Kato single viaducts - concrete?!

[Sakuranamiki]

Hello all,

 

Working on my new show layout and I have been thinking (yup, dangerous I know); the Kato Single Viaducts look a bit grey and plasticky. Was thinking should I take them apart and give them a bit of the weathered concrete look that I've done on club layouts?

I will be mixing them with double track viaduct sections in places that are more of a concrete colour. Thing is, they don't match.

Thoughts?

 

Thanks

[cteno4]

That sounds like a good idea, I’ve never liked the look of that dark gray single track viaduct much. Using a flat will also also help make to feel more like concrete and less plastic. Only issue I’ve had with the double viaduct is that bit of plastic sheen it can have and always toyed with the idea of hitting the non track section with a flat grey it just dullcoat, but never have tried it.

 

do wash the parts to be painted well before spraying.

 

jeff

[Sakuranamiki]

Thanks Jeff 

I'm guessing that they are meant to be concrete? I never saw metal viaducts when I was last in Japan. Strikes me as odd that they are moulded in a different colour plastic to the double viaducts. 

I have a tried and tested method of producing a concrete look, by just using various paints and washes.

I will post picks of a test subject when completed!

 

Thanks,

Tim

[cteno4]

Tim,

 

yea I was never sure what that color was to represent other than maybe a painted metal of some sort. It does contrast a lot if you have it put with the double viaduct and just screams more “what am I?!”

 

yes we would appreciate it greatly if you could post your experiments and results here! Always great to see.

 

I’ve been knoodling on the idea of doing the mini onetrak with the single viaducts for Btrain shorty shinkansens.

 

cheers

 

jeff

[Sakuranamiki]

That would be really interesting to see. I'm feeling quite inspired to get a small show layout on the scene since exhibiting a continental layout with a friend at the Warley at Statfold show last week.

Edited October 21 by Sakuranamiki
Posted twice!

[Sakuranamiki]

Sumida crossing seems to think they are concrete, so hoping it's right!

Also looking online at cast viaduct sections in Ibaraki and they look very similar to the Kato sections, so fingers crossed!

[Sakuranamiki]

Like this one...

Edited October 21 by Sakuranamiki

[Junech]

The only single-track viaduct I know from the top of my head is from Yoro Railway with Karasue Station (Google Maps) being on the viaduct itself. But that is still missing the verticle support structure the Kato pieces have. But they can also just be concrete. If you want to give the viaduct pieces some additional accents besides just being concrete you could say that this verticle support structure is out of metal. An example would be a bridge from Tarumi Line between Tarumi and Midori station (Google Maps). Maybe a nice detail to add to the viaducts as well.

[Sakuranamiki]

Thank you. I'll take a look at it...

Just sprayed up an old second hand section that I acquired from a second hand junk box. When that dries I'll weather it down with a wash and some pigment and see what it looks like. Edit: The paint used is Tamiya XF-55 Deck Tan (Flat).

Edited October 21 by Sakuranamiki

[Sakuranamiki]

After a discussion with Ken from Sumida Crossing, it may actually be that the single viaduct track sections are in fact steel...

Kato don't explicitly say what they are intended to be, but looking at the ribs on the sections and the panels it may well be a representation of steel, hence the colour of the plastic. Not really sure where to go with this now, but I will continue weathering the scrap section that I painted.

As mentioned by Junech, I could highlight the vertical supports as steel and see what it looks like.

Thanks everyone for your help on this.

Tim

[Kamome]

I have also considered changing the colours of these as, yes they do look quite toy-like. The pillars especially look like a concrete construction but share a similar colour to the viaduct sections. 

 

To make them look more like concrete, you could fill the indentations with putty or cut some styrene sheet to fit over the spaces and give a smoother side. Surprised these things haven’t been updated but maybe Kato doesn’t sell that many. Also be aware that shinkansen coaches will rub the low wall on anything smaller than the R348 in my experience. Obviously E3/E6 will have a better tolerance. 

 

Certainly for modern construction, everything is made from concrete for viaducts not spanning any rivers or ravines these days, in my area anyway. A lot of steel is used for the Nippon steel electric railway for obvious reasons.

[Takahama Trainwatcher]

Some other single track viaduct in Ibaraki is the Kashima Rinkai Tetsudo just out of Mito. Looks like concrete.

Streetview:

Streetview in Google Maps

Edited October 22 by Takahama Trainwatcher

[Sakuranamiki]

13 hours ago, Kamome said:

I have also considered changing the colours of these as, yes they do look quite toy-like. The pillars especially look like a concrete construction but share a similar colour to the viaduct sections. 

 

To make them look more like concrete, you could fill the indentations with putty or cut some styrene sheet to fit over the spaces and give a smoother side. Surprised these things haven’t been updated but maybe Kato doesn’t sell that many. Also be aware that shinkansen coaches will rub the low wall on anything smaller than the R348 in my experience. Obviously E3/E6 will have a better tolerance. 

 

Certainly for modern construction, everything is made from concrete for viaducts not spanning any rivers or ravines these days, in my area anyway. A lot of steel is used for the Nippon steel electric railway for obvious reasons.

That's a good idea. I suppose I could fill the panels a bit and make it look more concrete-like. It would certainly add to the scene.

[Sakuranamiki]

This little screenshot from the viaduct in Ibaraki looks very similar.

Maybe I'm overthinking it (one of the joys of having ASD, or so I'm told), but I know that if I don't get it right it will bug me no end, and I know for a fact that when it goes out to a show the "rivet counters" ( though concrete doesn't have rivets!) will have a field day. Saying that, as I always tell my club members "It's your little world. You put in it what you like". There's also not that many Japanese modellers in the UK, so who knows? I may get away with a bit of artistic license!

Thanks all. I will keep you all updated on progress!

Tim

[Sakuranamiki]

On 10/22/2024 at 11:47 AM, Takahama Trainwatcher said:

Some other single track viaduct in Ibaraki is the Kashima Rinkai Tetsudo just out of Mito. Looks like concrete.

Streetview:

Streetview in Google Maps

Yup certainly does. I think I will definitely be trying to make these look concrete.

 

Tim

[Tony Galiani]

Not sure how useful these are but two views of the viaduct just past the Ritsorin Garden stop in Takamatsu, Shikoku.  The pillars are concrete and, from the train side, the slabs look like stone or concrete but there may be a facing on them.