So Kato Flex Unitrak will be a thing...

[learmoia]

Sounds like it's a Flex Track w/separate roadbed.

Similar to Peco track foam maybe?

Wonder how close it will match to regular unitrak?

~Ian

[brill27mcb]

Info source? Link? Photos?

Rich K.

[learmoia]

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[learmoia]

I dont think this is going to be what people think it is..

Looks like they just slapped Unitrak logos on existing products and jacked up the price..   (maybe more for the Japanese Market.)

[thomasjmdavis]

Did somebody corner the market on cork such that it is now $2/foot for N scale roadbed?  I know I didn't pay $150 for my last box (25) of Midwest......

[Jbub]

My bet is that the cork road bed will match the height of the plastic roadbed of Unitrack and this will look a lot like Atlas code 80 track with Kato's rail profile.

[Dave V]

Right, looking at this I don't really see any difference between this flextrack and any other Code 80 system (other than price, apparently).  Now, having mixed and matched Kato, Atlas, and Peco code 80 track on the Juniata Division I do note slight differences in tie spacing but they're so subtle as to be negligible.  The rail profile's very similar, although Peco's railhead width is narrower than Kato or Atlas.

I'd still use Atlas flex with Unitrack if I had to for cost alone.

As exciting as this sounded when I first heard, upon closer inspection, this feels like non-news to me.

[peteski]

What makes me go "hmmmmm" is the length of each piece. 808mm or 31 ¹³/₁₆"?!  That is a weird size.  Usually things like that are done in some whole number, either in metric or Imperial.  Just make it 800mm, or 32". 

[Ed Kapuscinski]

What makes me go "hmmmmm" is the length of each piece. 808mm or 31 ¹³/₁₆"?!  That is a weird size.  Usually things like that are done in some whole number, either in metric or Imperial.  Just make it 800mm, or 32". 

I would've expected it to be a multiple of the 248mm "standard length", but nope.
808/248 = 3.25806451613

Go figure.

[CBQ Fan]

This is about 15 years too late for me.

[Point353]

I would've expected it to be a multiple of the 248mm "standard length", but nope.
808/248 = 3.25806451613

Go figure.

Three pieces of 248mm straight track plus one 64mm piece.
http://www.katousa.com/N/Unitrack/g-single.html

[glakedylan]

this has been on Kato's site for quite a while. it is nothing more than a length of peco or atlas code 80
flex with extra available cork roadbed. nothing new under the sun.
even their special stub end connector track piece has been available for years, making the connection
with other code 80 track more readily dependable, even though the original production was with
intention IIRC to connect tomix track making it more compatible with uni-trak
actually the thing Kato could do to make their uni-trak more user friendly would to be produce a long
TO that results in their standard ~1.3" center to center parallel track spacing. IMOT their #6 just makes
everything more difficult.


sincerely
Gary

[nscaler711]

I would guess that its length is equal to other pieces of Unitrack...
but using the two longest sections of unitrack s248 and s186, in multiples the closest was s186 x 4 was 744mm long, s248 x 3 was 744mm as well.
However, one s248 and three s186 is 806mm long...
So honestly I don't know why they chose 808mm... unless its previously available flex track...
Kinda like what Kato was doing with MTL couplers for a while...

[davefoxx]

Code 80?  Not a game changer.

DFF

[ncbqguy]

Sigh......
When I started at Kato USA in the late 1990s one of the first things I did along with the rest of the staff was write up a proposal on “The Future of Unitrak”.
I wish I still had a copy.   
Since not a single item has been made from the reports in the last decades I won’t list the recommendations but among them was Flexible Unitrack.  I even mocked up a proof of concept sample.  It used regular Unitrak with alternating kerfs cut into the roadbed and would have required special short separate short end pieces to provide pockets for the Unijoiners.
Somebody with a 3D printer could make roadbed segments and ends to fit Unijoiners and regular Code 80 flex rail.
Kato has sold regular flex and supplies to the Japanese market since their beginning (from Atlas??) and frankly I see no reason for anybody to buy it even if they tooled their own flex since it has no advantages over Atlas or Peco.
Charlie Vlk