Superelevated (canted) track from Kato vs Tomix (N-gauge)

[KOKI Bond]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm just starting to explore the hobby and trying to understand the situation with superelevated track.

After some research it seems that Kato's double slab and double normal track have superelevated curves, but Tomix has superelevated curves only in WideTrack variant, and Tomix's double slab and double normal track curves are flat and not superelevated.

Could someone please confirm if this is right or correct me?

 

I'm considering mostly Tomix track for its variety, flexibility, lower profile and more compact switches than Kato, but also want superelevated curves for the Shinkansen track and preferably in slab variant. If the above is correct, I'm thinking to go with Kato for the Shinkansen track and then maybe connect it to Tomix track at the stations using short flex track pieces due to different spacing between Kato and Tomix double track.

 

Thanks!

 

 

 

[katoftw]

Canted tracks...

Kato only comes in double.

Tomix has single pieces. I guess this allows more flexibility.

[KOKI Bond]

That makes sense for single track, indeed. But what about the double track variants?
Kato explicitly advertises that slab and PC track curves have cant - https://www.unitrack-kato.com/line-up-double-track-jp.

Tomix shows that Wide PC rail has cant - https://www.tomytec.co.jp/tomix/nyumon/tomixrail-type.html#type_wpc, but it's not clear to me about their double slab and double PC offering.
 

I'm hoping someone who used Tomix's double track can confirm whether double slab and/or double PC curved tracks have the cant or not?

Edited April 2, 2023 by KOKI Bond

[bill937ca]

Cant is only on curves.

 

[KOKI Bond]

2 hours ago, bill937ca said:

Cant is only on curves.

 

Thank you, I understand that, but the question is which types of curved track from Tomix have a cant?

[katoftw]

Tomix doesn't have double pc track.

 

Slab I am pretty sure is not canted.

 

It's pretty east to figure out. Any canted tracks from any maker is gonna have a transition piece for the cant.

 

edit// Just checked. Wide track is the only canted tracks Tomix currently offer. I didn't look at old offerings. Just compared slab vs pc vs wide.

Edited April 3, 2023 by katoftw

[bill937ca]

This is a Japanese language page on Tomix Finetrack. You will need to use Google Translate.

https://www.tomytec.co.jp/tomix/nyumon/tomixrail-type.html#type_wpc

 

■ Wide PC rail
https://www.tomytec.co.jp/tomix/nyumon/tomixrail/img/rail-type_wpc.jpg
A rail with a wide ballast that can create a gap-free space between double tracks by arranging two rails.
The curved rail has a cant (tilt), which allows you to create a realistic scene in which the vehicle passes through the curve while tilting.
By attaching separate parts, it can be used on elevated tracks, and can be reproduced from single lines to multiple lines.
It is a rail group with high development potential that can be used in various scenes, such as being able to be used like a double track rail by using wall parts.

 

For comparison this is the Kato track page.

https://katousa.com/n-unitrack/

Edited April 3, 2023 by bill937ca

[KOKI Bond]

@katoftw, good catch with the transition track. This is Tomix's double PC track that I was referring to https://www.tomytec.co.jp/tomix/nyumon/tomixrail/raillineup.cgi?category=rail_double.

@bill937ca, I saw those links and already shared them in one of the messages above.

[KateM]

I keep all Tomix track pieces in one handy document for my own reference, so let's have a look at what Tomix offers regarding canted tracks.

 

Wide concrete-sleepers tracks (code WP): curves with radius 280 mm, 317 mm, 354 mm, 391 mm - in increments of 45°, minimum 45°. These can be connected together to form a double-track (or even triple-track or quadruple-track) pieces, can have walls attached, and can be converted into viaduct/bridge pieces. 37 mm wide pieces but ballast can be cut off on both sides to get to standard width of 18.5 mm, or on one side only to get the alternative spacing. This is the universal default if cant is desired. See this WP diagram to pick the right part numbers.

 

Wide embankment wooden-sleepers tracks (code EM): curves with radius 1641 mm (!) - in increments of 5°, minimum 10°. These, however, cannot be made double-track as there is only one radius available. If only tracks without the embankment itself were used, you might be able to use the same radius for two tracks by using some fraction or variable-length pieces, but the track spacing would vary through the curve.

 

There are no other canted tracks made by Tomix, not even the double-track PC or slab rail pieces. Some (but not all) double-track PC non-canted curve pieces can be replaced with canted WP curve pieces (with separately-purchased walls attached). There is no canted slab rail. If you want to go with Tomix, concrete sleepers are your only option for canted rails (yes, EM have wooden sleepers, but they don't have a practical radius...).

 

15 hours ago, KOKI Bond said:

@katoftw, good catch with the transition track. This is Tomix's double PC track that I was referring to https://www.tomytec.co.jp/tomix/nyumon/tomixrail/raillineup.cgi?category=rail_double.

It's totally right that the double-track pieces with walls (concrete sleepers and slab) can be used as ground pieces, however they are mostly used as viaducts by modellers. Even Tomix itself uses it as such in their sets. However you're right that the single pieces are marketed as that they can be used as both ground or viaduct pieces. Because of that, there can be some confusion about this topic.

Edited April 3, 2023 by katem

[KOKI Bond]

@katem, that's quite an effort to gather that all in GitHub. 🙂
Thank you! And thanks all!

The question is resolved.

 

So, I guess, I'll have to follow the initial plan to use Kato track for Shinkansen to have superelevated slab tack curves and Tomix track for everything else.