Kato Viaduct Questions

Title says all..

So, What do I require for that huge station on the viaduct?

Does the new Kato V12 use super elevated curves?

Does the huge station have a light kit?

Can I get buildings that go underneath the viaducts like in Shinjuku?

Why am I wasting my money in this hobby?

Does the Shinkansen only run on viaducts in cities where as commuters on the ground?

(Goes into a corner and stoops)

Title says all..

So, What do I require for that huge station on the viaduct?

If you mean the Viaduct Station, then there's the Viaduct Station itself, which builds a one segment wide (100mm) section large enough for an island platform and two tracks, plus an expansion set for adding to it. The entrance and shops are also sold separately. There are also various other sets for building the street area in front of the station, and a park/parking lot (hard to find). They also sell more road plates and lots of little detail sets to add to those (signs, guardrails, bus stops, etc).  Look through the Structures section under Kato on Hobby Search to see all that stuff.

Note: a lot of the Viaduct Station elements (maybe all) are available in the U.S. and Britain from local dealers.

There's a lot of detail in the recent Kato Double-Track Viaduct Platform Extension thread.

You can start with the basic station set, but you'll need to add track (ordinary Unitrack) and platforms.

Does the new Kato V12 use super elevated curves?

According to the Japanese description (translated via Google Translate):

"The curve line is the world's first fixed, "Kant" adopted. Like a real railroad, the curve The principal tilts inward."

So I'd say, yes.

Does the huge station have a light kit?

Can I get buildings that go underneath the viaducts like in Shinjuku?

No lighting kit I know of.  Kato's Viaduct Station Entrance and Viaduct Station Shops are the only buildings I know of from them that fit below the Viaduct Station itself, and I'm not aware of any sized for the ordinary viaduct, although I think the shops (or entrance) would fit. Tomix makes some for their viaduct, but I have no idea how they'd fit a Kato viaduct.

Why am I wasting my money in this hobby?

Does the Shinkansen only run on viaducts in cities where as commuters on the ground?

I can't answer either of those questions.    Commuter trains run in viaduct, on elevated fills, and in cuttings, as well as at street level. I know Shinkansen don't have grade crossings, but I don't know if there are any examples of them running at ground level in urban areas (they certainly do in rural areas).

Title says all..

So, What do I require for that huge station on the viaduct?

Does the new Kato V12 use super elevated curves?

Does the huge station have a light kit?

Can I get buildings that go underneath the viaducts like in Shinjuku?

Why am I wasting my money in this hobby?

Does the Shinkansen only run on viaducts in cities where as commuters on the ground?

(Goes into a corner and stoops)

hey hey,

Just like KenS said.. but I'll throw in a couple ideas..

The Kato V12 does use super elevated curves.

No light kit for the Viaduct Station.

No Kato buildings under the piers.  One possible suggestion.  Tomix does make building kits to fit under their piers.  These are probably a different size, but with slight modifications might be able to fit into the Kato piers.

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10016998

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10016999

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10019264

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10019265

As for where they run.. I have seen commuter trains on viaduct tracks in cities.  Can't say I've seen ground level Shinkansen through cities though.

To add to Shinkansen... They never run on ground inside big urban areas.  The lines are either on bridges, ditches and/or tunnels.  Mini-shinkansen is another story.

Thanks for the info everybody! Now that I have that info off to build that beach module!

Course... I'm Sick.

 

Can I get buildings that go underneath the viaducts like in Shinjuku?

 

Only Tomix offers storefronts etc for under a viaduct and this would only work with Tomix viaducts.

http://jmtn.wordpress.com/2010/03/06/tomix-41034104-buildings-under-elevated-track/

Kato's most recent station platforms, do offer the option of lighting them, with a little elbow grease. As it happens, the Kato HO scale passenger car lighting kits fit very neatly inside the roof of the platforms. There's a video somewhere on this forum showing how it works…let's see…ah yes, here it is:

http://www.jnsforum.com/index.php/topic,274.msg5355.html#msg5355

Kato's most recent station platforms, do offer the option of lighting them, with a little elbow grease. As it happens, the Kato HO scale passenger car lighting kits fit very neatly inside the roof of the platforms.

I never would have thought of using a car lighting kit and diffuser to light a platform.  What a great idea.

Or maybe a terrible one, I have a sudden urge to order more of the new platforms (I alread have a few) and some HO lighting kits...fortunately I've already spent too much this month, so I can resist.  For now.