color difference of kato double viaduct and slab track

[EF57]

Funny that the plate track you buy separately is darker than the plate track included with viaducts.

Edited April 21, 2018 by cteno4

[bill937ca]

Probably a different batch. If not made by Kato, perhaps a different contractor.

 

Different lighting, natural sunlight, incandescent lighting and fluorescent lighting will give different images.

 

Comparison of incandescent lighting and fluorescent lighting on the appearance of Kato track and ballast.

http://thomas.tuerke.net/on/mrr/?thread=1289869264

Edited April 20, 2018 by bill937ca

[cteno4]

Hugh, I would guess just a bad batch on one of them. Not noticed much color variation in kato track at all with viaduct, but I have no plate track sets, just individuals so can’t comment on set plate track pieces. 

 

All new stuff recently bought? It will change some with time if exposed to a lot of sunlight.

 

can you post a pict showing the difference? Curious to the differences.

 

jeff

[katoftw]

It is quite possible.  As suggested earlier.  That piece made in different batches.

[EF57]

The viaduct plate track matches the viaduct; the free plate track is much darker, looks more like normal concrete.  This is no batch variation or trick of the light.  They do this deliberately; generally they are super-careful with their plastic colors.  

[katoftw]

I understand what you meant now.  The ground slab track is darker than the viaduct slab track.

 

Have you switched some pieces in the above photo?

 

Having a look at photos on Hobby Search.  The ground pieces have the same slab grey colour as the unijoiners.  While the viaduct pieces are a lighter grey than the unijoiners.  As exampled also by your photograph.

Edited April 21, 2018 by katoftw

[Kiha66]

Interesting.  I can't see a huge reason to not mold everything in light grey, but the darker color does match the look of wet concrete fairly well.  

[EF57]

Yes, that darker piece is a replacement after the original track had its connection-lugs broken off and wouldn’t stay on anymore.

[cteno4]

Ahh I see what you did now. Yes different tracks, different colors. I assume the usual ground slab track is different colored from the viaduct stuff and thus a slightly different concrete color. Don’t think it was intended for replacement in double viaduct track. 

 

I think kato did this as folks were taking double viaduct track apart to get the slab track and they just used the same moulds for them.

 

jeff

[gavino200]

I puzzled over this issue a while ago. If you do anything 'unorthodox' with double viaduct track, like add a double crossover, or adding rerailers you end up playing "Track Tetras" trying to get everything lined back up again. I too, thought the non-viaduct concrete slab track would be a good solution, as it comes in many useful lengths. I bought some and was shocked to discover this color difference. It's not subtle at all, and it looks terrible. I ended up cutting viaduct track rather than using the dark pieces. I was infuriated.....until I worked out the reason....

 

The two types of track are not in fact the same. The light grey double viaduct track has tiny little hooks that fit into corresponding squared loops on the plastic viaduct  to lock the track onto the viaduct.  The dark grey non-viaduct concrete slab track doesn't have these hooks, and doesn't lock onto the  viaduct. The hooks are hard to see. If the two tracks were the same color, it would be very difficult to sort one kind from the other (if they were all stowed away together in a track bin). This would be more important in Japan where the trains are often run by children on temporary floor layouts.

 

 

Edited July 8, 2018 by gavino200