Kato \ Tomix track - Why?

[quinntopia]

On this topic, found this nice little page (in German, but with pictures so you can easily figure it out) that covers just about every N gauge track known...some I've never seen.  Also includes an image of the rail profile, which is unique....

 

http://www.spur-n.com/nschienen.html

[Bernard]

Quinn - Great list of tracks. When you think of all the different N scale tracks that are made and that about 2 or 3 brands are offered at your LHS (Atlas, Bachmann & sometimes Unitrack) it's surprising but I can see where the LHS doesn't want to get stuck with an inventory (track) that isn't popular.

[Nick_Burman]

I had a American-prototype layout at home which was done with all the garnishings, Peco 55 flex and all the rest. It was very nice but had its share of design flaws. I sold it a few months ago, and now that I've started doing Japanese trains I'll want somewhere to run them (there is a train club here but I've had enough of it). A second layout is out of the question for the time being, what with my mother and I making loud noises about moving to another flat and the lack of disposable space. However I still want somewhere for the "Tomii Dendetsu" to run, so I'm intend to buy some sectional track to be able not only to run trains but also to experiment with track plans without the pains of laying and ripping up (expensive, like everything model here in Brazil...) flex. Obviously, by then I'll have collected quite a bit of sectional track...so why not build a permanent layout with it? It would be a excellent showcase for the products of the Japanese model industry...folks here are clueless about Japanese railroads, they believe that all Japanese trains are Shinkansen...

 

In another post I mentioned that Tomix looks very ugly under anything other than Japanese (and maybe British) stock. Unitrack is more universal, looks prettier IMHO but sadly lacks the choice that Tomix has.

 

An advantage of ballasted sectional track is that if you want to improve its looks by weathering and adding more ballast, you can do it in the comfort of your workbench rather than having to bend oneself over the layout...

 

 

Cheers NB

[KenS]

I'm a big fan of Kato's Unitrack, but I have to say that it looks good *as mainline track*; the ballast is too clean and too high for a reasonable looking branchline, siding or yard track. You can hide some of that by dulling the color with an ink wash, or hiding the height in scenic material (dirt, grass or ballast).

 

Tomix's FineTrack has, for me anyway, a more realistic profile and a slightly subtler apearance. It's big flaw is that it has a very narrow profile (both shorter ties and less ballast width).  It probably does look better as "narrow gauge" (i.e., ordinary Japanese) track than as North American or European mainline. But I think it could also work as a poorly-maintained branch or siding.

 

One thing to consider is mixing the two (using Kato's adapter), with the FineTrack in siding/yard/branch use and the Unitrack on the mainline.

[bill937ca]

See "Only Tomix track can do the following":

 

http://www.trainweb.org/tomix/track/TomixTrack.htm

[heNk]

Maybe a little late, but better late, than never.

 

http://raicho.home.xs4all.nl/model/track/track.htm

[Guest Closed Account 1]

Saw the page. Which manufacturers have the most in consistencies?

[Ochanomizu]

Tomix is favored in Japan. One reason not mentioned in this thread is the rail joiners. Tomix are smaller and less noticeable. Also, Kato track has a railway sleeper at each end of every piece. When two pieced are joined you have a double sleeper. Double sleeper does not occur so frequently.

[Densha]

While I like the geometry of Tomix more, I don't have much experience with Finetrack. The main advantage of Kato Unitrack is that once the joiners break you can replace them and with Finetrack you can throw the track away.

Edited January 7, 2013 by Densha

[Martijn Meerts]

While I like the geometry of Tomix more, I don't have much experience with Finetrack. The main advantage of Kato Unitrack is that once the joiners break you can replace them and with Finetrack you can throw the track away.

 

Depends, if the little metal joiner breaks on Finetrack, you can just replace the joiner. However, if the plastic clips break you might need to replace the track. Even without the plastic clips you can still use the track though, I just wouldn't recommend it for floor layouts.

[Ochanomizu]

While I like the geometry of Tomix more, I don't have much experience with Finetrack. The main advantage of Kato Unitrack is that once the joiners break you can replace them and with Finetrack you can throw the track away.

 

Finetrack doesn't break ... you must be using Kato ... ;)

[Tecchan]

Finetrack doesn't break ... you must be using Kato ... ;)

I must agree.

I don't have a heavy usage of my tracks as I'm note able to set upe my tempoary layouts as much as I'd like to but I've never had a single problem with my joiners. I'm also a rather careful person and I always un-join them gently (but I would do the same with Kato, Marklin or Lego tracks…)

 

And I believe that even if one is partially damaged, you can keep using it. So replaceability is not (for me) a factor of decision on this.

 

My factors of decision:

• Availability (you can only get Tomix tracks on the web)
• Look of the ballast
• Variety of the tracks (Kato is getting better and better)
• The starter sets that you like the most

So for me, even if I knew that it would be harder to find Tomix track, I was seduced by the large variety of radiuses and the sexiest starter set I found was a Tomix one (0 series Shinkansen).

 

Those were Tecchan's two cents… ;-)

[CaptOblivious]

I have a small set of FineTrack that I have used fairly heavily. Some of the joiners are showing signs of stress—some white marks where the tines have begun to bend a bit. I do begin to wish they used a Unijoiner like system, because in every other way I like FineTrack better than UniTrack…

[Kabutoni]

I wanted to switch to Unitrack, after some issues with the quality of Finetrack (breaking joiners and flimsy electric wiring on the switch motors), but the range of Unitrack is still not on par with Finetrack... I recently re-started model trains here in Japan and my main focus is on B-trains, so Unitrack isn't very useful in the regard of compact layout planning.

[Densha]

Kato just is playing dumb by making their compact switch 45 degrees, I doubt they will sell much like that. If Kato would just release a double slip...