Building a tram layout

[IST]

The beginning will be a little boring, but I'd like to share some information with you, sorry:

I read about Kato Unitram system only in the beginning of December in the newsletter of Plaza Japan. Until that time I have never imagined to buy a Japanese model train, I collects British N-gauge items. I have some Japanese PC and PSP software and play with those but have no particular interest about Japanese trains, I have never been in Japan also. But the Unitram system grabbed my attention: it looked a well invented system in good quality, and small enough size to use it at home also. I have some Unitrack set which I very like and the connectivity with Unitram also made a boost. So I was thinking and thinking, google about it, wathced videos, compared its price to my Hungarian salary and made a decision in one week: I need Unitram, so I ordered it with some items from Plaza Japan, the source of my Unitrack sets.
I write above collect, as I have never build a layout, just plan a lot, so I became an arm-chair modeller in the years. This hobby is quite new for me, dated about 4 years ago, so since that time I read the British Model Rail magazine, member of the N Gauge Society (including the World Wide Group also), and sometimes run my train sets. While I was waiting for the Unitram box, I started to plan that I will make a small Japanese layout. Not in the shape of the base set oval, but something longer with more straigth sections. I know this will be in the future as currently straight sections has not been available separetely, but the thinking started.
As I mentioned before, I have never build a layout, so my experience in such a tiny things like putting on stickers on a building is soooo small, I would like to write about my first and small steps in this new area, show my shopping of buildings, ask advices how can I insert something, etc. And of course put a lot of pictures here, to show you the progress.
It won't be a fast improvement (and if I check my wallet, it will be never to fast), but maybe it can interest you to see a beginner first steps.

Now, let me show you some of the first photos:

02_unitram_box_inside.jpg: This is how it looks like the Unitram set inside the box.

05_building_the_baseboard.jpg: The construction of the baseboards quite easy, there are some connecting item which should only plug into the side of the baseboards and push another baseboard to it. So a small kid can also build the track easily, which I highly preferred.

06_looking_under_the_base.jpg: I upside-down one base to show you how it looks like. System is simple, baseboard can separated easily from the track. You can see the typical Unitrack joining unit at the side of the baseboards also.

11_first_running.jpg: I was impressed of the quality of the tram. I like its shape, its speed, however it can be a little bit quieter, but my British locos louder. I like the interior lighting, but it was weird that it 'turned on' a little bit late, when tram has already run. As the Unitram set came with Japanese Power Pack controller, I had to buy a converter as I use it with 230V, not 110V. It was only about 10 EUR, so not a big deal, compared to the whole set. And I like the Japanese character on it. 

13_after_one_evening.jpg: This is a picture with the whole oval set on which there are the canopies. I was surprised when I saw them in the box, because I had to bring out my modeller knife to release the parts from its holder. So from this point it needs a bigger kid.

14_i_started_to_build_a_stop.jpg: On the first evening with this set, I started to build a tram stop also, I was very curious how many parts do I need to complete it. It was a big deal to build it, as I did not understand completely the pictures of the instruction, so I made it in wrong order. First I put the barriers onto the base, because it was so easy to do this: I had to just plug it. But it was a bad idea, I had to pull out from the precut holes and inserted a yellow stripe to the base of the tram stop. After it, I put back the barriers. Another one minute later, I pull out again, because I had to stick a blue-white sign and one of the barrier was in my way. Pffff.

15_tiny_sticker.jpg: Do you see the red sticker? It is so tiny, so I had to cut out watchfully. And I had some problem with them because of the lack of my experience. I imagined that I have to cut out the whole sticker with the backpaper and after it I separete them and stick it. Which was a bad idea again. I had to tell you that I was shocked that stickers were not precutted, so it was a hard issue to find the right technique how to handle these stickers. The result can be better, but I can approve it. Do you know what was my biggest problem: this tiny sticker which you see on the picture fell down to the floor. OK, I found it, it was easy, but after it I did not know which direction had to apply it as I am not familiar with the Japanese characters and the sticker was so tiny that without a magnifiying glass, I did not see clearly the characters on it and there was no such an item next to me. So I grabbed my camera and made a photo and looked the picture. I hope I applied it (and the others) well. It was a funny situation.

16_tramstop.jpg: At the end of the evening I finished one of the two tramstops.

