Unitrack #6 lighted turnout

[Hayashi]

I saw a posting from over a year ago that mentioned Kato #6 lighted turnouts. The lights were embedded between the rails and indicated which is side of the turnout was powered. 

 

I found them both at https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10408290 (29-653 is LH) and https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10408293 (29-654 is RH), but they are shown as sold out. Does anyone know if they sold out or did Kato cease production?

 

They could be handy for us block control folks.

[Beaver]

The lighted turnouts are made to order conversions of number six turnouts by Kato Custom Shop:

 

http://www.katomodels.com/custom/

 

Any that you may find in retail sales will either be batches commisioned from Custom Shop by the retailer (but this seems rare since they are not exactly the most popular of  items), or second hand from someone who ordered some and then did not need them.

 

The best way to be sure of getting some would probably be to send your own order directly to Custom Shop.

[Hayashi]

Thanks. I didn't know Kato had a custom shop.

[kvp]

If you don't really care about giant leds sticking up between the tracks, there is an alternative. You could add bicolor 2 lead leds between the outside rail and the frog. (just don't forget the current limiting resistors) Only the selected direction will light up.

 

Instead of bicolor leds, it's possible to use single color leds, a full rectifier bridge and resistor circuits with the same outside rail - frog connection.

 

It's possible to retrofit these leds to #4 turnouts without disassembly, by connecting the frog wire to the frog power enable screw under the turnout and taking the outside rail power with feeder joiners.

 

ps: Personally i prefer track diagram control panels with any leds there.

[Hayashi]

I prefer light diagram control panels too. I was thinking about the future when there may be younger operators (grandchildren under supervision) or older operators (me with Alzheimers 🙂). Simple "at location" indicators can be good.