I produce videos on model trains, particularly HO and N scale, with a focus on building small and portable train layouts. I generally sell the small layouts that I build, so feel free to contact me if you are ever interested in eventually purchasing a layout that I am currently building. I'm also working to improve my tutorials on scenery, structures, and other types of modeling work.
For me, 19" radius track is the minimum. 12.5 is just too sharp a curve for trains to look good, especially the passenger stock. That's just me though, not everyone agrees.
13 часов назад
I vote for TT.
14 часов назад
TT looks interesting.
14 часов назад
T scale seems ridiculous to me. How can you enjoy a train set you'd need a microscope to view?
14 часов назад
That power pack looks really cheaply made. No way would I spend money on this novelty. Cute, I guess, but no thanks. N scale for me.
To add a note, Kato makes an adapter piece to make the Unitrack play nice with same code sectional and flex track. Do a little magic and use care with the road bed height at the transition point and it works. Useful where you're leaving Katoland into long\gently curved sections of the layout where flextrack really shines.
I really hope they expand more in Europe, because KATO stuff here is currently very expensive to get which is a shame because I would love to build a layout with such high quality track.
Steve, What is on30? Where is this type of scale in comparison to the others like O, HO & N-Scale? I've never heard of on30 before, in fact I haven't seen any videos either.
On30 is O scale that runs on HO scale track. It represents the narrow gauge railroads that were common at one time across many mountain areas of the country at one time.
Hi steve, how are you? After watching many of your videos im considering making the transition from ho to n scale. I've recently made the transition from Marklin (3 rail) to DC/DCC (2 rail) and im starting to build the layout, but kato unitrack system and the fact that n scale practically doubles up the amount of space i have, is really tempting. Regarding rolling stock i know that for n scale i can find stock from all around the world, that was my main issue with marklin 3 rail, really limited stock and somehow i felt i was in a "closed ecosystem", thats why after so many years of being on the marklin bandwagon (almost 35 years) i've decided i wanted to step down.
Only issue is that sometimes you need to change out the couplers as not all types work together that reliably. Usually not hard to change them, however.
*Atlas has released their new re-worked sectional true-track system in a mixed gray ballast; code 65 with prototypical US tie spacing... Kato Unitrack is great for beginners or to setup for a quick test/break-in loop. However, on a permanent layout or completed module, you always have an elevated track profile with plastic roadbed that just doesn't look right in industries, yard tracks, and passenger stations where ballast is shallow and typically flat...no matter how much someone tries to blend it in - not to mention the obnoxious rail size (c80) and non US tie spacing; there is no hiding that. If modeling North American railroads, nothing beats code 55/40 ballasted + weathered track.
I might add, for limited budgets, look towards Kato's CV1, CV2, and CV3 compact track sets. Use their Pocketline trains, and trams for a very compact, very smooth set.
Glue Dots rock. I have been using them to stick my test track in place. They make removable ones which are great for trying stuff out but still being able to move it later. There’s also tape that is essentially the same stuff.
Ah, I’m pretty sure it was you that got me onto glue dots in the first place. I knew someone had talked about them but could remember who or where I had seen that.
With the way you are putting the feeder unijoiner you will have trouble removing them. Found out the hard way and broke one which I fixed with solder. I recommend putting them with the wire "under" the rail, one joiner per rail only replacing the ones you took out of the rails. I believe beginners will make the same mistake as me (or just use the feeder tracks really)
Agree 100%! My N scale operation is almost all Kato with the exception of some Peco switches that I've used to replace the Kato #4s. Those can be problematic but the Peco #6s fit in the same footprint as the Kato #4s and after removing a tie or two on the ends, they fit right into the Kato rail joiners. Keep going, Steve!
I think I have that exact same set, inner loop, outer loop and the side passing. I did not know that the side passing has switchable power, thank you Steve.
I am a 61 year old man and I could not keep up with the speed of your speech please take into consideration that we are not all that young and please slow down your comentry as because of that I honestly can't say your video was helpful so please take that into consideration next time and I really needed that information but I will look elsewhere now sorry 😢
Kato Unitrack got me up and running right away when I got back into Model Railroading. Even the packaging is great. I hated to throw away the boxes the sets come in but didn't have the room to store them. It should be noted that Kato makes there stuff durable because in Japan, most modelers only have room to set up temporary layouts on the floor of their homes.
