Unitrack turnouts ... hmmm

[OldEastRR]

The KATO website has some info, and so the only turnouts they sell are electric? I assume they need a power source, and you have to buy the switch control separately. I assume they can be used with DCC, but do they have live frogs (fed from the switch points) or ones that need to be separately powered? And you need to isolate both legs when using DCC they way you do other turnouts? They come with various track sections, which I assume help mate them to other KATO turnout configurations?
I'm thinking of building a variable configuration holding/staging yard w/ DCC and wondering about using KATO track for it.

[peteski]

What do you mean by "electric"?  The rails do conduct electricity, and they all have built-in switch machines.  I guess that makes them electric.  But just like any other turnout which included switch machine, it can be thrown manually (there is a slider built into the roadbed).

[wcfn100]

I believe it make a difference which turnout you use.

The #4 turnout has a selector for power routing or not and has a dead frog.

The#6 turnout is only power routing and has a live frog.

That's the way I remember it anyway.

Jason

[Jimbo]

I believe it make a difference which turnout you use.

The #4 turnout has a selector for power routing or not and has a dead frog.

The#6 turnout is only power routing and has a live frog.

That's the way I remember it anyway.

Jason

Not quite.  The #4 turnouts DOES have an option to select a live frog on the bottom.  (One screw labeled “frog power” and you can select off or on.) It also has the option to select “power routing” or “non-power routing” with two more screws on the bottom.  (BUT - the positions are labeled wrong - select “non-power routing” if you want power routing and vice versa.)

The description of #6 is correct.  There are no screws on the bottom.  Powered frog and power routing, whether you want it or not.

Jim

[Jimbo]

One other thing… you are correct, in that Kato turnouts (the #4 and #6) are only available as powered (no manual option.). But, as @peteski noted, there is a tab that allows for manual operation.

Hope this helps.

Jim

[randgust]

One of the things that concerns me about Unitrak turnouts in general are all those contacts inside.  It's kind of genius, but it's still moving parts in an area that is COMPLETELY inaccessible if you put it in a permanent layout with scenery, nailed track, etc.   Nice for the tabletop, but....
I've got a pair of the 4's on my Ttrak modules and they have had to be modified on the nesting of the points to prevent derailments.  But I've still made them so they could be removed for maintenance as I have no faith in all those sliding contacts staying clean deep in there.  And I do ballast and scenery.  And I paint the switches to match ballast color, with a brush.

The little tab on the side does throw the switch, but it's a lot easier if you drill in a tiny stub of .035 wire so you have a better finger grab, just keep it below rail level.

All things being equal, I'll stay with Peco C55, thank you, and a big honking Tortise with movable contacts under the table to switch Electrofrog polarity.
   

[robert3985]

One of the things that concerns me about Unitrak turnouts in general are all those contacts inside.  It's kind of genius, but it's still moving parts in an area that is COMPLETELY inaccessible if you put it in a permanent layout with scenery, nailed track, etc.   Nice for the tabletop, but....
I've got a pair of the 4's on my Ttrak modules and they have had to be modified on the nesting of the points to prevent derailments.  But I've still made them so they could be removed for maintenance as I have no faith in all those sliding contacts staying clean deep in there.  And I do ballast and scenery.  And I paint the switches to match ballast color, with a brush.

The little tab on the side does throw the switch, but it's a lot easier if you drill in a tiny stub of .035 wire so you have a better finger grab, just keep it below rail level.

All things being equal, I'll stay with Peco C55, thank you, and a big honking Tortise with movable contacts under the table to switch Electrofrog polarity.
 

I agree completely.  Although the KATO Unitrack switches are convenient (especially the #4's if you want to mess around with frog & track power options), and even though KATO Unitrack has a good reputation for reliability, the inaccessible turnout innards on a permanent layout with socked-down trackage requires some compromises to maintain semi-accessibility on the turnouts, since more-parts=more-potential-failures.

I am going to assume that you're not all that concerned about appearance in your holding/staging yard, so Peco55, with Unifrog "medium" (#6) turnouts would be an excellent, robust and reliable choice, with far fewer "joints" which can potentially be problematic sometime in the future, and frankly...after your trackage is glued down to a cork roadbed, it is every bit as "bullet-proof" as KATO Unitrack...maybe even MORE sturdy.

I also agree on the reliability, robustness and longevity of using Circuitron Tortoise switch machines to both move the switch points and change polarity on the live frog, with an extra set of SPDT switch contacts for such things as signal operation and/or LED's on a control panel.  All of my turnouts on my sectional/modular layout are powered by Tortoises and some sections are over 30 years old, and all the Tortoises are still working just like new.

Photo (1) - Tortoises Galore!  Here's the underside of the West End of my Echo Junction modular section showing my Tortoise switch machines:


Photo (2) - More Tortoises! Here's the underside of the East End of my Echo Junction modular section showing even more Tortoise switch machines:


Some of these Tortoises ran for about 7 years on my Devil's Slide/Wilhelmina Pass NTRAK two-module setup and got salvaged when I went with the club's more exacting and realistic new modular standards, so they're older than 30 years.  I can't say enough about 'em and highly recommend this product.

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[OldEastRR]

I'm thinking Unitrack because it is basically going to be a temporary yard (tho it may take years before it's finally set permanently) and because I have a load of KATO straight track from the many KATO passenger car sets I bought over the years. Plus a few curves I bought for temp track on another layout. Nothing fancy, just a track ladder and single -ended sidings. I has found you can integrate other brands of Code 55 switches into Unitrack, by trimming down the KATO ballast sections to fit closer together on the diverging end. Plus putting cork roadbed under the non-KATO switches to even them up with the KATO track heights.

Nice to know you can adjust the turnouts from live to dead frog. Or vice versa. Thanks for all the info.