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Kato Unitram Track Availability


brill27mcb

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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.

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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.

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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 by brill27mcb
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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.

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... 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'

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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 by brill27mcb
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Unfortunately you can only buy 1 at a time

Edited by disturbman
Unnecessary quote. Answering previous message
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bill937ca

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 by bill937ca
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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 by Burtos
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brill27mcb

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.

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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

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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 by Burtos
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