Kato rural platform

I finally got around to assembling the rural platform and extension set this week-end. I originally thought that I would have to use adhesive, but it turns out that all the pieces are assembled together with screws. There's a lot of small peripheral pieces like lamps, station intercoms, electrical telephone poles, fences, signals, etc. I elected to work on the platform for now. That's the primary reason why I bought this structure. There are plastic lamp poles, but I did not put them on the platform. I'm considering using lighted platform lamps later on. I like the Brawa #4643. I think they would match the platform very well.



I started with the roof sections. They were fairly easy to assemble as there were only four pieces per roof section. The length of each section is 124mm. Two came with the rural platform and two with the extension set. I really liked how they designed the pieces to fit together, but I'm not entirely keen on the plastic Kato uses. The plastic seems fairly brittle so I'll have to be extra careful. I've already broke a piece off one of my catenaries.



The platforms took a bit more effort to assemble. The platforms with the roof sections needed more attention. I had to drill holes in the platform to attach the roof sections. I used the needle off my compass to penetrate through the surface of the platform. I used my small cylindrical file to enlarge the holes until the posts fit.



To get to the other platform, passengers have to cross the tracks. There are ramps at the ends of the platforms. Kato also provide a set of stairs that allow passengers to get down from the platform to track level. These can be placed in the middle of the platform, but I had to cut out a section of the platform to accommodate the steps. I didn't do a very clean cut, but it works well enough for me. Besides, the roof section will partially obscure the view of the steps should anyone want to have a closer look.



The rural platform is 1" wide which is narrower than the suburban platforms as the pedestrian traffic is less congested. The original plan was to have only a pastoral setting for ICEs to speed through, but with this new layout design I can add an additional table up against the rural platform. I'm trying to figure if I can include a cathedral. I've got my eye on the Kibri Romanesque cathedral (#7025), but it may be too big.

Each platform is 744mm in length not including the ramps. I was thinking of getting another extension set, but it appears that won't be necessary. My platform is long enough to accommodate my DB Regio or the LINTs that I have on order. Hopefully my concrete piers and 348mm 30deg viaducts come in soon.

Sigh...

I thought I had my Kato layout figured out, but I couldn't reconcile how to connect the ground track at the end of the station platform. It was troubling me as I didn't want to create a loop back to the station. I only wish that Kato had a 448mm radius curve track. It would have allowed me to have a dual track looping around the elevated tracks. I suppose I could use Minitrix flex track, but it would not match the Kato unitrack. Sitting up late one night, I opened up xtrkcad and started brainstorming. I came up with a different layout reusing the 744mm x 302mm plywood table tops I already had cut. The new layout still has a long viaduct section to run my ICEs at speed. The new layout is a little shorter than the previous design. The only criticism I have about this latest design is the symmetry. However I think I can disguise the symmetry with appropriate landscaping. I still have more unitrack parts on order. That's why the track isn't complete.

Layout #3

Christmas in March

I thought I would try my hand at making peposo. No it has nothing to do with trains. At least not directly. Peposo is an old Italian dish that originated in the Tuscany region. The dish is similar to beef stew consisting of beef shanks cubed with copious amounts of cracked peppercorn, fifteen cloves of garlic and half a cup of red wine simmering over low heat in a slow cooker for twelve hours. You heard right, twelve hours. Originally invented in the city of Impruneta by workers spending long nights tending the terracotta kilns. They simply threw all the ingredients into the oven and would leave it unattended overnight. So what does peposo have to do with trains? Nothing, but I figured I could get this dish started and walk away from it to work on my train layout without fear of burning dinner. Well, actually breakfast considering I started it at 6pm and it won't be ready until morning.

My Kato orders finally arrived. I went over to Hobbytech to pick up my long awaited unitrack parts and structures. Rural platform, extension sets, park & parking lot, and more unitracks. There's still more to come. I think I figured out the ground level track layout. I've got it as a single track looping around the outside of the viaducts while still managing to have one track running under the trestle bridges. Unfortunately I've run out of room. It looks like I will have to push my work table back a couple of feet to accommodate the ground level track. I've posted a video of the layout along with the unboxing of the rural platform set along with the extension and park/parking lot set. Unlike other Kato structures, the rural platform and extension set needs to be assembled.

Layout #2



Kato 23-130



Kato 23-131



Kato 23-418