Kato Junior Power Pack

[Markakis2014]

Hello all,

 

I am working on trying to start an N scale Kato Unitrack layout. I've never purchased model railroad equipment before, I have some familiarity with it from a friend's HO layout though. I have an offer from an online seller that includes something called the Kato Junior Power Pack (Model No. 200). I cannot find any information about this product anywhere, does anyone know what it is, or if it would work with a typical modern n scale Kato vehicle? I am mostly going to be running trams on this system, that's my interest. If I ever move to a larger apartment, maybe I'll look into building a bigger layout with bigger trains. But for now, I want trams on a small, tight layout.

 

Thanks, hopefully this is not the wrong subsection of the forum.

 

 

[bill937ca]

Never heard of it and I can't find it on Hobby Search. Why not ask the seller to send you a photo to clarify what it is?

[Markakis2014]

10 minutes ago, bill937ca said:

Never heard of it and I can't find it on Hobby Search. Why not ask the seller to send you a photo to clarify what it is?

 

I cannot read Japanese, so I do not know what the characters refer to.

Edited August 17, 2023 by Markakis2014

[disturbman]

Install google translate on your phone. You can point it at objects or load pictures and it will translate the text written on it for you. It's really practical when doing Japanese N gauge.

The button on the left-hand side switches between forward, stop and reverse. The one on the right serves to vary the intensity of current the power pack delivers to the track. I personally never have seen that pack before. It would likely work for your usage, but I would recommend to get a proper one, like the SX. I'm not sure how old this one is.

[Markakis2014]

Definitely will install translate. Thanks!

 

Snooping around more myself, it looks like it used to be a starter set item. Look at this ebay listing for example.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/185938991753

[bill937ca]

Power packs for starter sets can be limited in abilities. There may not be an outlet for adding turnout control switches and the voltage is probably reduced.

 

There are starter tram sets.    Tomix 90099 https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10531136   About $41 US but without a tram. and with a 9 volt power pack which is fine for running trams.  I don't currently see anything comparable available from Kato in Unitram.

Edited August 17, 2023 by bill937ca

[cteno4]

Also best to make sure it handles 120v 60hz, japan is 100v 50hz and some things don’t use universal transformers that do 100-240v and 50/60hz. You can use the 100v on 120v, it will just run a bit hot (temp) and may supply 20% more voltage to the tracks (so regular range on the throttle will be on 80% of the throttle range). Top voltage may be like 14v. Best not to keep these things plugged in while not using them as they are built to take extra voltage for a safety margin, but you are pushing the safety margin. Some home insurance policies will void if non U.S. rated stuff is plugged in and there is a problem. You can get a converter to convert 120v 60hz to 100v 50hz.

 

btw you don’t need a Kato power pack to run your unitrak, any power pack will do. Just need to flip an Kato feeder wire and strip the end to attach to a different brand of power pack. All n scale power packs just put out 0-12v dc (some a bit less like 9v and some older ones may go up to 14v).

 

jeff

 

jeff

[Markakis2014]

1 hour ago, bill937ca said:

Power packs for starter sets can be limited in abilities. There may not be an outlet for adding turnout control switches and the voltage is probably reduced.

 

There are starter tram sets.    Tomix 90099 https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10531136   About $41 US but without a tram. and with a 9 volt power pack which is fine for running trams.  I don't currently see anything comparable available from Kato in Unitram.

For now, I wasn't going to worry about Unitram or a street system. I was just going to model a light rail system like the one in my city, and use Unitrack to do it, since it seems like that is the consensus best track on the internet.

 

 

 

Edited August 17, 2023 by Markakis2014

[cteno4]

Kato sx is a good old standard throttle with a lever action on the throttle. Basic intro MRCs are also inexpensive and good.

 

jeff

[bill937ca]

You can buy Unitrack locally without ordering from Japan.  Two sources are Charles Ro Supply Company and Model Train Stuff in Maryland. Both carry N scale.

