NEW! Kato Narrow Gauge UNITRACK

Last november during the Faszination Modellbau in Friedrichshafen I saw the new Kato Narrow Gauge in 9mm gauge for 009 and H0e announced the first time at the Kato-stand. The track was so new at the time that they just had some few pieces of track as samples and  photos in the catalog to show, and none for sale at the time. 

I've noticed that these Narrow Gauge tracks slowly are starting to get available at hobby retailers these days. None of them in Norway off course. But while I was on a 4 day motorcycle trip in Sweden recently I surprisingly found one such set in Southern Sweden's largest Hobby shop; Habo Hobby. It was reasonably priced too at only £ 107/ $ 142. Buying it was a no-brainer to me. So here is a kind of review of the Kato Narrow Gauge UNITRACK, while it's still kind of 'new', if some of my readers are curious about 9mm narrow gauge.

The box of the oval track set it self is labelled OO-9/HOn and suggesting used for both 1:76 and 1:87 scale on 9mm gauge, 009 and H0e/H0n30 receptively:

The backside of the box also suggests how to expand your oval, and how to connect it to Peco tracks with the 4 connector track in the box:

The track it self is the very same as the existing Kato pre-ballasted N gauge UNITRACK and share the same code 80 and track geometry as lengths and radius. They also have the same track connectors, so they're interchangeable. The only difference between the Kato UNITRACK N-gauge and the new 009/H0e narrow gauge track is the wider spacing and the size of sleepers. This makes the new narrow gauge tracks visually more appealing for both 009 (1:76) and H0e (1:87):

So, Whats in the box?
First it contains instructions in Japanese, English and German. The box contains enough tracks to make an oval of 515mm x 391mm or 20.28 x 15.39 Inch to fit a A2 sized baseboard. One of the track is a connector-track to connect to the included Kato power pack (a AC to DC adaptor is also included). There are also 4 pieces of adaptor tracks to connect the Kato narrow gauge UNITRACK to Peco flexi track (without pre-ballasting). In the box you'll also find a re-railer as it might get handy for these smaller gauges. It also contains a 'gauge'; I think the track gauge will work, but suspect the loading gauge is N-scale.

These are one of the 4 adaptor tracks I've connected to a piece of Peco 009 Flexitrack.

I assembled my set for some test-running and I was up and running in less than 2 minutes. The track-oval was very sturdy and could be lifted off the table:

Ok, that was the shorter locomotive and rolling stock. Let's try some longer, with a longer wheel-base:

The longer wheelbase on the rollingstock run fine with no derailments. How about running a railbus with a 'long wheel-base'?

It still runs well on these tracks. So lets try a larger diesel:

Since this is a blog on military modelling, lets finish these tests with a German Heeresfeldbahn HF-110C with tender and wagons with long wheel-base:

What about the future? There are only curved track in one radius and straights in this narrow gauge line yet. Let's hope the future will bring a wider selection of narrow gauge track from Kato including different radius and turnouts.

Kato has also launched a selection 'Mini Dioramas' as an easy to assemble module kits for their N- scale UNITRACK to introduce model railways for kids and people who are not into model railways in the first place. Since sharing the same track geometry, I guess these Mini Modules can be combined and used with this new Narrow Gauge track from Kato too:

This is a great set for you who wants a quick set up, making a new permanent layout, connect it to an existing layout or just as a temporary quick set up. In the latter cases the box works as a storage when not in use. This will be an excellent start for 'Pizza layouts'. Kato is known for reliable tracks which are reasonably priced. Get it while you can. I hope that this new narrow oval track set from Kato is just the beginning of a new product range with wider selection. I'm vaguely start to plan what to use my set for.

Are you buying one?

A 'Blitz excursion' to Sweden - Part 4: Big and Small Narrow Gauge

Due to few models on the blog yesterday, I thought I should compensate for it today, as my route homewards coincidentally just passed by Southern Sweden's largest Hobby shop; Habo Hobby:

They're not only into model railways in all kinds of different scales and gauges, but also into everything technical hobbies in general.

