A widow donated her late husband's very nice N scale layout to our club. It's my job to get it running. It uses Kato Unitrack. None of the turnout point rails make good contact with the standard outside rails regardless of which position the turnout is directed. When locos & cars enter the turnouts, their front trucks try to go in the wrong direction because of the gap between the rails. Any suggestion as to what I can do?? I have never worked with Unitrack. Another question....can I just swap out the Unitrack turnouts for Peco turnouts? I'd like to rip up all the Unitrack and use Atlas track but that would be too time-consuming at this point. Thanks for any help.
Adjust the screw that controls the movable track of the turnout. Loosen this screw slightly so there is free movement when you throw the switch manually. Unitrack turnouts are very reliable. The # 4 turnouts have to be adjusted to prevent derailments (points). The # 6 turnouts and double crossovers are fabulous. Stay cool and run steam.....
Thanks Bob...I'll do that. It seemed very unusual that the Unitrack turnouts would be problematic based upon all the good comments I read in this forum.
That should solve the problem. The layout could have been unused for some time creating the problem with the mechanism properly sliding into both positions. Stay cool and run steam....
Are you talking about derailments at the points or power to the turnout? It sort of sounds like you are saying that the points don't line up thus causing a derailment as the second set of trucks don't follow because of a gap in the rail points. Mike
Yes...derailment at the points. I tried what Bob suggested and it seems to work with most of the turnouts. There are still a few with noticeable gaps at the points. I may try to carefully bend them into position with my sledgehammer.
Are you having trouble with the # 4 turnouts with those that still remain gapped? Stay cool and run steam........
Yes...the #4s are the problem. The #6s and double crossovers appear to be fine. One last question Bob: The layout is wired for DCC but other than me, no one in the entire club has DCC-equipped locos so they voted to run DC with conventional blocks. So....can I solder leads to the sides of the rails as with Atlas or Peco track to avoid having to pull up the Unitrack & slide in those little plastic lead connectors? Or could I merely attach a lead up through the table & plastic roadbed directly to the bottom of the exposed rail???? I'm not yet as familiar with Unitrack as I am with Atlas & Peco so I sincerely appreciate your help. Thanks.
John Sing's tutorial for tuning Kato #4 turnouts is on the following page (or on adjoining pages from his album): http://community.webshots.com/album/63811183jlGNcs I am considering doing just the opposite of your task, converting my DC layout to DCC. In my case it appears that taking up all the track, removing all the insulated joiners, then rewiring might be my best bet. I see no reason you cannot solder leads to the rail and cut gaps for blocks, possibly leaving one rail of the present wiring as is for the common rail. Ben
Ben, There is a way to wire the kato unijoiners. All you have to do is lift the metal part up . Then you solder some wire to the unijoiner. Feed the wire through the plstic part, fit the metal part back in. This is all I did. For DCC I am using Digitrax ds52's to control my switchs. I have 23 and got 12 for them because each one controls two. Lenz has one that controls four of them. Alan
With Conagher's DCC layout that he wants to convert to DC, the tracks are attached and unattaching to insert insulated joiners is something he wants to avoid. Ben
Ben, The message I wrote was for you. Sorry about the mix up. I put it in the wrong unitrack thread. Alan
Alan, No problem. Actually I was replying to Calzephyr's post about using insulated railjoiners and wasn't quick enough. Should have quoted his post. Ben
In regards first to the # 4 turnouts. If you file the points, that will solve the problem with the # 4's and free them up so there is no gap. The #4's were Kato's problem turnouts. I only use them in my sqitching yard and had to file the points in order to prevent the lead truck derailing on rolling stock. Once that is done, you'll be trouble free. Solder 22 gauge wire to the rails. I did this on every section of Unitrack on the JJJ&E despite the fact that I use DCC. I have no electrical issues at all with the track. You don't have to drill any holes through the roadbed. Just bring your leads adjacent to the roadbed and solder to the rails. The exposed wire can be covered by ballast etc. etc. Here are some pictures of the partially ballasted Unitrack in my switching yard before I completely ballasted between the ties. The points on the #4 turnouts in these photo's have been properly filed. Stay cool and run steam...
Conagher doesn't want to pull up all the trackwork on the layout to use the insulated rail joiners. You can cut the rails with a straight razor back saw. I use the razor back saw to cut up Unitrack into odd lengths if needed. Stay cool and run steam....
Cutting Unitrack???? How do you connect the track that has been cut? Please show examples if possible.
Jose: You cut Unitrack by using a razorback saw right through the rails and roadbed. Under the rails where the road bed was cut flush to the rails, you then cut out another 1/4 inch of roadbed. You then take regular railjoiners not Kato's and use those rail joiners to connect the cut section of Unitrack and uncut Unitrack or Atlas track or any track for that matter. I've been doing that for years to make odd curved sections and straight section to fit certain areas. Kato doesn't make all sizes of track so you have to improvise: In this photo below, all the track coming off the turntable is Atlas Code 80 track with cut sections of Unitrack at the end of each holding track. You can see it best on the holding track where the MDC 2-8-0 is sitting. You see a space near where the Atlas code 80 rail and Unitrack meet. There is no roadbed. That is the 1/4 inch section of roadbed I cut from the cut end of Unitrack to fit a regular railjoiner to mate the Unitrack to Atlas code 80 rail. You can see the space better in this closeup where the Shays are parked as well. In both photo's above the final ballasting of the Unitrack hasn't occurred as yet. Stay cool and run steam.....
This is another thread that has strayed from the original question but appears to be a good place to state my personal ways of cutting and joining Kato Unitrack: I find it easier to cut Unitrack from bottom to top with the Unitrack clamped to the workbench to prevent movement (actually to a 1" board clamped to the workbench to save the workbench from sawcuts). The plastic roadbed cuts more easily than rail and serves to guide the razor saw when it gets to the rail. I do find it necessary to touch up any burrs on the the cut rails with a file when completed, but I find that is necessry with new out of the box Unitrack. For straight track, I measure the exact length needed with a steel rule (ruler), clamping the rule and the track to the workbench with the end of the rule serving as a straight-edge for guiding my cut. My rule happens to be the exact width of the bottom of the roadbed which is helpful in proper alignment. Curved track can be cut using the steel rule with the end of the rule at the proper angle to the place of intended cut. With straight or curved, measure twice (or more), and with curved track I mark the place of intended cut with a fine tip marking pen on the bottom of the roadbed. Clamping should be snug enough to prevent movement but not to crush or contort the plastic roadbed. With care, the end of the cut roadbed can be notched to accept Kato Unijoiners. This requires using both razor saw and a sharp modelers knife. If done precisely the Unijoiner will fit snugly enough to prevent movement but, of course, does not lock. My Unitrack is secured (except switches) to subroadbed using Aleene's flexible white glue which further prevents movement. Aleene's is peelable and water soluble making removal of track relatively easy if need be. Its flexible quality also aids in noise reduction more so than rigid glues. Other methods may work better for you. Just wanted to share those that are comfortable to me. Cheers, Ben
