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KATO 20-200 Overhead Station question


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Mudkip Orange

All of the full-length Kato island platforms (i.e. it's not an end piece) have the same holes to hold the station stairs in place, so you can mix and match. However if you want it EXACTLY like in the picture you need, at a bare minimum, one each of 23-100 and 23-101. You can also get 20-806, which has one of each plus two end pieces.

 

These are old kits, they've been in production for almost 30 years, so you should be able to find them at your local hobby store. You DON'T need to order them from Japan.

 

Have you seen Kato's new platforms? Same size and compatible with the old ones, but precast with new-style platform surfacing and tactile warning strips. Those old Kato platforms are based on JNR practice from forty years ago. The new stuff looks like it could've been built yesterday.

 

Check out Kato 23-120 at Hobby Search: http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10064163

10064163a3.jpg

Now that's a good-looking platform.

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Mudkip Orange  thank you for your help, I have one more question for you that you may have answered already. Will 23-120 have the hole for my 23-200, thanks again.

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Mudkip Orange

But do they make end peices that taper off the same way that the 20-806 kit does?

No. All of the new-style end pieces are stub ended; the "flag stop" set comes with two 71mm ends, and you can purchase 200mm ends individually.

 

You may ask "what is the point of a 71mm end?" Answer: it rectifies the difference between Kato's standard track geometry of 124/248 and the length of a 1:150 20m commuter car, about 135mm over couplers. Thus 71mm ends + two platform = four car train, 71mm ends + four platform = eight car train, etc.

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Mudkip Orange

Mudkip Orange  thank you for your help, I have one more question for you that you may have answered already. Will 23-120 have the hole for my 23-200, thanks again.

I don't know. My understanding from reading the various press releases and reviews is yes, but I haven't held the pieces in my hand so I can't say with certainty.

 

I do plan to combine the 23-200 station with the new-style platforms on my own layout, so if the holes *don't* match I guess I'll have some extra gluing to do!

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Mudkip Orange  thank you for your help, I have one more question for you that you may have answered already. Will 23-120 have the hole for my 23-200, thanks again.

I don't know. My understanding from reading the various press releases and reviews is yes, but I haven't held the pieces in my hand so I can't say with certainty.

 

I do plan to combine the 23-200 station with the new-style platforms on my own layout, so if the holes *don't* match I guess I'll have some extra gluing to do!

 

Thanks Mudkip.

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I have two of these stations, and a stupid question:

 

What is supposed to hold the exterior stairs in place? I have them sort-of wedged in there, but it seems like there ought to be a snap or something, since they don't have a platform to hold them up like the platform stairs do.

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I have two of these stations, and a stupid question:

 

What is supposed to hold the exterior stairs in place? I have them sort-of wedged in there, but it seems like there ought to be a snap or something, since they don't have a platform to hold them up like the platform stairs do.

 

Scott youre right the stairs should snap in, I glued mine in.

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