They are even into Tabletop gaming as they are a GW retailer:

I guess they must be into mailorders as Habo is not a very large place. With their broad offers in different hobbies, this was a shop right up my alley. Their prices are reasonable too. So did I find anything interesting enough to bring home? -Sure! Now I had to 'pay the price' for the decision to  travel light and fast; I didn't have room for much on my motorcycle. But I found items so interesting that not buying them was not an option. Place for them on my bike or not. I just had to impovise, adapt and overcome. Let's hope The Mrs. is not reading about my 'hoarding' on the blog. I found the new Kato Unitrack in H0e or 009 (9mm gauge) as a 'set' and some 'out of production' MiniTrains track in same scale and gauge. None of these can be found in Norway. Perhaps I'll do a blogpost on the Kato tracks, as actually is the same s their N-gauge Unitrack except for that they have sleepers made for H0 or 009 scale. So this was the 'small narrow gauge' in the blogpost title:

The 'big narrow gauge' (according to the title) did I find i the town where I was going to spend the night; Skara. Which is also one of the oldest towns in Sweden. Back in the days Skara had a station for 5 different railway lines in 891mm (3 Swedish feet), making it to one of Europe's largest narrow gauge stations. Another coincidence today; I'm staying at the old 'Railway hotel' by the old railway station with just a short walk to a preserved line where Skara-Lundsbrunn järnvägar are operating a heritage railway:

This preserved railway passes a private house with the 'largest garden railway' I've ever seen. It's a 600mm narrow gauge line, and the owner runs small industrial locomotives and rolling stock on it. Too bad there was not traffic today:

The weather forecast and clouds outside suggests that's it's soon about time to head back home again. Thank you to all of you that have followed me on this 4 days (virtual) excursion to Sweden.

Blog PostScript 

The weather forecast was right for once, and I was kind of 'lucky' on my final day of the excursion, as I were driving just a head of the rain. Well, until I came to the Norwegian/Swedish border that was. Then the rain caught up on me, but I didn't mind as it was only 45 minutes left before I was home (after almost 1400km)

On my final day I passed this interesting place where a Standard Gauge branch line to Strömstad is running parallel to the 600mm heritage railway of Munkedal. 

Thanks for following this virtual excursion. 

A 'Blitz excursion to Sweden' - Part 3: The Swedish Naval Museum

Today's destination is located on the Swedish south east cost in the fortified town of Karlskrona, where the Swedish Naval Museum is located. This is a place I've been wanting to visit for a long time, so my expectations were pretty high:

They have 3 ships on display outside:

This was the Swedish Navy's main wharf, and the area and town is heavily fortified:

When entering the museum, the presentation is neat, modern and educational:

They show the importance of models in early ship designs and construction:

Some of those models are really large:

The number of models are mostly limited to older sailing ships though. Perhaps because Sweden's naval battles are mostly limited to this period. 

On the other hand they have a very educational approach to Naval warfare with sailing ships; like the ship guns had a very limited range of about 300 yards and were very inaccurate due to roll, pitch and heave and took long time to reload. Therefore 'melee' and boarding of enemy ships were an important tactic. These factors gives a lot of ideas for a naval wargame. I haven't tried that before. Maybe I should?

The diorama of the 'Battle of Svensksund' between Sweden and Russia in 1790 shows how chaotic such battle could be. Swedish victory:

A 1:1 scale display from a gun-deck. Mirrors made a impression how it looked with several guns:

The museum also had a 'gun simulator' where you could 'fire a volley' against Danish (!) ships to see how to aim on moving targets when your muzzle velocity and range is bad:

The hall of 'Figureheads' from those sailing ships were impressive:

A small section of 'from sail to steam':

The 'Cold War' period was mostly displayed by interactive screens and boards and had just a very few models. 

This is probably the very first model of a submarine from the 18th century. It's made by a Swede:

Sweden's first submarine from 1905 is preserved on the museum. It's based on a periodic American design:

And Neptune from 1978:

The museum didn't mention any naval fleet arm, but showed a model of the Heinkel. A similar model is actually exhibited on the Norwegian Naval Museum as Norway had a 'fleet arm'. Perhaps I should make a blogpost from there too as well?