More pictures will be in a few days if you would like to read my stories (and did not give up reading because of my poor English  )

[Bernard]

Great photos, your English is fine (better than mine and I'm an American) and I loved your story.
They're are a lot of other members here that have this set or are interested in purchasing it in the future. 

[westfalen]

Good English and not boring, I'll be referring to your post and photos when I put mine together.

[bc6]

Hey IST thanks for posting the great pics of your tram set, you pic of the Portram all lit up is making me want to buy one really bad.

[to2leo]

Welcome to JNS!  I got to say, once you been bitten by the Kato or Tomix, you will just want to buy more and more 

I tend to my set everyday.  I think if Kato continues to develop its Unitram brand, I think I will switch to trams from trains.

[IST]

Thanks for the kind words, I will continue the review of my project shortly.

I am really impressed of the quality of Kato's tram. OK, I have already known Unitrack from Kato, but none of its model trains. Now it is hard to resist to buy a Yamanote line train (as I played a lot with a Yamanote train simulator on PSP) or a Shinkansen... 

[David]

Do you have any regular Unitrack? In the advertising it shows the Unitram and Unitrack are easy enough to connect, but are both sides level. What I mean is after connecting them together, is the bottom of the Unitram track and the bottom of the Unitrack at the same level. I found this out with the plate track system that it is actually raised higher (since it's just regular track attached to a plate), resulting in an incline where the two are joined.

[to2leo]

Hope that answers it.

[David]

You can't link directly (hotlink) to images on Kato's site. Unless you visit the actual page shortly before viewing the image, you'll get a "forbidden" message/broken image icon.

I think this is what you're linking to:

http://www.katomodels.com/cgi-bin/nmi_pictureview.cgi?id=unitram&num=4

[IST]

Hmm, I planned to show this picture a few days later, but if you are talking about it...

[David]

Hmm, I planned to show this picture a few days later, but if you are talking about it...

Do you have any Kato 8" curve track (20-170)? That would give you more then enough space to have a return loop on both ends.

[IST]

Do you have any Kato 8" curve track (20-170)? That would give you more then enough space to have a return loop on both ends.

Yes, I have, those are on the right side of the picture.

[quinntopia]

IST....Great photos!  Thanks for taking the time to share your photos of this!  All I have to say is WOW! I agree with BC6 that your photo of the tram running on the Unitrack is a real tempting one!

Do you see the red sticker? It is so tiny, so I had to cut out watchfully.

Yeah....its amazing how tiny the stickers come from Kato and Tomix!  :-)  A really sharp pair of tweezers is the only hope for me with these things! :-)

[IST]

Now, back to the beginnings with 8 more pictures:

10_sizes.jpg:
After the using of the majority of stickers and building all of two tramstops, I made this photo. There is a ruler, so you can see the size of stops and tram as well. I do not know what the meaning is some of the stickers, but tried to place in a good position. After this I thought it would be easy to place it on the baseboard...

11_paravan.jpg:
Quick picture with the background which can be found in the Unitram box. It is 2 foldable paper with city landscape on it, while the inside contains a lot of photos about different Kato buildings with other information. It is useful to wake up the buying instict and good for dreaming about a complete layout also. But if you have no houses or other buildings this solution is acceptable I think.

12_its_not_the_right_place.jpg:
After I completed the two stops, I tried to place it on the straight baseboard. I did fail. There are some overhang something on the base of the stop, so I had to try another solution. The construction guide helped me, however it is in Japanese, but contains some drawing which was very handy at this situation.

13_take_apart.jpg:
If you turn upside-down the straight base, you can see some srcew on it. There were 2 on the side of the base, next to the track, so I unscrew those. You can see on the picture that one part of the base can be lifted and the stop can be changed with it. But in the middle of the baseboard, there was a small thing which also hold this thin part on its place and I were afraid, that I will brake it, because it was hold strongly. So I had to use a screwdriver and with the help of it I can lifted this thin plastic. But I sweated a lot.

14_one_stop.jpg:
But I completed this submission without any braking. As you see, the tram stop overhang the straight section. I was a little bit curious that this will obstruct tram traffic in the next section which has a curve, but there were no problem with it.

15_two_stops.jpg:
With the experience of the placing the first stop, I was professional at the second.  So I could easily place it and make a photo with the tram. I did not release the pantograph as I know I had to put away the set for a while because of Christmas.