 

https://charlesro.com/retail-store/

 

https://charlesro-com.3dcartstores.com/kato_n.html

 

https://www.modeltrainstuff.com/

 

https://www.modeltrainstuff.com/search#/filter:custom_scale:N

[Markakis2014]

2 hours ago, bill937ca said:

You can buy Unitrack locally without ordering from Japan.  Two sources are Charles Ro Supply Company and Model Train Stuff in Maryland. Both carry N scale.

 

https://charlesro.com/retail-store/

 

https://charlesro-com.3dcartstores.com/kato_n.html

 

https://www.modeltrainstuff.com/

 

https://www.modeltrainstuff.com/search#/filter:custom_scale:N

Unfortunately Charles Ro seems to not want any of the working class riffraff in their store, by specifically putting their hours when the least people could possibly go (9-5, M-F). I feel a little weird about supporting them through online sale as a result, and since I have a job, I can't go to the retail store in Malden. I'll check out Model Train Stuff though.

 

 

Edit: It's literally cheaper to order from Japan and pay the insane shipping than to order from MTS. Oof.

Edited August 17, 2023 by Markakis2014

[cteno4]

Unitrak can be had all over in the us at shops and online. Most local shops can order it for you as well thru kato distributors, although maybe little or no discount. ModelTrainsplus is one of the big online suppliers (they closed baltimore retail, although it may come back!

 

@Cat  may have some ideas up in mass for good Unitrak shops.

 

cheers,

 

jeff

[bill937ca]

2 hours ago, Markakis2014 said:

Unfortunately Charles Ro seems to not want any of the working class riffraff in their store, by specifically putting their hours when the least people could possibly go (9-5, M-F). I feel a little weird about supporting them through online sale as a result, and since I have a job, I can't go to the retail store in Malden. I'll check out Model Train Stuff though.

 

Oh yes, how I miss the days of Erich Fuchs right in downtown Boston. That was where I discovered the Boston Street Railway Association. Half the fun was he anticipation of going to a hobby shop.

[Cat]

19 hours ago, Markakis2014 said:

Unfortunately Charles Ro seems to not want any of the working class riffraff in their store, by specifically putting their hours when the least people could possibly go (9-5, M-F). I feel a little weird about supporting them through online sale as a result, and since I have a job, I can't go to the retail store in Malden. I'll check out Model Train Stuff though.

Charles Ro is within easy walking distance for me.  As Lionel specialists, the great majority of their business is mail-order and train shows.  There's never much foot traffic in the store.  Keeping late hours or weekends would a big financial drain.  I don't think they have anything against live customers, there just aren't very many around. 

The pandemic exacerbated the situation.  The owners are quite elderly and quite sensibly the store stayed at curbside pick up for a long while after things started opening back up.  The focus on mail-order became even stronger.  With no foot traffic at all in the store during that time, they stopped stocking magazines and a lot of paints which have no mail order sales.  Alas, those were the primary things I would go into the store to buy on a regular basis.  So I just stop by very sporadically now.

They do open weekends in November and December.  N scale is a very small corner in the back, but does include Kato track.
 

 

17 hours ago, bill937ca said:

Oh yes, how I miss the days of Erich Fuchs right in downtown Boston. That was where I discovered the Boston Street Railway Association. Half the fun was he anticipation of going to a hobby shop.

Yes Erich Fuchs was superb!  Charles Ro was just a few blocks from there back then, on a second floor walk-up.  Got most of my HO stuff over at Woolworth's though.
 : 3

[Cat]

18 hours ago, cteno4 said:

 

@Cat  may have some ideas up in mass for good Unitrak shops.

 

There is an N Scale specialist store out in Sudbury.  I'm pretty sure they have Unitrak, but not Japanese image rolling stock, I haven't been out that way since the beforetimes.  Owners are also very elderly, and they have switched to in store by appointment only, probably also a pandemic enduced change.
https://modeltrainmarket.com/

[cteno4]

yes it’s sad there just is so little foot traffic in many hobby shops these days in person and the costs for labor to keep shops open long hours has skyrocketed. Aging owners in the business also seems to be a big issue. Local shop complaint about r/c buyers (now the lifeline to mist physical hobby shops) is folks buy most of their big purchases online then just come to the shop for small stuff, mainly parts, which has almost a negative profit margin. Then customers get mad when they can by a replacement part right then (can’t wait for mail order when you want to play today and you broke a part) at the store and stomp off. 
 

our local hobby shop now has hardly any n scale train stuff, but I still try to support by buying paints, scenery materials, and stock plastics. But it’s a changing world.

