Starting out with unitrack

[Staffy]

Pa

 

What's the best order to buy the packs in? Really interested in play value for (me and) the kids rather than prototypical operations

[katoftw]

Depends on your location and where you plan to buy the track from.

 

Japan tends to have the best prices.

 

The M1/M2/V1/2/3/4/5 variation packs offer the best value for starting up.  But they can get expensive to ship due to the size of the packaging.  So sometimes buying individual 4 packs of pieces might be cheaper.

[Drunkenclam]

As above. The advantage of the M1 and M2 packs are they come with a controller (but voltage depends on if you buy in your own country)

Even when buying seperate tracks. especially points. The prices in Japan are far cheaper than here in the UK. But the shipping and then if customs added as well brings it farly close.

[Staffy]

Yes I'm in the UK too

 

By play value I really mean most fun

[Ochanomizu]

Hello,

 

Best "play value" may be second hand on ebay.  There is always much Kato track.

[Mudkip Orange]

Job 1 is to get a basic oval.

If your local hobby store sells the M1 with a Kato pack in your voltage, that's where you go. If not, order the V5 or V6 from Japan and grab a power pack elsewhere.

 

The next thing you want is switches and sidetracks.

Kato's #6's work the best. Grab one or more left and right handers, a pack or two of R718-15, some straight tracks, and a bumper. I'm partial to these little guys, but you may prefer wood or concrete.

 

Now you want a station.

Stations are way fun. You have a reason to stop and start the train. Kato's Unitrack platforms fit their track perfectly, but lack a bit in aesthetics - dour 1970s government architecture. Tomytec's platforms are a bit short for the Kato roadbed, but no one outside of hardcore modelers will notice. Stuff that's available now:

073 is an old timey interurban stop with one or two car trains.

138 is a newer interurban stop.

018 and 019 are set up for longer trains.

059 will fit around the outside of a Kato R315 curve, and 060 will wrap the inside of an R282.

 

Add some rerailer tracks.

These are way cheap, and can fix a single derailed wheel before it takes the whole train with it. I use them liberally after switches and reverse curves.

 

Get funky.

You've got spurs... sidetracks... stations... there's no clear path from here. Maybe you want to get 90-degree crossings and make a figure 8. Maybe you want a viaduct set and some bridge pieces to go up and over. Maybe you want to spring for one of those double track sets. By this time you've been playing with trains for awhile and you and the kids will have an idea of what you want next... maybe it'll even be the same thing.

Edited June 7, 2016 by Mudkip Orange