16_running.jpg:
A photo for those who would like to see the tram in motion, that is why the background blurred. I tried to follow the tram with my camera, I hope the result is acceptable.

17_fences.jpg:
After it I had a lot of work with the fences and street lamps. I cut off all from the holders and I realized that there were plus pieces in the pack, so did not have to use all. Because of there are precut holes on the baseboards, the place of them is simple. The only thing which I had to pay attention is that the plastic of these are thin and I had to push quite hadly the fence to the holes which caused a little deformation once.

What do you think about this all-brown lamps and fences? Should I paint them somehow, or I can leave in this form?

[NozomiFan]

Mmmm... I spy with my eye a v11 unitrack box.
So does the stater set come with a complete oval or do you have to buy that separate?

[to2leo]

It comes in a complete oval and the cardboard background with it, along with a Japanese voltage transformer.

[EWS60008]

Thank you for the presentation on this Kato Unitram set . I am tempted to buy one of these myself and I would like to incorporate it into my existing 6x4 layout that I am building as it would make a great impression to my commercial downtown district but also I want to add a train yard and sadly I don't have the space for both . But then I could always build a tram layout seperately .

[IST]

Mmmm... I spy with my eye a v11 unitrack box.

My first Unitrack set was that V11 and I was impressed, so I bought a V7 plus two V4s also and some other tracks.

[IST]

Do you remember my picture about the current track? If no, I attached it again.
One of my friend asked me why not put a switch to the end of the two tracks. I should rotate that baseboard with 90 degree so I would have space to connect a turnout. I was curious if I can do that, the distance is good enough to attach the turnout to the Unitram system. In this evening, I made a try without the rotating, please see the picture.
As you see, the direct connection is not applicable, as the #4 turnout has more distance between the two tracks. If I know well, the #6 turnout has bigger radius, so it would be worst.
It's a pity, because it would be great to build a loop from the Unitram set with the turnout in the one end wherewith I can avoid the closure.

[Mudkip Orange]

It's a pity, because it would be great to build a loop from the Unitram set with the turnout in the one end wherewith I can avoid the closure.

The 45-degree joints match the standard Kato spacing.

I.E. look at your square unitram layout. See how there's four diagonal borders where the tracks get farther apart to go around the curve? That joint, where the tracks are farther apart, matches the #4 turnout (and everything else that's based on Kato's 33mm spacing).

[IST]

Thank you, I will try it at the evening.

[EWS60008]

While we are on the subject of trams, I would like Kato or Dapol to produce the English Electric trams that operate in Blackpool such as the Balloon Trams and those single deck type trams and they would look great on the Kato Tram track set if they were modelled properly as well as have interior lights .

(Oh well I guess I can dream on)

[KenS]

IST, those are great photos, and your explanation is quite readable. I really enjoy seeing and reading this kind of detail.

[EWS60008]

What is the track dimensions for the Unitram circuit?

[IST]

620*682 mm with the baseboards, so it really does not need too much space.

[cteno4]

IST,

looks like you are having fun with your unitram! mine just showed up and cant wait to play some with it.

if you have not seen it you might check out the thread on the RU21 controller as it lets you put stops and reversing points in a tram layout like this.

http://www.jnsforum.com/index.php/topic,1255.0.html

have fun with it!

cheers

jeff

[EWS60008]

620*682 mm with the baseboards, so it really does not need too much space.

Thank you for the information on this IST, it has helped very much .

[IST]

I.E. look at your square unitram layout. See how there's four diagonal borders where the tracks get farther apart to go around the curve? That joint, where the tracks are farther apart, matches the #4 turnout (and everything else that's based on Kato's 33mm spacing).

I've just gave it a try, see the attached picture. I could not try it with my tram as the turnout has a decoder while the tram hasn't. I think I should buy some extra turnout. Thanks for the info!

[cteno4]

the unitram straight sections and curves at the straight junctions are at the 25mm spacing (ie the standard ttrak spacing you get by butting two pieces of untrack side to side) and the standard unitrak 33mm spacing (ttrak alternate spacing) on the center of the curves. think they were contemplating selling to the japanese ttrak crowd?!

cheers

jeff

[EWS60008]

I hope Kato bring out some Unitram straights and "in concrete" switches as then you could make a very interest tram layout set in a urban area. Also I wonder if Kato will expand their tram range in the 2010 releases? I will be getting a Kato 2010 catalogue hen they come out as I am keen to find out.

