Kato Unitrack turnouts

After converting my layout to Kato Unitrack, I'd like to pass on some observations about the turnouts and double crossover. Kato has a limited variety of turnouts. In fact, there are only two turnouts - 481mm radius (#4 part number 20-220 and 20-221) and 718mm radius (#6 part number 20-202 and 20-203). What is odd is that only the #4 turnouts are DCC ready. As you can see on the back side, the turnout can be re-configured from DC to DCC by changing the position of the screws. As a consequence, they are more expensive than the #6 turnouts.

The #6 turnout can be made to work as DCC after a bit of re-wiring. However, this necessitates taking the back panel off the turnout. I have not attempted this operation as my layout is currently DC. If you're interested, there is a website by Allan Gartner who describes how to convert to DCC. Unfortunately he only provides schematics, no photographs. If you're like me and lack wiring skills, you're probably better off to buy the #4 turnouts. They're only a few dollars more, but at least you can quickly switch over to DCC when the time comes. Had I known this, I wouldn't have invested in the #6 turnouts. Fortunately, I only have a few #6 turnouts. The majority are #4, which I purchased specifically for the railway station layout.

For my interchange layout section, I purchased the double cross over (part number 20-210). Like the turnouts, the cross-over works flawlessly. No derailments at all. However, the cross over is insulated and the four quadrants each have to be connected to a feeder line. This is a problem as I was only planning to operate the railway station layout with a single power unit. To make it work with only one power unit I have to pull out the cross over and put in four turnouts. It's not as clean looking as the cross-over, but it works.

All in all, the Kato Unitrack works like a charm. Like I said in a previous entry, the point of going with Kato Unitrack was its reliability and smooth operation.

1:160 scale comparison

While work continues slowly on the railway station layout, I thought I'd take some time to compare the size of the high speed passenger trains in my collection. I've never had all of them sitting next to each other at the same time. My collection at present, include two Shinkansens, one TGV and four ICEs (Unlike the ICE1s, the two ICE3s in my possession are identical so I've elected to show just the one). The ICEs are built by MiniTrix and the others by Kato. I was curious whether there was a noticeable difference in size. I know that they are N-scale, but having read articles about the variability of structures between different vendors, I was curious whether this also applied to trains. I have no pictures to compare these trains at 1:1 scale. This is simply a relative visual comparison with no physical measurements to base upon.

Even if the models are not exactly 1:160 scale, it would be difficult to discern any difference. In all honesty, I wouldn't be able to tell if there were any discrepancies in scale. From the top view, you can see that the ICE1 locomotives are the shortest in this group followed by the TGV. Both ICE3 and Shinkansen E4 Max are about the same length. At least they are at N-scale. The longest is the Shinkansen 700. I haven't had a chance to connect all the cars together to see their complete length. I'll wait until the layout is completed before I pull them out of their boxes.

You can see from the front view that the Shinkansen is the wider of the high speed passsenger trains followed by the ICE1s. Then the ICE3 and finally the TGV. I thought this might be attributed to the track gauge employed in Japan was different than that used in Europe. However, the ICE, TGV and Shinkansen all operate on standard gauge track, which is 4' 8.5" wide. I had to look this up on Wikipedia. I recall feeling confined while riding in the Shinkansen. Several factors contributed to this feeling. The seats were packed closely to maximize the number of passengers. The other reason was due to the small cabin windows. I felt as if I was flying in a passenger airliner. This differed significantly from the ICE3, which I thought was spacious. Of course, the large reclining seats in first class probably helped to create that sense of openness as the European landscape sped past the expansive windows. It is no secret that North Americans are larger (okay, obese) than their asian counterparts. Perhaps this is the reason for the smaller seats in Japan. I hated flying JAL because of the lack of leg room.

TGV

My Kato TGV Paris-Ostfrankreich-Süddeutschland (Paris-Eastern France-Southern Germany) arrived in the post today! Although my heart is still set on the Thalys, the TGV POS is starting to grow on me. It will be a great addition to my growing inventory of high speed trains. My collection stands at two DB ICE1, two DB ICE3, one Shinkansen E4 MAX, one Shinkansen 700 and the TGV POS. I'm still waiting for the Shinkansen 500 to come in. I'd love to get an ICE2. Only Fleischmann makes that particular model, but it's way too expensive. Eurorail Hobbies has a ICE2 starter set priced at $800. Granted it is DCC ready and comes with a digital controller, but it's more than I am willing to pay. Besides, I'm still DC and would like to get the MiniTrix digital controller instead.

The detailing on the TGV is very good. However, just when I though Kato couldn't make a less user friendly coupler than the ones deployed on the Shinkansens, I was proved wrong. Talk about a poor design. There are two types of couplers on this TGV. The coupler on the locomotives were relatively easy to connect together. However, the couplers between the passenger cars were extremely difficult to snap together. In fact, I wasn't able to connect them fully. I didn't want to exert too much force on the cars for fear of breaking the coupler. That's why the gap between the cars was wider than expected in the photograph. Despite the poor couplers, I did manage to put the train through several test runs on the oval. It definitely runs fast even pushing ten cars.

I can't wait to get my railway station finished so I can display all the high speed trains together. Yeah I know it's not prototypical, but it's my utopian world. I just need to come up with a suitable name for the fictional city where the station resides.

Station update

In addition to picking up my Shinkansen, I took the opportunity while at Hobbytech to get a few more unitrack pieces. I decided to replace my Minitrix tracks with Kato unitrack for my railway station layout. The reason behind this decision was the smoother operation of the Kato turnouts. My trains were derailing over the Minitrix turnouts and they often stopped at the unpolarized frog. The other reason was that the solenoids are fitted inside the Kato turnout whereas Minitrix have their solenoids sticking out on the side of the turnout. It's somewhat of an eyesore. Some people have mounted the solenoids upside down and covered them with ballast to hide them. The architectural style of the railway station layout does not permit the use of ballast. If you look closely at the photograph, you can see the wiring that connects the turnouts to the Kato switches. The wires will be strung through a hole in the table top directly under the unitrack so they will not be visible. As you may have surmised, the operation will be entirely DC. I still haven't converted to DCC yet. Speaking of which, only the #4 Kato turnouts are DCC friendly. The #6 turnout and the double cross-over require some re-wiring to get them DCC compliant.

Shinkansen Series 700 "Nozomi"

I rode the Tōkaidō Shinkansen from Osaka to Tokyo after graduating in 2000. I was visiting my friend in Kobe. The model of this particular Shinkansen is the Series 700 easily identified by its duck bill shaped nose. It was later replaced by the N700 in 2007. Johnny also brought the newer model in as part of Hobbytech's product line, but I showed restraint and just bought the Series 700 because it was the one I actually rode on. I can still remember standing on the platform and feeling the rush of air as the bullet train raced through the station. I thought people standing on the edge of the platform would be swept away, but there was no worry. The stations are designed to accommodate the increase in air pressure caused by the bullet trains. I believe the majority of the Shinkansen stations are elevated as well as the tracks in major urban centres. The other thing I remember was that interior of the Shinkansen had small cabin windows like large passenger aircraft. ICEs on the other hand have spacious windows.

This N-scale model train is built by Kato. Same manufacturer as the E4 Max I purchased earlier this year. The detailing is very good though this particular Shinkansen isn't as stylish as other Shinkansens. The only criticism I have is the material used for the couplers, which is made of hard plastic. I only wish Kato would consider using metal instead. I have a big fear that the plastic coupler might break off. I cringe whenever connecting and disconnecting the cars.

Argh!

I was reviewing the ceiling arches I made last year and discovered the joints where the solvent was applied has made the styrene less flexible. In fact, it has become brittle so I can't bend them without breaking. I wasn't aware of this characteristic when styrene combines with solvent. Now I have to design a new ceiling structure for the platforms. A set back to my grandiose plans.

Platform update

A quick update on my platforms. I finished adhering the last rib to the sixth and final platform tonight. As stated, I managed to work on one platform each night this week. It went fairly quick. I forgot to mention in my previous entry the use of a cross action curved tweezer. A must have in any tool box. As you can see in the photograph, the ribs do not extend all the way to the bottom. I left a gap for the cork underlay.

