brill27mcb Posted December 11, 2021 Share Posted December 11, 2021 I should soon have a Kato Unitram basic set in my hands, so I have been searching around, looking at layouts people have made and the availability of more Unitram track and street pieces. It surprised me how little Unitram is in stock anywhere right now. Hopefully Kato will do new production runs in the near future as manufacturing, business and shipping situations improve. In the meantime I am casting about and will put an ad in our Wanted section. Rich K. Link to comment
bill937ca Posted December 11, 2021 Share Posted December 11, 2021 Turnouts have been hit and miss for quite some time. 1 Link to comment
James-SNMB Posted December 12, 2021 Share Posted December 12, 2021 Curves have been missing for a couple of years too. I have to think there will be some new production at some point here, given the launch of the greenmover trams last year and the starter sets, etc. But everything seems difficult right now, so we might just have to keep waiting. Hopefully not forever. Link to comment
brill27mcb Posted December 12, 2021 Author Share Posted December 12, 2021 (edited) Thanks, Bill. As James mentions, it was the number of unavailable items that surprised me. I had not followed Kato Unitram closely on Hobby Search Japan and other suppliers. So for example, if you want to add a pair of turnouts to the basic set, you probably also need 2 inside curve street sections for them, plus 2 62mm track straights, and then maybe the 2 complementary 45-degree curve track sections, too. When you can't get all of that from a single place, or can't find some of it at all, that's a problem (and extra shipping cost). We'll see what the future brings... I have to note that my researching proved to me that our JNS Forum is the leading online site for useful Unitram info, at least in English. The informational posts, the layout designs various people have shared, and some very clever ideas are all here. Bill's use of the grid-topped plastic shelf units under the Unitram plates, so all the wires can be simply dropped down through the grid and hooked up underneath, keeping the streets level, is sheer genius! Using the track sections without the street side additions to make a more compact layout with narrower streets is also a valuable option for people to keep in mind. Rich K. Edited December 12, 2021 by brill27mcb 2 1 Link to comment
bill937ca Posted December 13, 2021 Share Posted December 13, 2021 Thanks, Rich. I now have two plastic shelf unit layouts. One Kato Unitram and one Tomix Wide Tram. Much easier to work with than heavy benchwork layouts. Link to comment
inobu Posted October 21, 2022 Share Posted October 21, 2022 Comical Track Part for sale......40-210 Left switch......... Inobu 1 1 Link to comment
bill937ca Posted October 21, 2022 Share Posted October 21, 2022 (edited) Holy turnout, Batman!!! Even before I looked I knew it was a Japanese dealer. Edited October 21, 2022 by bill937ca Link to comment
Tonytramman Posted January 3, 2023 Share Posted January 3, 2023 ... still awaiting one from May 2022, my Daughter ordered for me for my Birthday via a box sifter here in the UK, she was told the order is still in the system. I think it will end up over a year as there are still, 'supply chain issues' 1 Link to comment
brill27mcb Posted November 10, 2023 Author Share Posted November 10, 2023 (edited) Thought I'd point out a relative Unitram bargain that I came across. Hobby Search Japan (the English version at https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/rail/) has the older V54 124mm straight track Unitram expansion set in stock, as well as the TV5 that has replaced it. The contents look identical to me, but the older V54 is significantly less expensive than the TV5. V54 (3515 Yen): https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10123774 TV5 (5700 Yen): https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10973962 The Yen is also low compared to the U.S. Dollar and other currencies, so now is the time! Rich K. Edited November 13, 2023 by brill27mcb Link to comment
Burtos Posted November 11, 2023 Share Posted November 11, 2023 (edited) Unfortunately you can only buy 1 at a time Edited November 11, 2023 by disturbman Unnecessary quote. Answering previous message Link to comment
brill27mcb Posted November 18, 2023 Author Share Posted November 18, 2023 True, Burtos, it is a bargain but not a binge. Anyway, they are now out of stock at Hobby Search Japan. Rich K. Link to comment
bill937ca Posted February 2 Share Posted February 2 Unitram TV1 is available for may release. https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10899627 Link to comment
bill937ca Posted March 1 Share Posted March 1 (edited) Unitram Points are coming back in July 2024. 7700 Yen each versus 5620 Yen before discount on the previous run. https://s3-ap-northeast-1.amazonaws.com/kato-model/poster/pdf/2024022710291965dd3aefa63dc/2024-457.pdf And several hours later its now available on HS for 6300 Yen. https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/11067891 https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/11067892 Edited March 1 by bill937ca 1 Link to comment
