Hi all, I've recently bought a bunch of Kato Unitrack in HO gauge and I've completely forgotten why I did so. It's not like every local hobby store down here stocks it, which means I did a special trip out to the one store that does or did some online ordering.
What I've got package wise is the following:
2-180, 2-140, 2-130, 2-105, 2-111, 2-143 (uncoupler track), 2-150 (plain S246 straight), 2x 2-151 (s246f feeder track), 2x 2-170, 2-210, 2x 2-220, 2x 2-851 (#4 turnout), 2-850 (#4 turnout), 2-861 (#6 turnout) + a lenght of code 83 flex.
I think I was planning on using it for the fiddle yard for my modular layout or something. It certainly makes experimentation easy, as I have trouble picturing spacial relationships.
Rod:
Having zero knowledge of Cato track numbers, it would be a big help to describe the pieces instead of giving the part numbers. e.g. 4x9" straight, 18" radius curve, left turnout #4, etc.
Dave
Maybe just lay it out on a table, and see what kind of track plan you can come up with using the parts you have. From that, you can see what you'd like to have, and maybe what other pieces you will need.
Mike.
My You Tube
Buying model train stuff without a clear need? Shocking! None of us does that, do we, fellows?
However I am sure the Kato people strongly endorse this approach.
Just as one should not strive to fill every available square foot of layout space with track, don't feel obligated to come up with a plan that uses each piece of the track just so you don't feel somehow "wasteful. One local modeler here in the Milwaukee area uses Kato's N scale unitrack and entirely changes his track plan about every three years. Some track plans use more track than others. Maybe you'll use the leftover stuff someday in a different track plan. Maybe sooner than later.
A somewhat similar notion is David Barrows' "domino" benchwork idea, where you can build and rearrange the benchwork before even having a track plan in mind. You build the dominos and then move then around the floor in this arrangement and that. Once you feel you have arrived at a good practical use of your space you start to think about a track plan. Maybe you end up with a surplus domino or two, maybe you are a few short. You don't know until you get into the process. I think much the same could be true of your Kato unitrack adventure. Having so much of it allows your imagination to get to work.
Dave Nelson
Hi rod.h
Well looking at the stock you have in the fiddle yard in the picture, might be a bit short that would need to double in length at least.
For the end of a fiddle yard just run a piece of suitable wood along the end paint it red so you can see it and just butt the track up to the piece of wood no need to get buffer stops.
However many roads you think you need in the fiddle yard make sure you make it Two roads wider Or as an alternative perhaps a foot or so longer than you think you need
Don't forget to get a Loco lift to protect the fine details on the all to expencive Loco's
As for a plan I would sugest a hunt for a station plan book for Victorian railways.
I assume its a station plan your looking for??
You could always take a sideways step and use the track plan for Texas ( Queensland) that was in an old AMRM a while back.
None of us ever buy track without a plan or idea what to do with it HMM thats a bit like saying Kangaroo's don't bounce along
regards John
Right an answer key to the packets I've got:
2-120 114mm (4 1/2") Straight Track [4 pcs]2-130 174mm (6 7/8") Straight Track [4 pcs] 2-140 123mm (4 7/8") Straight Track [4 pcs]2-141 123mm (4 7/8") Decoupler Track [2 pcs]2-150 246mm (9 3/4") Straight Track [4 pcs] 2x 2-151 246mm (9 3/4") Feeder Track [1 pc]2x 2-170 109mm (4 1/4") Bumper Track [2 pcs]2-180 369mm (14 1/2") Straight Track [4 pcs] 2-210 550mm (21 5/8") Radius 22.5º Curve Track [4 pcs]2x 2-220 610mm (24") Radius 22.5º Curve Track [4 pcs] 2-850 #4 246mm (9 3/4") Left Turnout2x 2-851 #4 246mm (9 3/4") Right Turnout2-861 #6 492mm (19 3/8") Right Turnout
2-120 114mm (4 1/2") Straight Track [4 pcs]2-130 174mm (6 7/8") Straight Track [4 pcs] 2-140 123mm (4 7/8") Straight Track [4 pcs]2-141 123mm (4 7/8") Decoupler Track [2 pcs]2-150 246mm (9 3/4") Straight Track [4 pcs] 2x 2-151 246mm (9 3/4") Feeder Track [1 pc]2x 2-170 109mm (4 1/4") Bumper Track [2 pcs]2-180 369mm (14 1/2") Straight Track [4 pcs]
2-210 550mm (21 5/8") Radius 22.5º Curve Track [4 pcs]2x 2-220 610mm (24") Radius 22.5º Curve Track [4 pcs]
2-850 #4 246mm (9 3/4") Left Turnout2x 2-851 #4 246mm (9 3/4") Right Turnout2-861 #6 492mm (19 3/8") Right Turnout
John, no that picture was just me experimenting to see what I could get working in 1.2 meters. With what I've got Yet Another Timersaver is do able if I stick to my shortest rolling stock and loco, but I don't know if I want to.
