KATO track plan advice

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Brygons

New Member
Hi everyone,
I am currently designing a 3-wall layout using kato double track and I'm looking for tips, ideas etc. This is my first large layout and I'd like to try and plan as much as possible before I start building anything. I'm just looking to run trains with some scenery and a few industries. It's DC and the extra long, odd looking yard is to serve as storage for long trains basically. I was thinking depending on how I like the look of that I might put up a scenic wall in front of the yard and perhaps build a second deck on top of that with an access door/top. Anyone with unitrack experience please reach out.
Thanks,
Bryan
 

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First off, welcome to the place.
My Unitrack layout is smaller than yours, but Unitrack's greatest strength is being able to try out a track plan and modify it easily. It runs beautifully and is quite troublefree. Best of luck on your layout.
 
Welcome to the group Bryan.

Since your interest is running trains, this would be a great rail fan layout. Plus is it also has some switching opportunities' as well. I was a Ubitrack
user for years till I switched it out for flex track a few years ago. Cant go wrong with Kato. Its bulletproof out of the package.
 


Thanks for the replies. I don't have any experience with unitrack, but from what I've read, it's the best option without the labor of flex track. My experience with other tracks leads me to believe this is true. I also have never built anything this big, so if you all have any kato specific tips, I'd appreciate any insight.
 
Current era pretty much. I'm a fan of their engines and intermodal/amtrak rolling stock. I pretty much have all the engines and rolling stock I want. Just need a giant layout to watch trains go by. I've never built benchwork or worked with the pink foam or anything
 


Brygons, it looks like you took that jpg from an Anyrail plan, is that correct? DCC? If so, that is a great choice for refining your track plan. I too am exclusively in Kato n scale, DCC, around the walls, and my major goals are scenicing and watching trains runs. My yard/staging area is not nearly as extensive as yours, and if your goal is mainly trainspotting, what do you plan to use that trackage for? As it is now, you can comfortably operate two trains simultaneously. Is the layout all on the same elevation? With a little imagination you can add an abbreviated third line, perhaps to serve different industries. Unless wide open spaces are your druthers. BTW, what is that trackage off by itself?
 
Like any long rail system, run as many feeders as you can to reduce the drops across all the joints. You can cut the white connector off and tie the system to a power buss that has a larger gauge wire.
24-818_3 Terminal Unijoiner.jpg


You can also install these insulated joiners to make zones.
24-816_Insulated Unijoiner.jpg


Oh yeah, this might come in handy in case something doesn't line up. Unfortunately, I don't think they make one for double track. Two may line up side by side, though.
20-050 Expansion Track.jpg
 
First off, welcome to the forum Bryan. Looks like a great track plan for running trains. My only advice is to skip all of the foam stuff and just start with 1/2" plywood for benchwork, since this is your first large layout. But I am an old-timer and I use old-time methods.
 
Kusojiji said:
Like any long rail system, run as many feeders as you can to reduce the drops across all the joints. You can cut the white connector off and tie the system to a power buss that has a larger gauge wire.
View attachment 274404

You can also install these insulated joiners to make zones.
View attachment 274405

Oh yeah, this might come in handy in case something doesn't line up. Unfortunately, I don't think they make one for double track. Two may line up side by side, though.
View attachment 274406
Click to expand...
Yes those will fit side by side with regular track spacing.
 
The long tracks are for storage basically. I'd like to have some long trains built and ready to go, so I don't have to set them up all the time. Namely fussy intermodal and spine cars. The piece of track by itself is an old siding idea before I decided to use #6 turnouts for the crossovers. I was planning on cutting the feeder wires and running them to a bus wire. Does anyone have an opinion on using the joiners vs. the feeder track pieces? any better, different, etc.? Also, I'm using MRC 1370. Is it possible to run a bus for accessories and wire them up the same way that you would track power? Does that affect the power output going to the tracks/or what's the relationship there? Thinking about signals and lights etc. It's a DC layout, so I'm not particularly fussy about signals being perfect, but I would like to add as much detail as possible. My laziness is a factor in this design.

I used AnyRail and it's been great. Pretty user friendly. Also, the industries will be mainly for scenery, but if I wanted to work them, I'm planning on being able to. As for the yard, I was thinking about trying insulated joiners in the middle of some of the longest tracks and maybe run a train out of either end. I guess I need a switch machine for each switch? I know they're power routing, but I'm not sure if there is a way to simplify everything for the yard switch power.

Does pink foam reduce running noise at all? Some of my scenery is loosely based on a plan involving pink foam, i.e. the double track truss bridge.

I had a very ambitious idea about making the bench work tall enough to add a sub-level for more staging and then a helix underneath both large loops, but I would probably have to order pre-built helix/some bench work. It would be something I would add in the future, but if you have any thoughts about how to build the initial bench work to leave room for that, I'd appreciate it.
 


Brygons said:
The long tracks are for storage basically. I'd like to have some long trains built and ready to go, so I don't have to set them up all the time. Namely fussy intermodal and spine cars. The piece of track by itself is an old siding idea before I decided to use #6 turnouts for the crossovers. I was planning on cutting the feeder wires and running them to a bus wire. Does anyone have an opinion on using the joiners vs. the feeder track pieces? any better, different, etc.? Also, I'm using MRC 1370. Is it possible to run a bus for accessories and wire them up the same way that you would track power? Does that affect the power output going to the tracks/or what's the relationship there? Thinking about signals and lights etc. It's a DC layout, so I'm not particularly fussy about signals being perfect, but I would like to add as much detail as possible. My laziness is a factor in this design.

I used AnyRail and it's been great. Pretty user friendly. Also, the industries will be mainly for scenery, but if I wanted to work them, I'm planning on being able to. As for the yard, I was thinking about trying insulated joiners in the middle of some of the longest tracks and maybe run a train out of either end. I guess I need a switch machine for each switch? I know they're power routing, but I'm not sure if there is a way to simplify everything for the yard switch power.

Does pink foam reduce running noise at all? Some of my scenery is loosely based on a plan involving pink foam, i.e. the double track truss bridge.

I had a very ambitious idea about making the bench work tall enough to add a sub-level for more staging and then a helix underneath both large loops, but I would probably have to order pre-built helix/some bench work. It would be something I would add in the future, but if you have any thoughts about how to build the initial bench work to leave room for that, I'd appreciate it.
Click to expand...
freescopesdad said:
Yes, pink foam will reduce noise significantly, and will provide more scenic opportunities. You can carve below grade to create rivers and lakes, for example, or drainage areas ala prototype.
Click to expand...
Yup, and if you attach the track to the foam with latex caulk it quiets it even more. Plus the caulk will let go of the track without damage and if you are careful, it can also be sliced free of the foam without too much damage.
 
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