So you want to try Tomix FineTrack?

[mannybrown1]

Yes that is good to know, I was looking for some guidance on navigating the track center differences between the two systems. I have Kato double track coming into the terminal (33mm spacing) and then I will need to transition to the tomix spacing (37mm) at some point. Wasn't sure if the coupled mm difference is too small to require any special treatment or not.

[cteno4]

Manny the 4mm track spacing difference is a pain. it’s going to make a little kink if you try to fudge it along some straight track. You can make your own sort of flex track piece to do a tin bit of an s curve by cutting slices in the bottom of Unitrak (between the ties) on like every other tie or so all the way Thru the roadbed. Then you can gently deform the piece of track to do a little tiny, gentle S curve. I experimented with this a very long time ago to do a similar fudge and it seemed to work well, very tedious though to do, but I abandoned that track plan to keep all regular geometries, so I never ran a bunch of trains across it but it’s such a small S curve I doubt it would cause issues. Of course you will have to try to reballast all the slits in the roadbed so best try to hide that track visually as it may end up looking a bit different.

 

If you are doing all Tomix sidings or passing tracks off a Kato main line  the you may be able to get away with never having to convert between track spacings and just have to cut some custom straights for length to deal with the length differences.

 

if you have track planning software you might try and play with some designs to see if you can get it in w.o changing track spacings.

 

Cheers

 

jeff

[katem]

If you have space for some curves at the Kato-Tomix transition, you can use various 15° curve pieces to change the track spacing. Here's how to do it with Tomix curves, it should be somehow similar with Kato curves.

 

 

📐 AnyRail file here

[katoftw]

Tried Tomix today. Wide tram really.

 

 

Made a hybrid feeder using a terminal block. Tomix power feeder cables are pretty small/thin compared to Kato. Took a few goes to get the screw clamps to hold.

[cteno4]

Good solution. For finer wires you can always tin the ends with solder then use some non grooved pliers and mash the tinned ends flat a bit and they will make better contact and not snap strands as much. But with finer wires do take care that any wiggling will tend to start snapping strands at the start of the insulation.

 

cheers

 

jeff

[bill937ca]

Tomix generally runs on lower voltage.  There are 9 volt Tomix controllers.

[bill937ca]

Play time.

 

 

[ATShinkansen]

So I finally have the Tomix half of my MU yard connected up.  Has anyone else had issues with electrical connectivity with the rail joiners?  I have two tracks in the yard where power cuts out unless I’m pressing down on the section of track ahead of the turnout that feeds these two tracks.  I’ve pulled the rail joiners off all the sections of track in the affected area and tightened them, but that hasn’t fixed the problem yet.  I really don’t want to do any soldering to the trackwork (that part is actually over a joint in the benchwork), but I am considering wiring up track feeders as jumpers if I have no other way around it.  Any thoughts?

[disturbman]

Never seen that before, maybe there is an issue with that particular turnout. I would try swapping it with another and test again.

[cteno4]

i agree it sounds like something with the power routing in the point and pushing down the track just warps the point to make better contact internally.

 

jeff

[disturbman]

Yes, that would be my guess as well.

[ATShinkansen]

Thanks, I’ll try that (again).  That was my first suspicion, before the rail joiners; I did dismantle that turnout to see if I could find anything.  It’s easy to do, and simple inside.  I think it has something to do with the contacts directly under the rails.  I want to see if those can be pushed further up through the roadbed.

[ATShinkansen]

Fixed it!  Sure enough, a little extra force on one of the contacts from the underside was all it needed!