What's known about Kato track new releases

[DanielMackay]

My initial track investments have been in Kato's system. Easily available on the retail and second-hand market, trains shows, etc. Curious as to what Kato's history is with releases of new track components. In particular, I would love to see curved turnouts. What's missing in your book, and how likely is Kato to address?

[Kiha66]

Kato seems to stick with more simple track pieces within a system that can use them in various ways.  Tomix seems to go for the more specialty track like curved turnouts that are more limited in usage.  I think the last new kato switch was a few years ago with the Wye, and the double crossover was a while before that.  Kato releasing a curved switch would be a pretty big surprise. 

[katoftw]

KAto's offerings are slim.  And new releases are pretty slow.  I've seen two new track pieces in 5 years.

 

They good thing about Kato is it is well known.  And if you wanna sell up and switch to Tomix, it should be very easy to sell all your Kato.

[Kamome]

In the time that I’ve been modeling Japanese N gauge(from 2011), Kato have released a Y turnout and a single crossover with concrete sleepers. The latter was delayed some time due to some problems with the design.

 

I too have been heavily invested in Kato Unitrack due to its availability outside of Japan. 

 

The other problem with Kato is due to the limitation of point work, junctions take up more space than the Tomix equivalent. 

 

I would certainly like like to see #4 crossovers and double slips in the range at some point so you can create more interesting track plans leading into stations.

 

I would say however that Kato’s raised double track (shinkansen line) is better than Tomix. I’ve noticed on the Tomix on rental layouts that it bows a little whereas the Kato is pretty solid.

 

I wonder if anyone has had success mixing track without the aid of the Kato transition track. I appreciate you’d need to raise the Tomix track up with some cork. 

 

Also do Tomix produce short sections so you can match it with Kato Track spacing?

If you wanted to match Tomix pointwork with Kato double track for example.

[Kiha66]

I've seen people mix peco turnouts with kato track for layouts.  Seems as long as the rail height is the same you can just add some extra uni joiners and use them without modification.

[katoftw]

Add 3mm of ply under peco. I think code 80 from memory. And you have same rail height. A lot of the t-trakers do it here.

[DanielMackay]

Appreciate all these initial responses!

 

[Kiran]

Not sure if I am imagining but I think Kato is releasing some kind of flexible track in the summer to help you create custom curves. I remember reading something about it in one of the newsletters that hobby search sends out. I might be totally wrong tough. Didn't pay much attention as I am not at the stage where I need to create custom curves.

[katoftw]

Sure it is not just the Peco flextrack that gets rebranded as Kato?

[railsquid]

IIRC it's Atlas track.

[Welshbloke]

The main thing I'd like to see is some Kato equivalents of the Tomix trough girder bridges. Something to make it easier to pass wiring under the track on a temporary layout.

[katoftw]

The Kato track bed is so tall.  Cut some grooves out of the bottom of the track bed to pass wired through.

[Sr.Horn]

Up. No news about the (remote) possibility of Kato curved turnouts?

Edited February 12, 2021 by Sr.Horn

[gavino200]

Nope. 

[railsquid]

The closest Kato has come to those is selling Peco trackwork at its store...

 

For a plug-and-play system with a decent variety of pointwork, Tomix is the best bet.