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?

Making a small H0e/H0n30 layout in just 6 evenings

Small layouts and 'pizza layouts', and especially those made to narrow gauge and H0e/ H0n30 in particular, have always intrigued me. Several members of my MRC, Gleng Modelljernbane Klubb, have made such narrow gauged pizzas in different scales and gauges. Many of them are seasonal layouts and have a Christmas theme, which inspired me and made me thinking for a while to make one on my own.

My wife made a chess-table by painting a chess-board directly on a table. I 3D-printed her some black and white chess-pieces to go along with the chess-table. After a long while the varnish started to turn yellow and flaking off, and the table didn't look so good anymore, and she was going to throw it away. I've said before; Throw away nothing - it might come handy some day. By coincidence the table was circular and an idea to convert it into a small seasonal micro-/pizza- layout was born. Luckily I had some Roco H0e/H0n30 starter set and some other narrow gauge stuff laying around. At this time there wasn't that many days left before Christmas, so there was not much time to loose.

Day 1

The original circular table with the 'chess-board':

I thought the outer rim looked to deep for the layout, so I cut 2 pieces of foamboard which I put inside, so the rim didn't seem so deep anymore:

I had a H0e-starterset which fitted the table nicely. The track were glued down to the foamboard with some few blobs of PVA here and there. -And then some obligatory test-running. I then weightet the track down and let the glue set overnight:

Day 2

Some small blocks of styrofoam was cut to shape as small hills, and glued down to the foamboard with PVA. Then the chuncks of styrofoam were covered with drywall plaster. Now everything needed to dry overnight again:

Day 3

Now everything was covered with a layer of white matte household paint, needing another evening to completely dry:

Day 4

At the craft shop they sells a lot of things for christmas-decorations these days. So in my local craft shop I found some 'snow paint', which was very thick and actually more like a paste. After covering the whole layout with this snow paste, I used the brush to stipple some texture into it. Inspired by a recent trip to 'Lommedalsbanen', a narrow gauge heritage railway in the forrest, I wanted to make a heavy snow scene. Now it needed to dry to the next day:

Day 5

Now it was time to plan the details to put on this micro layout. Firstly I drybrushed some trees with white craft paint and 'snow paint':

I wanted the layout to work as a candlestick for advent candles, so I placed some bases for led-candles too:

The station building is scratchbuilt by a friend and was salvaged from another H0e layout I'm currently reworking. I just gave it another color and a station sign:

The Gingerbread house were made from a free STL-file from Thingiverse, resized to H0-ish and 3D-printed.

The 'Stabbur' (storehouse) was also 3D-printed as is from Thingiverse. It was like a kit were you printed the different parts. Details like figures and vehicles I planned to buy in a model railway store, but it looks like I was a little late as almost every seasonal details were already gone and out of stock. So I bought some few they had left and 3-printed the rest.

The few I managed to buy:

The rest I 3D-printed (and painted):

The most observant of you may recognize the sleigh and the load (load #2); It's the same I scaled up for winter-service with my G-scale Heeresfeldbahn. Now I've scaled the same sleigh down to H0. The original STL-files at Thingiverse are made to about 28mm scale:

Day 6

Now it was time to bring everything together at the layout:

This is a military modelling blog and I usually include some kind of military presence on model railway layouts. Even if the main theme on this layout was 'Christmas', I included some memories from my own service. 

I tried to replicate the temporary white paint used for winter camouflage on Norwegian vehicles back, as it did not turn out like a 'solid' white color, but somewhat more transparent. 

Finally at display in our living-room for everyone to enjoy just in time for Christmas.

Layout at a glance

Name: Svingen
Scale: 1:87

Gauge: 9mm Narrow gauge (H0e/ H0n30)
Size: Diameter 19 1/2"
Height:19 1/3"
Style: Circular table, island, micro layout
Period: 2000 - 2006
Locale: Norway, fictious - "Somewhere up North"
Theme: Christmas micro layout

Scenery: Styrofoam covered with drywall plaster and Snowpaint on solid table

Control: DC analogue

Roadbed: None

Track: Roco N-scale track

Max grade: None

Minimum radius: 7 7/8"
Backdrop: None
Fascia: Original table edging

Conclusion

Often I read and hear that if you want to 3D-print small miniatures and details, only a Resin printer/ SLA-printer will do. I must say I'm surprised with the results from my Filament printer/ FDM-printer. My miniatures are not smoothed with filler and sanded as there were no time to do so this time. Mine are only printed and painted. Being cheaper than Resin printers, I think Filament printers are highly underrated. 

I didn't plan to name this little layout, but as a Facebook-group I follow called 'Micro Layouts' planned to host a virtual model railway exhibition at Saturday the 23rd of December I decided to join. 

-But again, then my little layout needed a name to participate. - So I named it: Svingen (which is Norwegian and means "The Turn", as the trackplan is in a constant turn) after a popular Norwegian Christmas tv-series for kids.

This was a quick and fun build, and it certainly motivates me do do another micro in the future.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!