complicated is it?
@@andrewlaverghetta715 not terribly complicated it consists of katos hv1 loop a couple of sidings and a small yard and katos hv4 in ho scale
Can you go go Dc as well?
Yes absolutely!
Really difficult to use. If you get anything wrong it won’t run
I used to use Kato track. But I kept having problems with the switches. They would come apart wile in use. With them installed maybe over a year. I had to tear up the switches to repair them. Is there a fix for this issue? I would love to see you do a video on this issue. Can you imagine having 10 yard tracks and two of the switches had to be unglued to be repaired. I have over 34 switches and out of that set of switches I had to repair 11 of them after they were installed. Any ideas? It's not like I am hard on using Kato track. I did finely pull it all out and replace it all with Atlas code 55 track. Which by the way is running problem free.
I'll have to look into that.
You talk too much before you get the point. And there's D in Kato. You can't Kato right!