[IST]

I hope also.
I think Kato will release all of the available liveries of Portram, as the red, blue and green ones released. But I will be happier to Unitram switches and straights.

[Mudkip Orange]

I've just gave it a try, see the attached picture.

Looks good.

[Hobby Dreamer]

Thanks IST for posting your progress!

I am in this hobby only because of the trams but I sense that trams will become part of many layouts because they require so little space and relatively minor expense. They are an excuse for more urban structures and provide a diversion to train layouts. A lot of people on this forum seem to have got either the Tomytec or Kato trams, and I suspect for many they are their first trams.

Please let us know if the Kato catalog has information on future Unitram track. There was a photo posted some time ago of a 90 degree double Unitram crossing, so that helps break the oval.



A lot of people already have Unitrack so here is a link that shows how to blend Unitram and Unitrack; and it also has excellent dimension data.

http://jw_cad.fukurail.gozaru.jp/pattern/KATO/UNITRAM.html

Cheers
Rick

[IST]

Thanks Rick for the info. Those crossing looks exciting. I will check the catalog when I got it, I hope that Kato will release straight track pack with baseboards in this year.

[IST]

And the show must go on:

18_offices.jpg: I was not satisfied fully with the card panel which was in the Unitram box, so I decided to buy some buildings. Honestly I do not know Tomytec and Greenmax products, so I chose 3 office buildings from Kato. I was impressed with the quality of Portram, therefore I thought other stuff from Kato will be good. I chose these buildings because of when I first thinking about Japan or Tokyo, I see before my eyes crowded streets with tall buildings or skyscrapers. So I wanted to buy something similar. The parking area and the small park was a sudden idea, but I will write about these somewhat later.

19_outofthebox.jpg: It was a big surprise for me, that the houses were in one piece in the boxes. I know some German and British based buildings, but all of them released in kits, so I had to construct which is very funny as I know my dexterity. OK, there are some exceptions, Graham Farish started to sell railway buildings in the same form. Which was also a surprise that I can take aparts the offices, so maybe one time I will put some furniture inside and light it. I saw some great pictures on this forum with great solutions.

20_traminthetown.jpg: Quick picture how my Unitram layout looks like with these 3 offices. I really like it, however, lot of buildings are missing from the baseboard, these 3 ones are soooo few.

21_adv.jpg: Without the stickers and advertising signs the offices looks good, but not great. So after I got some courage, I started to look after how can I make those more real. You can see on the picture the parts of the roof and sidelong advertising signs. These are made from plastic and not too big.

22_someadv.jpg: Stickers are on one sheet and not precut of course which I do not like. Really. I have a sharp modeller knife, but cutting out the smallest one stickers can be frustrating. Even so I founded that I cut and stick these easier than the first time, so maybe it is right that practice makes perfect. There were a lot of advertising on the sheet, so I could choose some. Because of I do not speak Japanese, I do not know what companies do I advertising. But I think not me is the only one in this topic. To fix the plastic sign to the building was quite simple as I only had to push that into the side of the office to precut holes.

23_topofthebuilding.jpg: Do you think that I broke the holder of the sign? I hope no, but I did it. It is also just pushed into the roof area and to the back of the panel, but it is so thin that this happened to me. I do not know how do you handle these parts, but I have to find a better solution than pushing in with my hands. After that I gain some bad experience in small plastic things so I started to be afraid from it. 

24_stickersonthewindows.jpg: After it I begun to cut out some stickers to the windows. In the beginning it was correct, but after it I figured that my knife became less sharp, so I changed its blade. Unfortunately I noticed it a little bit late. Sticking of the adv was easier than I thought. I did not make perfect job, but for me is OK.

25_fullhouse.jpg: You can see how this office looks like when I finished it and I have to tell you that I really like it. It looks lots better than in the original shape without stickers. It became more colourful and maybe more Japanese.

[IST]

26_groundlevel.jpg: I like the cow on the adv, this is why I took this pictures. You can see some slank stickers also, but from a normal viewpoint these do not seems too bad.

27_endofthework.jpg: I just wanted to show you how the sheet of the stickers looks like after I finished the work on this building. There are some adv on it which I did not use, but maybe later these will be handy.

28_summerinthecity.jpg: The layout with the tram and some cars. One thing I am sure: I had to buy a lot of cars and peoples to make more real my small town. Without these it is not so friendly and seems a dead city.

