# Power to Unitrack?



## Gramps (Feb 28, 2016)

I'm looking to go with Unitrack to get back to the hobby and I can't see the answer to this on the KATO site. Do you need both the feeder track and the terminal unijoiners to connect the Unitrack power pack to the track or is it an either/or hook-up? I thought that the pack would connect to the feeder track and the terminal unijoiners might be for connecting to another maker's power pack.


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## JT58 (Dec 20, 2015)

Either or works. If your layout size/complexity requires multiple feeds then you can add additional feeders. You can also make your own like I'm doing this weekend!

www.fiferhobby.com/html/how_to_make_kato_unitrack_feed.html










Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Ike8120 (Mar 5, 2016)

Gramps I also did what JT58 did. Wasn't very hard, I used 22 ga wire.
How big is your layout. I use feeders on all my turnouts and about every 2'. This will prevent any dead spots.
I made my feeders the same color as my buss. That way I couldn't do any cross wiring and cause a short.

The feeder track has the feeders built into it, the terminal unijoiners are used to add power to different sections of your layout. making your own does save some money.


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## Gramps (Feb 28, 2016)

I'm planning on doing a small switching layout about 2x8. It sounds like the feeder track should be enough.


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## JT58 (Dec 20, 2015)

Just remember that the Kato turnouts are power routing. That can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on what you're trying to do. If you want to be able to run multiple locomotives on different spurs they may not always be powered due to the routing.

Mike Fifer recommends isolating all your turnouts:


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## Gramps (Feb 28, 2016)

Except for G scale it's been a very long time since I was in the hobby. I am not familiar with "power routing" in the KATO turnouts. My thought was to have one loco switching a few freight cars.


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## JT58 (Dec 20, 2015)

Basically, with Kato Unitrack turnouts (and other brands as well) power comes in the single track side and will only route power out the track in the direction that the turnout points are facing. If the turnout for that siding is closed, power is not routed down that siding unless it has it's own feeder. With a single locomotive you're not likely to have problems. The problem comes when you have a second locomotive working down a siding and the turnout is thrown in the other direction.


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## Ike8120 (Mar 5, 2016)

Gramps said:


> I'm planning on doing a small switching layout about 2x8. It sounds like the feeder track should be enough.


If you have dead spots then you will need to add more feeders.


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## Gramps (Feb 28, 2016)

JT58 said:


> Basically, with Kato Unitrack turnouts (and other brands as well) power comes in the single track side and will only route power out the track in the direction that the turnout points are facing. If the turnout for that siding is closed, power is not routed down that siding unless it has it's own feeder. With a single locomotive you're not likely to have problems. The problem comes when you have a second locomotive working down a siding and the turnout is thrown in the other direction.


I understand, I just wasn't familiar with the term "power routing". In G scale I ran a wire from one end of the turnout to the other end on the moving rail side of the turnout. Thanks.


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