Getting out of the Loop, joining Unitram track with Tomix Tram Track

[to2leo]

Just wondering has anyone attempted and successfully joining the two type of tracks together.

 

I know the spacing is different but how different?

 

Any help will be greatly appreciated.  My downtown is waiting for a LRT line, in a way I am waiting for one in real life too 

[Mudkip Orange]

Flextrack.

[David]

Regular Unitrack joins to regular Finetrack with the adapter piece easily - in fact the only thing the adapter is really doing is providing a place for the plastic tab from the Finetrack to go and providing a temporary shim for height.

 

I think you could probably attach the two as follows:

 

On the Tomix Tram piece, saw off the little plastic joiner.

On the Unitram piece, use the funny blue tool to remove the Unijoiner.

Find/steal an extra metal rail joiner (either pry one off another piece of Fine track, or get an easier to use code 80 joiner like from a package of Atlas/Peco rail joiners) to replace the Unijoiner.

 

You should now be able to join the two tracks. There will be a height difference because the Unitram is taller, and the rail joiner will be taking all the stress as it does with flex track - over time this will weaken the electical connection as the rail joiner gets bent by repeated flexing of the two sections. Considering soldering the rail joiner on, or running feeders to both sides.

[Bernard]

The other option is what Mudkip suggested....flex track. Here is how I see it:

remove the rail joiners from both the Kato & Fine track and replace them with Atlas rail joiners.

Cut the flex track to the desired length, match a piece of foam core board to that length, mount cork roadbed on it and affix the flex track to it. You now have a section that will join the the two tracks together. To make it match, spackle the flex track to hide the ties, then paint it a color that matches the Kato & Fine track.

[Mudkip Orange]

Basically what David said is accurate as long as you're running single track.

 

The reason for my offhanded "flextrack" remark is that there's no easy way to move the Kato track centers of 25mm (unitram straights) or 33mm (unitram corners / regular track spacing) out to the Tomix track centers of 37mm. Trying to do that with sectional track will require sawing the sectional track anyway, so you might as well use flex.

[to2leo]

Thank you for the suggestions so far.

 

I see Bill's website that there are 3 kinds of curve that Tomix Tram track which are C103, C140 and C177.

 

Does any of them matches Kato's Unitram radius and length?  My proposed LRT layout is to use Tomix Wide Tram Track curve to close the inner loop of the Kato Unitram V50 set while using Fleischmann Flex track to connect with Tomix Wide Tram Track in order to create a dog bone design so that it can go to my downtown area.

[brill27mcb]

Basically what David said is accurate as long as you're running single track.

 

The reason for my offhanded "flextrack" remark is that there's no easy way to move the Kato track centers of 25mm (unitram straights) or 33mm (unitram corners / regular track spacing) out to the Tomix track centers of 37mm. Trying to do that with sectional track will require sawing the sectional track anyway, so you might as well use flex.

Actually, there is an easy way. Check out the middle photo (No. 103) in the first group here:

 

http://www.trainweb.org/tomix/ET-pics/ETpics.htm

 

We use the Kato S62J conversion track plus a Tomix S280 to bridge between Kato Unitram straights (25 mm spacing) and Tomix Wide Tram (37 mm spacing). Each track tapers in 6 mm over a length of 342 mm, which is just under a 2 percent "kink" angle in the straight trackage. It works flawlessly. If you wanted to make a permanent version of this, you and a belt sander could taper the inner edges of Wide Tram straight track to taper the paving between the two tracks from 37 mm to 25 mm.

 

None of the Kato and Tomix radii and lengths match. We use the Tomix Mini C140 and C177 for our double-track streets, since not all trolleys and trams can handle the Super-Mini C103 radius. If you study the "T-Trak for Trolleys" and other areas of the site above, you will see how you can blend Kato and Tomix together. One lucky thing is that the Tomix S33 length matches the normal Kato track spacing of 33 mm. Unfortunately, the recent Tomix announcement of forthcoming short Wide Tram straight pieces omits the S33!

 

Tomix has also announced a 90-degree Wide Tram crossing, and we are all hoping they then produce the Mini-Points turnouts in Wide Tram as well. (Plus their forthcoming bus system is compatible with the Wide Tram sizes.)

 

Rich K.

[David]

Unless it is hidden (tunnel/staging) I think I'd prefer any transition from 37 to 33 spacing to occur either by having the double track interrupted by something (the tracks could diverge, with one track going down a little bend before rejoining at the new spacing, or they could split apart for an island style platform or other obstruction like trees, before rejoining at the new spacing), or by doing the transition as part of a curve.

 

In both cases the idea is to make the change in spacing less overt.

[to2leo]

Thanks Rich and David for the suggestion and advice.  I see FFISKIV has used an interesting looking track to convert spacing between Kato double track with tram track.  I commented on his photo but got no response.  Does anyone know if he still use this forum or know him?  I am sure more than one person is interesting in finding out how he does it.

 

http://www.jnsforum.com/index.php?action=mgallery;sa=item&id=1037

[ShinCanadaSen]

I beleive (By the look of it) that he may be using the cut track method. Basically you cut a piece of track at a certain angle using a mitre box and things line up pretty good. I'll have a look to see where I saw this as I was sure it was in a post here somewhere...

 

Haha ! found it.... It wasn't here it was on the T-Trak website: http://www.t-trak.org/trans-straight.html - This page and the next few show how to make a 25mm to 33mm Transition.

 

 

Edit - just spelling :)

Edit again to add info :)

[to2leo]

From Frank...

They must be made in pairs so the lengths and angles are the same.

Take 2 R216-15's and cut them in half.  Stack the 2 together while cutting so the cuts and lengths are the same for all 4 pieces. (I think I screwed them together).

Swap the ends so the arc of the curve goes the other way and glue together.

Solder and file as needed.

Worked better than I hoped although I did screw up my 1st attempt.

I will post a pick.

Hope this helps.

[FFISKIV]

Hey I posted my method in my gallery, sorry I didn't think to take picks while I did the mod. but its real easy. 

[ShinCanadaSen]

How do the trains handle this s-curve? I'm guessing it should only be used for Trams?

[FFISKIV]

It works great. No problems. Havent tried anything but kato unitram.