This is an overview of the museum shop. No model kits or Cobi kits (which have gained popularity in military museums lately). Just mainstream maritime products 'your wife could have picked':

Well, except for these 3 models. But the 'cheapest' costed hundreds of £, while the other two costed over thousand (!)

-And their  Café I never had time to visit, as it closed one hour before the museum. Right after they closed the Café, the staff started to close those 3 open ships in photo no. 2 in this post. So a lot was closed before the museum actually closed. 

As initially stated my expectations were high, so I was actually a little bit disappointed by this visit. -But I learnt new things about sailing-age warfare though, and knowledgeis why we seeks museums, isn't it? If 18th and 19th Century Swedish Navy's is your thing, this is the place to go. 

I'm some 570km away from home now, and I'll better start planning my return. I've been taking reservations due to the weather throughout the whole trip as the forcast have been changing every day and hour. But I've been lucky; no rain so far. So if the weather permits, there will be 'pit stops' on the return.  Please stay tuned.

Perhaps I should visit the Norwegian Naval Museum when coming back?

A 'Blitz Excursion' to Sweden - Part 2: Ljungby Miniature World

Today's destination was Minivärden i Ljungby or the Ljungby Miniature World:

Ljungby Miniature World are created upon a donation to Ljungby city given by a late local doctor under the condition that it would be exhibited to the public. The donation was the doctor's private model railway from 1953. So this very old style layout is the first you see when you enter the premises. It's not built to today high standards, but keeping in mind that his "Landet Somewhere (The Country Somewhere)" was built back in the days when modelling supplies were not as readily available as today it certainly has it's charm. To be a doctor I think the builder included surprisingly many 'alcoholic' industries on his layout:

It was fun to see that the doctor had (scratch-) built his own house, in which this old layout was located in the cellar:

The model builders at Ljungby has also started to create a narrow gauge layout in H0 on their own, based upon the different narrow gauge lines in this county, Småland.  The layout is set to a 50ies style as all the lines ate closed now. This layout is built to a very high standard, and everything is scratchbuilt:

They are not quite finished with their 'Småland in miniature' layout quite yet, and they are expanding it. -So this is a reason to revisit this layout in the future:

They had also made some simple layouts visiting kids could operate:

The effort to move and display the doctor's original 50ies layout, had collected a lot of different local modellers, who was into all kind of different models. This was represented with own displays showing a big range and diversity in modelling to the public. More trains collections in differentscales and makes...

...but also military modelling and dioramas...

There was also a big collection of diecast cars. This Tintin collection...

...made me think of several of some the readers of this blog. It's made to 1:43,5 scale:

The "car collection" also included unique scratchbuilt gas-station dioramas in 1:24 scale. All of them former prototypes from Ljungby, but all are gone now. This is actually one of the two such collections in Sweden:

Even more military modelling and dioramas. Even a whole section was devoted to this:

Columbus "discovering" America:

Battle of Hastings:

Stalingrad diorama:

Battle of Narva year 1700  recreate with Prince August 40mm tin soldiers:

A battle from the AWI:

This diorama is made by 'flats', and the opposing forces are just painted on the background (!):

More flats, Swedes vs. Danes medievals:

I think this submarine was 3D-printed:

They also had a own sections for models made with Meccano:

And a own section for Lego:

This 1:1 scale model made by Lego reminded me that it was time to "fika" again:

Their Café and 'specialty' is very recommendable:

This is their shop, where you can by very cheap second hand items:

Their map of visitors is very interesting. I wo understand if the one from England is a viewer of this blog? I placed my 'dot' and it was time to move on. If you have a 'dot' on the map, please let me know in the comment-section:

I think this must be one of Ljungby's biggest tourist attractions, as Ljungby is a small, quiet and very lovely town in southern Sweden. If you are in the area I recommend you to pay Minivärden I Ljungby a visit, and place a dot on your home location. It's run by a bunch of friendly modellers, who will gladly tell about their approach to the modelling hobby.

Please stay tuned as it seems like the weather forecast for tomorrow permits a motorcycle ride and another destination...