I can build some T-Trak HO modules with what I've got though that may be a dead standard. The N version's a different story as they're pretty much guaranteed to be at each major show, but I don't work in that gauge, yet.
To be perfectly honest I would not bother with a tmesaver yard its just a game or puzzle which is what it was designed to be, unless of course that is what you want to do.
T track HO moduals?? never heard of those that sounds very interesting.
How big is each modual.
I am wondering if Maindample (spelling) would fit on one or maybe two as a very simple, but I would think challanging station to shunt
Would be a good starter station as it is very simple, single main line with one double ended siding and no crossing loop
If I remember correctly it has the usual stock race a yard crane and a goods shed, and possibly a loading bank??
The platform is fairly short with a small VR transportable station building on it.
The spare point can be used to start a temp two track fiddle yard that would do untill you have a really good grip on what you want to do at least you would be able to play and experement with whats feasable.
This T track HO thing sounds very interesting please tell me more.
Perhaps start here and see if anything looks like what you were initially thinking of:
http://www.katousa.com/track-plans/ho-plans.html
Or take your inventory of track and see if you can use it to modify one of the listed plans? Each plan has a bill of material, do any match what you have on hand?
Have fun! Ed
T-Track HO, here's a link to their webpage http://t-trak.nscale.org.au/other-scales/t-trak-ho it's like the N gauge based around using Unitrack for joins and whatnot in a double track format. The module lengths are based around multiples of the 246mm straight track, I've enough track on hand for a corner module, a single(490mm) and a double (982mm) straight module.
I'd be curious on just how much space Maindample would need as a known long gone suburban freight yard needs 3 meters for the yard alone to model in N with no compression. Also, where did you see a diagram for Maindample, all I've been able to find on that line is drawings of Yea.
I saw the diagram in an AMRI news I think it was called which was esentialy an advertising pamphlet with a little bit of modeling stuff in it.
They used to be free at local hobby shops I still have a couple of them and one of them has a diagram for maindample.
If they are still avalable you would probably have to pay for them
No idea how big the real place would be there was no indication on the diagram but only being a very small country station, I recon it could just about be crushed right down to fit on a triple modual with the unprotected level crossing on the next modual.
The only definate fact I have so far found is that Maidample had a 20' goods shed so thats only 70mm long in HO no idea how deep it was and would be a scratch build I would sugest the smallest I have seen advertised is a 30' goods shed
So basicaly crushed down to train set size and I don't think you would loose the small country feel in fact that crushing down might even acsentuate it, oh and a wacking great back scene for the place is avalable as well as is a smaller one I think so you could possibly have the right back ground as well maybe.
Though having read the spec's of the moduals and how they work on a double track main line not a single main line and Maindamples platform would be on the wrong side floating in mid air.
So I am not sure quite where to go from here but it could still work on an experemental level or as a branch line made to suit the moduals with a T track conecting junction piece?? there seems to be a bit of lee way in things that would allow that.
I have stocks of tracks. I also have a 5'4" x 12' test tabletop layout where I can set up temporary arrangements of track and run some trains.
Just use a table where you can layout the track in different arrangements and see what you like.
Good luck
Paul
John, I've not been able to find anything online about Maindample other than there's a few books in the state library collection that may have some information, I just have to find the time to visit there and find out.
