Has anyone actually mixed Kato Unitrack with Atlas code 80 flex track/cork roadbed? I am currently planning a new, larger layout and I was planning some Kato curves intermixed with Flextrack and cork roadbed. Turnouts would be Kato......some connected to Atlas flex. Does the height of Kato Unitrack EXACTLY match the Atlas flex/cork sandwich or do I have to shim or otherwise fool around to match?
Yes, we have at the Museum, and quite successfully from what I see observing operations. I wasn't involved, but can ask tomorrow if you wish.
There is no guarantee that the cork matches the height of the Kato roadbed, and it probably depends on the type and brand of cork roadbed you use. Kato is a metric-based system, but cork thicknesses are in fractions of an inch. Building a model railroad is a project, and I would go into it assuming you need to modify and adjust some components. Assume nothing is plug-and-play, especially when mixing sectional track with unlike third-party components. While Unitrack is a well-designed track system, it's not explicitly designed to mate with non-kato systems. Sure, it follows NMRA and N scale specs, but for mating with flex track or other track brands, they aren't going to hand you a solution on a silver platter. A 'no-'shim' layout is a bit unrealistic.
N? HO? I have done it in N scale. There is a Unitrack adapter piece made just for this brand change. (#20-045) It does require a bit of shimming, etc. But that is very easy to do.
Thank you very much. I want to use some Kato turnouts I already have. I want to use quite a few Kato curve sections......I already have......(you can see where this is going). And the new layout has a fair amount of long straight runs and would rather not use short pieces. Thanks again, Hawkdriver
That's what I did on my current layout, all Atlas code 80 except for a couple of spurs which are code 55. I used some old stick rail (5" straights) in the yards but mostly flex for long straight sections on the mainlines. Curves on the mains are 19" radius and flex. Doug