[bill937ca]

Your buildings look good.

[disturbman]

Nice. :)

And, just for your information, the Japanese count the ground floor (street level) as a floor. Your 3F is in fact the 4F.

[Bernard]

IST - Nice looking so far with the buildings.
In the instructions, do you know if the dimensions for the space for buildings is specifically designed for the use of specific kato structures? Some of the Greenmax & Tomytec buildings are also very nice.

[bill937ca]

In the instructions, do you know if the dimensions for the space for buildings is specifically designed for the use of specific kato structures?  

Kato structure dimensions are very consistent.  All the Diotown dimensions are listed on this page.

http://www.katomodels.com/unitram/product_diotown.shtml

[westfalen]

Thanks Rick for the info. Those crossing looks exciting. I will check the catalog when I got it, I hope that Kato will release straight track pack with baseboards in this year.

I have the Kato 2010 catalog and there are no new Unitram items mentioned.

I had my set running at the club yesterday and it got a lot of interest from club members and visitors.

[IST]

Your 3F is in fact the 4F.

Hmm, so I should use the other sticker. I try to change it. Thanks.

[IST]

I saw a Portram tram from Tomix on a Hungarian second-hand market, which is hold at every Saturday. The owner of the tram saw my articles about building a Unitram set and the Kato made tram also, so we could compare the two trams. I have never seen the Tomix version before, only on internet, so it was a new experience for me. And to be honest, I chosed well. I don't like the 'huge' motor in the Tomix and really like lights in the Kato, plus Kato seems to me more detailed. I know that Kato cost more (twice I think), but the difference worth for me. What is your oppinion?

[Hobby Dreamer]

What is your opinion (of Kato vs Tomiytec trams)

I'm glad that both are available! Kato has made a "showstopper" with their trams in terms of exterior and interior lighting and a detailed interior. But Tomytec is ideal for those on a budget or for those that want a static display tram or one where lighting and interior detail is not required.

I have both; Kato for running and Tomytec for static display in a (future) tram yard. I don't plan to have a Japanese layout but rather freelance so I plan to have loops and other track variants.

I even like the new Tomix tram track, just announced, as I plan to have a cargo yard and it would be perfect for that use.

Jeff said it best when he mentioned that Kato has developed their product for 3 years - and it shows! There were a lot of pessimists who predicted doom because the interior in the Kato trams meant that the motor would be small and problematic - but again Kato came through. And Kato's track cannot be better, except for more variants.

Thanks again for posting your experience with trams!

[nekomo]

Nice pictures and excellent explanations IST.

And one question, the Unitram straight track would fit with this Unitrack double track?





Thanks

[CaptOblivious]

Nice pictures and excellent explanations IST.

And one question, the Unitram straight track would fit with this Unitrack double track?

No, they won't fit. The spacing is quite different. The Unitrack double track will fit with one end of the curve Unitram sections, where the spacing comes apart a bit.

[David]

Nice pictures and excellent explanations IST.

And one question, the Unitram straight track would fit with this Unitrack double track?

No, they won't fit. The spacing is quite different. The Unitrack double track will fit with one end of the curve Unitram sections, where the spacing comes apart a bit.

It will partially fit (on the curve section you mentioned). In my mini-review thread of the double track plate system I pointed out and provided photos to show that the height of the double track plate pieces is more then regular Unitrack (because it's actually a piece of Unitrack screwed onto a ~2mm thick plate). I was glad that Kato fixed that oversight when they made the UniTram track system.

Also, double track plate pieces are becoming quite rare - the 248mm straights are often unavailable (though there are a lot of curve sections collecting dust in peoples inventories). I don't think the plate track met Kato's expectations.

Edit: Photos of plate track are here http://www.jnsforum.com/index.php?topic=1902.0

[nekomo]

Thanks for your answers. If only Kato had offered more straight plates in the V50 set instead the same oval.

[David]

A question if you have a measuring tape - what is the radius of the Unitram curves? I heard it was something around 180mm.

(To measure, make a circle or half circle, then measure the distance between the inside rails. Add 9mm for the gauge, and divide the result by 2 to get the radius).

[IST]

It is not so easy to measure, because you can not make a real circle from Unitram tracks, rather than an oval. Please see this picture! At the edge of the baseboard, the curve becomes to a short straight section.