Burtos Posted March 1 Share Posted March 1 (edited) 8 hours ago, bill937ca said: Unitram Points are coming back in July 2024. 7700 Yen each versus 5620 Yen before discount on the previous run. https://s3-ap-northeast-1.amazonaws.com/kato-model/poster/pdf/2024022710291965dd3aefa63dc/2024-457.pdf And several hours later its now available on HS for 6300 Yen. https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/11067891 https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/11067892 Yipee. Always trolling the internet to try and find the odd one, hopefully they don't all get sold out on pre order. Edited March 1 by Burtos Link to comment
brill27mcb Posted March 1 Author Share Posted March 1 Given the price, multiplied by the number I want, it makes the total cost high enough to reasonably spread the shipping costs on what will be a separate shipment under Hobby Search's system. This is my criterion for when I am willing to place a pre-order reservation, so I have gone ahead and done that! Since the shipping costs soared dramatically higher over the last several years, I do pre-order reservations rarely now. I hope the Unitram track switches/points remain in stock after the pre-orders ship, too, but on some items you can't take that risk. I don't like the whole current system, where even things like basic Unitrack and Fine Track straight and curve track pieces or power feeders are allowed to go out of stock, or where a model is produced once and then disappears forever. For example, even the basic TV1 Unitram Loop set is presently out of stock at Hobby Search - that shouldn't happen. You can help would-be modelers and talk them into trying Unitram or Wide Tram, plus buying internationally (which is still scary to many people who have not done it yet), and then find yourself having to explain, "Oh, but you can't get it just now..." That's not the way to gain new customers and modelers. It's a really good sign to see the Unitram track switches/points announced for another production run. Hopefully the Unitram 90-degree inner curve road plates and the right and left curve track plates will follow. Rich K. 3 Link to comment
bill937ca Posted March 1 Share Posted March 1 As of noon eastern, the Unitram turnouts are #10 and #11 on the Hobby Search weekly sales ranking. https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/ranking/week/104 Link to comment
cteno4 Posted March 1 Share Posted March 1 Yes that fine balance of having a lot of variety with having things reasonably in stock. The basics like track sets and pieces need to be in reasonable stock or like you say rich it chokes the hobby (and their sales) off. I expect this pressure is not as acute in Japan where there a whole bunch more sources to stock stuff and easy and large second hand market. But outside Japan that gets hard to encourage newbies into the hobby. Recent increases in shipping have also been a hard hit as that was always one fantastic selling point for buying from Japan that is gone now. jeff 1 Link to comment
Burtos Posted March 1 Share Posted March 1 (edited) I've mainly buy from amazon.jp as found they are mainy cheaper, hopefully they are available on there when they are released. Usually only takes around 4 days for delivery to the UK Edited March 1 by Burtos Link to comment
bill937ca Posted July 3 Share Posted July 3 Anyone else notice the numbers of the Kato Unitram turnouts have been changed? They are now 40-212 and 40-213. Old numbers were 40-210 and 40-211 Also HS now shows the release date as "Not fixed". Link to comment
brill27mcb Posted July 3 Author Share Posted July 3 Yes, they missed the expected June availability. Not sure what the new product numbers might mean - perhaps just reflecting a new price. Rich K. Link to comment
brill27mcb Posted September 12 Author Share Posted September 12 Missed what? The Unitram turnout points re-release has drifted from May to July, to Early September, to Late September. They are still on Reserve status at Hobby Search Japan. I had reserved a few and am still waiting... Rich K. Link to comment
inobu Posted September 13 Share Posted September 13 Thanks Rich. I thought I missed out because I saw them on sale on ebay and every where else I kept seeing Sold out. Inobu Link to comment
bill937ca Posted September 27 Share Posted September 27 (edited) Points are back! Ans sold out already!! Time to use Notify When Available. https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/11067891 https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/11067892 Edited September 27 by bill937ca Link to comment
inobu Posted September 27 Share Posted September 27 (edited) How many did you get? They were listed on the Sept 26 and gone on the 27. Edited September 27 by inobu Link to comment
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