Though are the Meridith and Lal Lal stations presented here http://www.signaldiagramsandphotos.com/mywebpages/vr/Western_and_South_Western/37'83.htm similar? For some reason, I keep on coming back to them. Though I can't quite see how to model them, as compression is needed to get them to a reasonable size. I mean 3 meters in HO just for the goods siding! At least the bluestone station buildings and platform wall used there and at a few other locations are available.
Three meters is what most of the people I know use for an entire multi track main line station Or a "large" yard and thats if they are lucky.
So if a tiny bush station with only one siding and no crossing loop can't be squashed right down to one meter, three feet three inches in the imperial measurments or there abouts may be even a little smaller and still work for model railway purposes.
I would be very surprised most modelers I know can only have the right look and feel of a place it is very rare that any one can model a station and yard at full length, even a reletively small one like you would find on Puffing Billy.
Even in the US those that have what in Aus would be conciderd to be a very large even monster space have to compress things and take a lot liberties to fit in what they want.
It just comes down to how much squashing down you are willing to do railways are BIG
Unitrack curves need 12 pieces for a full circle, so since you only have 4 each of two different radii, you apparently weren't planning on like an oval or something similar, more like a shelf switching layout?
That's right, I've only got enough curve track for a quarter to half circle double track, so I probably was thinking about a shelf layout or similar. I cleared a space and threw something together -as I'm a visual type- after putting down marks for some of the T-Trak HO measurements.
And ended up with something that needs two T-Trak HO triple module lengths to work as a semi-standalone. Though it revealed that I'm short a few sizes of straight that aren't locally available, worked around not needing one and broke out the maths to get the other.
Rod h.
A 3 meter goods siding would hold nineteen or twenty 40' long goods wagons. My longest teamtrack (goods transfer from railcar to road truck hold five cars.
Decide what you want your layout to do, then work more on the trackplan and building placement.
I have a slight suspicion that the following might be a bit ambitious for T-Trak:
That's 2.4~ meters and it's within the recommended 490mm width for Australian T-Trak, though I'm not certain of the yard access, amongst other things. My initial influence was the 1x5 feet LCL yard in The Big Book of Model Railroad Track Plans which ended up longer than that and I suspect might work better with the yard rotated 180°, so that the team tracks/crossover are closer to the mains. As the next module to the left would get "interesting" attempting to get back to the main.
Edit: Well I just went out and changed it:
That certainly looks better and enables the of a double track mainline as stated by the standard. Now, to work out what needs adjustment to meet module lengths.
Edit: and now for the rough plan in SCARM as AnyRail is missing pieces
I'm starting to see why the typical t-track module - in any scale - is a double track mainline, as adding a yard like I wish to do becomes an exercise. Especially if one stays within the Unitrack box.
For example, the length of the double track below meets the requirements for a quad or two double-straight modules.
Unfortunately, any module larger than a double-straight starts to become difficult for me to transport. Going to a non-standard module length gives me a hard maximum length of 1.2 meters and still be able to fit in the vehicle I've got access to. That's before contemplating the space needed to transport the folding tables, the crate of rolling stock and other essential things.
Edit: I'd a thought, as the likelihood of finding other people with T-trak HO modules in my area is slim, why do I need to make yard modules with a double track main? I could do something like below, yard on some modules, an adaption module, a standard corner or two, some straights and a bumper block.
Unfortunately, I'm not proficient enough with SCARM to add the module boundaries. Also the discontinuity shown, doesn't exist with the real track.
Well, I finally got wood cut and some modules assembled.
Leveled up what I've got, put some track down and...
couldn't get the T-trak-HO standard required 1mm track overhangs. So I rechecked the modules length, they're out by +1-3mm. Not sure on the fix for that, I'm thinking either find someone to mill/plane them down or punch an end off and grind off the excess.
I'm probably overthinking it again, as I'm not even certain the exhibition competition that's got me thinking of making modules will even run next year - only one entrant this year - and I'm all ready 6cm over their maximum length with what I've got.
Of cause I've been tinkering both in SCARM and with physical track and ended up with the following ideas:
They're buildable, but leave me feeling flat, unlike this:which I like, but I'm obviously having trouble getting it to work on two 982mm modules.
Or not: