Peco points with Kato Unitrack

[michaelasc]

Hello
I have a large N gauge layout exclusively built using Kato unitrack with some 60 Kato points. I have a few places on my layout where I need high speed crossovers or where one main line branches off from another main line and I would like to have my trains negotiate these at speed. I find that if I hit the Kato points too fast some of my locos, particularly steam locos with leading pony trucks, will derail.

I am thinking about converting these high speed crossovers to Peco and am wondering what advice you might have for connecting unitrack to Peco points. Should I go with a few Peco points what else do i need to consider with regards to electronically controlling the switching mechanism. Which points do you suggest and how could are the curved points from Peco? Also, will I have trouble using Peco 55 connecting to Kato which I believe is 80.

Michael

[Dr_Al]

Peco code 55 is not actually true code 55 rail - it's actually much deeper, with a second section buried in the sleeper web. This makes it very strong.

It is in fact equivalent to code 83 - as such it's a fraction taller. You can join it to code 80 though, either by filing the bump (definitely needs smoothing out) or deforming the joiners as in this video (about 6 odd minutes in - Peco code 55 is referred to by it's early name - Super N)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_J5IZVamnns

HTH,
Alan

[locoworks]

get some kato 20-045 converters and have a play, they should?? make connecting the two tracks easy. you may need a bit of 55 flexi between the two facing points to get the track centres alligned. kato N has 33mm centres ( or 50+ if you use the large radius points to form a crossover!! ) and peco 55 is 27mm +/-. so you will need a length that at a 10 degree angle ( the frog angle as the tracks from it are straight )gives 6mm offset, about 34.5mm should be about right according to my calcs. and obviously you will need some serious packing under the 55 trackage to get the rail heights alligned courtesy of the scale 3 feet deep ballast on the kato track.

[phonebook]

get some kato 20-045 converters and have a play, they should?? make connecting the two tracks easy. you may need a bit of 55 flexi between the two facing points to get the track centres alligned. kato N has 33mm centres ( or 50+ if you use the large radius points to form a crossover!! ) and peco 55 is 27mm +/-. so you will need a length that at a 10 degree angle ( the frog angle as the tracks from it are straight )gives 6mm offset, about 34.5mm should be about right according to my calcs. and obviously you will need some serious packing under the 55 trackage to get the rail heights alligned courtesy of the scale 3 feet deep ballast on the kato track.

i'm afraid the kato 20-045 is specificaly to join kato to tomix track- as in japan such a conversion is extremely useful. lots of info on this on this page: http://www.trainweb.org/tomix/intro/intro.htm#adapter

[locoworks]

get some kato 20-045 converters and have a play, they should?? make connecting the two tracks easy. you may need a bit of 55 flexi between the two facing points to get the track centres alligned. kato N has 33mm centres ( or 50+ if you use the large radius points to form a crossover!! ) and peco 55 is 27mm +/-. so you will need a length that at a 10 degree angle ( the frog angle as the tracks from it are straight )gives 6mm offset, about 34.5mm should be about right according to my calcs. and obviously you will need some serious packing under the 55 trackage to get the rail heights alligned courtesy of the scale 3 feet deep ballast on the kato track.

i'm afraid the kato 20-045 is specificaly to join kato to tomix track- as in japan such a conversion is extremely useful. lots of info on this on this page: http://www.trainweb.org/tomix/intro/intro.htm#adapter

good link there phonebook, i just read the blurb and as the link says it is not advertised appropriately for the tracks actual purpose.

[phonebook]

good link there phonebook, i just read the blurb and as the link says it is not advertised appropriately for the tracks actual purpose.

well i've been toying (no pun intended) with getting a load of tomix track somehow and using it for trainset like layouts- there's oodles of different pieces, with proper respect for geometry - so you seem to be able to do quite complicated things, and it doesnt seem to cost an arm and a leg apart from the import cost.

I'm not casting aspersions on Peco and the rest, merely that if you dont want a permanent layout or want to stick to setrack, it gives by far the most options- for example- curved points of decent radii (fleischmann and minitrix take note), crossings and slips with proper double track spacing (kato take note) and lots of little pieces that you need to slot in here and there to join everything up properly.

a very good source of info on joining Kato to god knows what else is probably:

http://www.quinntopia.com/

lots of info and lots of links

[poliss]

I have found that my short wheelbase locos stall on the 30 degree Tomix turnouts. I don't think they are made quite as well as Kato tunouts.

[phonebook]

I have found that my short wheelbase locos stall on the 30 degree Tomix turnouts. I don't think they are made quite as well as Kato tunouts.

any feedback on the other points they do? the 30 degree points are a speciality item after all

[poliss]

My short wheelbase Glaskasten was stalling on the straight through direction of the turnout which suggests to me that the plastic frog is higher than the metal rail. This is a quality problem and nothing to do with the tight radius.

[michaelasc]

Over here in the US at one time I successfully used the 20-045 to connect Kato to Atlas track. There was no need to file anything as they lined up perfectly. Shortly after that I switched to all Kato but still have about 6 of the 20-045 which I will probably use with a couple of Peco / Tomix switches.

I'm thinking of larger radius switches for my purposes. Any recommendations on part numbers?

[Bickers]

Really don't know why you would want to mix Kato with anything except flextrack. Unitrack is far superior in quality and their points are bulletproof in terms of running proficiency...even a Dapol 9F goes thru them!

[eboykent]

I am starting to build a new layout using Unitrack. I would like to maintain 33mm centres on crossovers but have heard that #4 points can be troublesome. If I exclusively use #6 points this forces 49.5 mm centres and makes life difficult on the nearby curve sections. The dealer says that the #4's running problems are historical and no longer applies.

Do the current #4 points perform like #6 points now for running proficiency and in avoiding derailments? Your actual experience will be invaluable. Thanks

[phonebook]

I am starting to build a new layout using Unitrack. I would like to maintain 33mm centres on crossovers but have heard that #4 points can be troublesome. If I exclusively use #6 points this forces 49.5 mm centres and makes life difficult on the nearby curve sections. The dealer says that the #4's running problems are historical and no longer applies.

Do the current #4 points perform like #6 points now for running proficiency and in avoiding derailments? Your actual experience will be invaluable. Thanks

I would try to contact this chap:

http://www.quinntopia.com/

his layout has plenty of #4 points(from what i can tell), and he would definately be shouting from the rooftops if they didnt work well- on the other hand he is a resourceful fellow and would have got round any problems if he found any, but he would tell the world how he solved them

to maintain track spacing of 33mm and use #6 points, you must use the scissor crossing which remarkably uses #6 radii.

Still, you have hit upon the problem of Unitrack, not that its pre ballasted, but rather that the useful track sections do not conform to its double track spacing- they conform to the width of their platforms.

[eboykent]

Thanks for that info on #4 points. I will look carefully at that website for further info.

I have ordered a left/right pair of #4 and 2 pairs of left/right #6 points and a load of various straights and curves, radii 249mm and 282mm. Then will give them a go on a test layout. I assume that I shall be able to speed through either #4 and #6 when the point is set to go straight. But the real test will come when they are set to go through the curve. My few new Farish locos (BR late crest) are all diesel so no pony's to worry about but being era 5 I will be introducing era 5 steam in the future when I can lay my hands on something suitable, preferably a tank for branch line and shunting.

I shall see before jumping in with another order of 12 points.

[poliss]

I haven't had any problems at all with #4 points.