Japanese Model Railway Layout - Kato Unitrack
This layout reuses the same baseboard as the Japanese Tram layout (60" x 30" - 152 cm x 76 cm). It also makes use of the same background which which saves me some work. The track used for this layout is Kato Unitrack with R315 curves. This was suitable for the longer model trains that I planned to run. There is only a single track used which allowed me to devote more space to the other layout elements. The turnouts were also a major consideration as I needed to make them long enough to handle the six car Shinkansen (800 Kyushu Tsubame) and the Narital Express. Even though it can be difficult to run long trains on a small layout, it is not impossible. With a little but of planning, suitable compromises can be found. An important feature of this layout was the way I used the four large Kato buildings. Instead of placing them in the middle of the layout, I placed them on the right side of the layout. This created an area where the trains were hidden from view. Important when you are using longer trains on a small oval layout. Unless the train disappears for a moment, you become more aware of the limitations of the layout size. By using the large buildings in this way, it also created a small area behind them which is separate from the rest of the layout. This technique provides a more realistic way of viewing a train within a city environment. In most urban areas, trains will often be hidden by buildings and disappear from view.
Japanese Rail Layout (Kato Unitrack)
Japanese Model Train Layout (Kato Unitrack) - Track Design
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