I use Kato track for my HO layout. The quality is suburb, but the pricing is a bit tough to swallow - $150 for the HV2 manual turnout siding kit is steep.
Hi Steve, Seit einiger Zeit sehe ich mir Deine Videos an, speziell zur Spur Z. Alles wunderschön und ich würde sehr gerne mir ein wenig Amerika nach Hause holen…. In Deutschland wird das System Kato von der Firma Noch ( Landschaftsbauartikel) vertrieben. Leider ist kaum was lieferbar. Nur sehr wenig Gleis ist sofort lieferbar. Alles andere ist angeblich in der Produktion. Die von Dir vorgestellten Starsets gibt es ( offiziell) garnicht zu kaufen. Bleibt nur der Umweg über einen Händler in Canada/ USA. Dazu noch der recht teure Versand, und ab 450€ Warenwert wird Zoll fällig. Also, man wartet sehr lange und bezahlt fast 3x soviel wie bei euch. Schade. Trotzdem, Deine Videos sind Spitze und vielleicht findet sich ein Weg, um an die schönen Modelle zu gelangen Liebe Grüße aus Mitteldeutschland 🛤️🛠️🚂🤩👍
Thanks for an informative video. I LOVE my Kato track and expansion sets. One thing that I have run into, and maybe you have a video of this on your channel...but could you cover "connectors" between locomotives and rolling stock? I had picked up some "not Kato" rolling stock last year before I went and started standardizing on Kato. The "connectors" are very different, and I'm wondering "what" the preferred connectors are...and if you've ever had to "change out" the connectors on your locomotives or rolling stock. Thanks again.
Yes, the Kato couplers are smaller that others and are not my favorite. The gold standard in N sale is generally the micro trains couplers but I like the mchenry couplers as well. Micro trains makes all kinds of couplers and conversion kits that will allow you to convert any locomotive or piece of rolling stock. If you only have Kato equipment the Kato ones are fine but they don’t couple to non Kato equipment as well sometimes. I mostly have mchenry couplers on my stuff, but they generally couple to micro trains stuff just fine.
Are we forgetting about the #4 turnout reliability, the lack of turnout selection, the fact you need to buy a spade drill bit to get the oversized power connectors in place, the fact when a turnout breaks you physically have to tear part of your layout apart vs switch motors that screw onto your layout. The fact the #6 are only power routing, the #6 do not follow correct spacing for double track (33mm between rails) the lack of crossing tracks, the fact USA starter sets will not fit on 2x2 foot foam board since the curves are too big, no way to wire signals to control multiple trains (unlike marklin and minitrix) and the fact you have to buy KATO roadbed to connect to non roadbed track systems without a transition piece. Or they can't even mold a notch into the track piece to let the wires pass though. Don't even think about placing a bridge piece flat down its not going to happen. One of the only N gauge systems without stackable bridge Piers and forget if you want brick Piers or anything else besides poured concrete. If your buying in HO your going to have even more limitations, no one makes a viaduct system for code 83 besides atlas so if you want bridges buy code 100 peco track for the bridge system with the most variety. The only thing kato offers over any N Gauge set track system is the 90 degree crossing without legs to allow for double track or larger diamonds at the same cost as atlas without having to cut your track.
Have you tried the new re-worked true-track system from Atlas though? It has prototypical US tie spacing for modeling North American railroads, code 65 rail, mixed gray ballast, and even sectional pieces to allow for transitioning to code 55 flex.
I’ve used DCC with most of my layout projects. My 2x4 n scale project layout I finished earlier this year used both DCC and DC on the same layout (all Kato unitrack) and my 1x5 n scale layout I’m just finishing up uses both DC and DCC. You don’t generally need to do anything special to Kato track to run DCC.
No question the Kato Unitrack sets are great for beginners, or even layout expansion. I did all flex track with my HO layout, the Unitrack makes it so much more enjoyable to change a layout.