Design of the railway station starts tomorrow. I'm leaning towards a modern looking building with a front facade composed entirely of glass like the Köln Hauptbahnhof. Fortunately, Evergreen manufactures transparent styrene plastic sheets. I'll use these for the windows, however, I'm not altogether sure how it'll work out as the sheets are very thin. Because of this, they are very flexible and will need to be made rigid. If only I could find a kit that suited my architectural requirements. A pre-manufactured kit would save me months of work. I estimate that it will take me at least that long to design and construct my own custom station. The curved roof structure will be the trickiest to pull off, but it'll provide more visual stimulation to the layout.

Platform revisited

I was motivated to work on my custom railway platform after having seen some of the displays at the train show. One of the exhibitors had used a small miter box to cut multiple strips of balsa wood to equal lengths, I decided to try it with plastic. I always thought my platforms were a little plain looking and needed some additional architectural detail. So I decided to add ribs to the sides of the platforms. However, I was not keen on cutting strips of plastic. I couldn't imagine myself measuring and cutting 1020 ribs. However, the miter box was a real time saver. I secured a metal barrier on one edge of the miter box so I could press the strip of plastic against it to ensure each cut would create the same length without having to measure each time. You can see how I set it up in the photograph. Originally I used a saw to cut the plastic. This created a ragged edge, which I had to sand down. I found using an Exacto knife created a very clean edge. However, the slots on the miter box was a little too wide so I used two pieces of cardboard to keep the blade firmly in place and at right angles. It worked like a charm. I simply pressed down to score the plastic strip and then simply snapped the rib off. I figure can finish one platform per night. Hopefully I'll be done by the week-end.

Railway station

I was at Hobbytech this morning to pick up my order of curved viaducts. I just need a few more Kato parts to complete the track. On back order are the double track piers, 282mm curved ground track and two more plate girder bridges. As I wait for the remaining unitrack parts to come in, I've begun acquiring structures for my village. Johnny had the Cornerstone Santa Fe style brick depot with freight house. Regularly priced at $55, it was on sale for $28. I couldn't resist. Jurgen said I could paint it to make it look European. I'm considering painting the brick wall a light tan to mimic the color of sandstone. I think the roof will be a green patina to look like aged copper. And the window trim will be painted to have a medium wood tone. I hope I can do a good job. Painting is not my strongest suit.

I came across some figures on the internet. Noch makes dairy cows in n-scale. I think they would go great with my windmill. I'll also need to get some passengers for the rural platform. The next structure I'd like to add to the layout is a cathedral. I'm leaning towards getting the Kibri Romanesque cathedral model 7025. I'll probably place an order with Johnny in a few weeks depending on the price. There's a vicarage made by Vollmer that might go well with the cathedral. However, I'll wait and see how the station and the cathedral look together before I invest in any more structures.

Super Trains 2010

Here are some photos from the train show. Seeing all the amazing layouts gave me inspiration to continue working on my layout.

A coffee table layout.

I like the windmills in this layout. I'm considering putting a windmill in my layout surrounded by cows. It'll remind me of my travels through the Netherlands. Mmm... smoked gouda.

This was my favorite train layout built in OO scale. The size of the table isn't very large, but there's a lot of detail. Peter Johnson put a lot of tracks and buildings on his tiny layout, but it doesn't seem congested at all. I especially liked how he put a brewery next to a church and managed to fit in a canal. He did an amazing job.

Here's an example of a large scale mechanical reproduction. I didn't bother to ask how much it cost.

Many modelers incorporate water into their layout. This layout was built by the Calgary British Railway Modelers (CBRM).

The color of the water in this layout caught my eye. I may elect to do something similar with my layout. That reminds me, I need to pick up a few more plate girder bridges from Johnny next week-end.

Cool bridges.

In addition to trains, there were a lot of exhibitors showing off their modeling skills.

Here's a fellow making his own tracks. That's what I call patience.

And finally, the Calgary Eurorail Express club layout and a few members' personal layouts.

Platform lights

I came home from work Friday night to discover my shipment of Brawa lights had arrived. I had ordered model #4643 and as it turns out, it was a good choice. I ordered ten lights on the premise that I would have ten sections that required lights. However, last night I re-configured the ground track again and shortened the platform. I will have a few extra lights in case I need replacements.

I'd like to mention that there are some imperfections with the lights. Most notable is how the hood is mounted. Some are crooked, but at N-scale, it's difficult to see. However, I do like the fact that the pole and hood is made of metal. As with all LEDs, there is a resistor attached to the light to limit the current. I'll have to find my electrical engineering book and check the ohm rating on the resistor because I don't think the reading on my circuit tester is reliable. However, I did use my circuit tester to perform a continuity check. I didn't on the first install and had to uninstall and check the light. After that, I checked all the lights before attaching the light to the platform.

I discovered that the LED bulb has a single wire connected to it with the resistor at the end. The single wire slides into the pole. The bulb rests in the cradle which is also metal and is soldered to the pole. Soldered at the bottom of the pole is the other wire for the opposite polarity. I'm not sure if this design is typical of all lights. I do know that the LED bulb is sensitive and I have to make sure that the bulb rests firmly in the metal cradle to get the proper contact.

Before I could attach the light, I had to prepare the platform. I had to drill a hole large enough for the resistor to fit through from the top to the underbelly of the platform structure. For this, I used a jeweler's hand drill. I picked up mine at Lee Valley. It's great for delicate work like this and cheaper than a drill press. With such a large hole I'm glad Brawa added such a large base. It covers the hole quite adequately.

Once the platform was prepared, I pulled the wires and resistor through the hole and proceeded to attach the base of the light to the platform using rubber cement. It does the job and allows me to remove the light in case I have to replace the LED. Hopefully I won't have to do that. I'll have to check if I can buy replacement bulbs. I have a feeling I'll burn out a few bulbs while wiring the lights to the power source. I connected the leads of one light to an AA battery, but it didn't light up. The little pamphlet that came with the product provides a brief description, but not for the 4643. Brawa definitely needs to improve their quality control. As far as I could make out, it appears that I'll need an A/C source. I'll have to ask Hans for some help. He wired all the lights in his passenger cars so that they don't flicker, which is no easy task.

Since it takes a few minutes for the rubber cement to dry I used my small clamps to hold the base of the light to the platform until the cement dried. The adhesive quality of the cement is not as strong as I would like. The slightest nudge will dislodge the light. I'll have to be careful when handling the platform. If left untouched, I think the rubber cement will be sufficient to keep the light in place.

There is a shallow cavity on the underbelly of the platform that allowed me to house the extra length of wires and resistor. I used rubber cement to adhere the wire to the underbelly. I think masking tape would have been better suited for this, but I didn't have any so I elected to go with the cement. It works, but it's messy.

I really like how the lights complement the rural platform, but they appear too tall next to the roof sections. Now I just have to wait for the remaining lights on back order to arrive. I was quite surprised how easy it was to mount the lights. I definitely found it meditative working on my platform after a long week at the office.

I need my fix man

I informed my director that I was leaving work early today to see my dealer. I needed more tracks for my model train layout. He rolled his eyes and walked away. In all honesty, it is a serious addiction. I wanted to head over to HobbyTech to pick up the extension set for my rural platform. I wouldn't be able to buy anything this week-end on account of the train show. With the extended platform, I'm now considering the addition of a station. Kato has a rural station that fits with the platform set, but the station is too Japanese centric. It would be perfect for running the Shinkansens, but inappropriate for my European rolling stock. So I am on the look out for other station buildings. I currently have my eye on a Faller freight station. Vollmer, Faller nor Kibri had any passenger stations that matched my rural platform. Oddly enough, I came across Walther's Santa Fe station that might work out. They also have the Pella depot as another alternative. My concern is whether it will give the layout a North American feel. I've got time before I decide. I'm hoping to get some good ideas from the train show this week-end.

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