 

outside of anime shows, I’ve noticed a steady decline talking to the public at shows about them having a real hobby at all where they actually create something. Little boost in the maker world and 3D printing, but it’s actually hard sometimes to get them out of that world if that’s their real focus. It’s just been a cultural while away from hobbies. Pandemic helped a bit to wake people up some, but I fear we are back I tot he rush-rush culture of work and busy lives, and hobbies a distraction from all that. 

 

jeff

[Rod.H]

For me, the main supplier for Unitrack is open M-F 10-5, Sat 10-4. A secondary is M-F 9-5, Sat/Sun 10-4, they have limited stock on the shelf but are open to order provided the local wholesaler has stock.  Yet, the major model train specialist store is open M-Thu 10-6, Fri 10-9, Sat 9-5, Sun 11-4, and has virtually zero Unitrack, hides the N-gauge, and pushes the OO/HO both rolling stock and Peco track. The same specialist store also has interests in two producers of HO trains & a local magazine.

[katoftw]

Start ordering from Japanese resellers them.

Cheaper

Unlimited stock

No sales pitches

[disturbman]

No need to go that far if you have online national distributors though. Track sets are often bulky and a waste of fast international shipping options.

[cteno4]

Yes much cheaper to buy it locally now in the us with current shipping prices. Just finding a store he wants to deal with. 
 

jeff

[Markakis2014]

4 hours ago, cteno4 said:

Yes much cheaper to buy it locally now in the us with current shipping prices. Just finding a store he wants to deal with. 
 

jeff

From what I am looking at, Plaza Japan is much cheaper even with shipping.

 

Thank you for the help everyone!!!!

Edited August 19, 2023 by Markakis2014

[cteno4]

Wow, mea culpa, I would not have thought that! Unitrak list price in japan is currently half the US price and then a 20% discount. Exchange rate is good but not half. With $24 shipping on a small pile of track it was considerably cheaper! Us shipping for track is usually min $10 from most places with a discount. It is considerably better deal from plaza!

 

I’ve sort have been feeling the price of Unitrak in the us has gone up a lot when I bought a half dozen packs earlier this year, had not purchased much for a few years and the prices seemed high but just never checked Japanese prices.

 

cheers,

 

jeff

[brill27mcb]

On 8/17/2023 at 11:46 AM, Markakis2014 said:

 

I cannot read Japanese, so I do not know what the characters refer to.

 

Looking at this picture, it may well be that the throttle is not a continuous function, but 5 distinct steps of voltage, with the right-hand speed/voltage knob clicking from one to the next. (The left-hand knob looks like forward/off/reverse.) Tomix had a similar "beginner" throttle in its first Thomas the Tank Engine set. These are not satisfactory in general, because the speed you want will be somewhere between two of the fixed-voltage steps. (For example, it only offers speed levels 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, and you want a speed in-between, like 3.5.)

 

For trams, you can use the Kato "Compact" curves and get a lot more layout design into a small space. However, I find their 45-degree Compact track switches ("points" ) to be very toy-like, creating wide spacings between tracks. As long as you're looking to order direct from Japan (which I agree is the best thing to do), consider Tomix track, with "Mini" curve radii, and the "Mini" 30-degree track switches with more realistic inter-track spacing. I buy the Tomix #91082 Fine Track Mini Rail Set Points Set (Track Layout MB) because that is the only way to get manual turnouts. That saves me a bunch of wiring and controls on a tabletop layout, since I can simply reach the physical turnouts on a small layout and throw them by hand. Later, if you want, they can be powered with the Tomix #0107 turnout motors, which just snap into place within the roadbed of the turnout.

 

Pick a power pack from the same manufacturer of whatever track you decide to use, unless you want to cobble up a power cord that adapts from one cabling connector system to the other.

 

Rich K.