I have a small test oval of their street trackage. Planning on using it through town for street running of a trolley/traction line. I prefer it to Kato street trackage for looks. Operationally I have not had any problems running a Bachmann Peter Witt streetcar on it.
I've got some and really like it. I won't be using it on the main layout though because I'm going with code 55. You could just use it with whatever other track you plan to use. If you use Unitrack, Kato actually makes an adapter for Tomix track (in the US it's called a "Snap-Track® Conversion Track", as in Atlas Snap Track, but it was actually designed for Tomix Fine Track), although you really don't need it. If you trim a little off the Tomix connector and shim it it will connect right up to Unitrack (using regular rail joiners). It will connect right up to just about any other code 80 as well, though depending on the other track you may have to trim more of the connector or even cut it off completely - and you may have to trim the other track as well. I will most likely use some of my Tomix track in my staging yards. They are gonig to be a mix of Unitrack, Tomix, Bachman E-Z Track, and Atlas sectional and flex. I've got quite a bit of each, so I might as well use them. A lot of people like the looks of the Tomix better because it has a lower and more narrow ballast profile. Tomix also makes a lot of pieces that Kato does not, including curved, three-way, and double slip turnouts.
Tomix track looks a lot like Atlas True-Track. It has better profile at grade than Kato Unitrack, as the OP has observed. Looks like track-tie spacing is closer to US prototype. Though I could not confirm, there does appear to be many track pieces tha are not available from Kato. They may have more sectional radii than Kato currently offers. It might be more popular in Japan/Asia and Tomix has focused their efforts in that part of the world. Both Tomix and Kato are actually 1:150 scale. Tomytec buildings and scenery pieces are more available than Tomix track in the USA. I do not understand why the track is so difficult to obtain in the USA... and it costs as much or more than Kato Unitrack.
Looking at the profile of both Unitrack and Tomix...I believe the length of a piece of straight Tomix is shorter then a piece of Unitrack. In the end...it would cost a lot more to get 30" of Tomix then Unitrack. That and the lack of availablity in the USA pretty much would be a non starter for most. JMO * Further resaerch show a Tomix 280mm staright which would be 11" in length.
I really like the variety of switches available in Tomix Track, but their rail joiners appear similar to conventional rail joiners (unsupported, bent metal stampings, though they may be of a bit thicker metal). The Kato Unijoiner surrounds and supports the metal rail joiner in a snug plastic sleeve, which itself is surrounded by the sockets in the ends of the Unitrack roadbed. The Unijoiner/Unitrack design appears to be better at maintaining electrical contact between adjoining rails over time, but I have no experience with Tomix to back that up.
I see you noticed Tomix is available in a 280mm length. The four piece price is very comparable, also, so the Tomix actually ends up being cheaper overall, except for the fact that you usually have to pay for shipping from Japan. The Unijoiner is without a doubt the best for multiple assembly/disassembly - I've got pieces that have probably been together and apart a hundred times and still make a good physical and electrical connection. The one thing I don't like about Unijoiners, however, is they do sometimes allow for some slight vertical mssalignment. Sometimes it's kind of neat because it can gibe you some clickety-clack, but it can also be a source of derailments in curves.
I've not experienced any vertical alignment issues (so far as derailment) at Unitrack joints. Any LHS that sells almost anything in N scale has Unitrack, though not always at a decent price. It is cheaper to purchase online, but for just a few items, I like to support the LHS (whether local to me or when I'm travelling). Oh, and I like Unitrack's selection of Viaduct pieces for elevated trackage while evaluating a layout before I commit to terrain. On the down-side, I've been known to "evaluate" a layout for quite a long period of time... Sometimes I'd rather keep running trains than put the layout in an unusable state for a while. But even some "finished" (whatever that is!) layouts have incorporated curved viaduct sections (for curved bridges).
thanks for all the insight on the subject. the curves are approx 9.5 inch radius and I have no loco's that can handle that tight of curve.
Sorry I am late to the show. My whole door layout is with Tomix tracks. I love the different sizes and different switches that they have versus the Kato. Kato is only popular here in the USA. Where it is the opposite in Japan. Kato cannot match Tomix with track radius and other bells and whistles that Kato falls short with. Kato does have the adapter track piece especially for Tomix tracks. Although many people over here has successfully used it with Atlas tracks. Plus you can evenly use matching pieces without resulting to an modified piece. Whenever I was designing my layout. I started with Kato and I could not find the right pieces and points that I was looking for. To me Kato is for beginners or people who didn't take time to design and plan on how they want their layout to look. Rather than saying "this is what they have and to get to match what I want I will have to modify or add flex in the middle somewhere to make it work". With Tomix I didn't need to add flex/modify the Tomix track pieces to make it work. Plus the extra high ballast is too over the top for me. Tomix is more realistic even with the tie spacing. As for as cost comparison. Tomix can be cheaper if bought from some of the big model train websites in Japan. Especially whenever you buy many pieces at once. Only downfall due to the pandemic. Japan might still be shipping larger packages by ship. Yes, by ship! It took a little over a month to arrive from Japan. If I would have bought this here in the USA ,it would cost almost double. FYI I have a little over 2 miles of track including turnouts, interchange and an eight track yard. My mainline is a little over a mile long. I paid about $266 for what I needed from Japan and I paid about $100 for some curves and extra controllers from someone on another forum. Check out my current status here. https://www.trainboard.com/highball/index.php?threads/door-layout.130804/page-10#post-1188387
check this out. http://www.trainweb.org/tomix/track/tomix_track_systems.htm http://www.trainweb.org/tomix/track/index.htm
Mo Pac, I'm happy that you are an enthusiastic supporter and user of Tomix track. However, this forum is all about differing ideas and preferences. There are many fine modelers here that use Kato sectional Unitrack exclusively, and with excellent results. There's no need to insult their choice, talent, experience or results, simply because their choice of track products differs from yours.
This is the going price fo 12 piece set of Tomix 280mm or 11" straight track https://banzaihobby.com/Tomix-4543736010937
I don't believe that NorsemanJack said anything negative about Tomix track or those who choose to use it.
I'm just not seeing how that is saying anything negative (about anything). I know nothing about Tomix and have never heard anybody recommend it before. If it works for you, than more power to you. No need to be sensitive about it.
