# Best ready made HO track with roadbed



## nrscroller (Dec 3, 2018)

HI all,bbo
I would like to replace my old brass track and switches for my switching layout so it is more dcc compatible. I am almost 74 and I don't think I want to deal with trying to use flex track, so I was wondering how this ready made track by various companies works with dcc. I would appreciate some help with this. I may have to do some redesigning to make it fit. I run 40 and 55 foot box cars, and short and long covered hoppers. I want one main yard with 3 ladder tracks and then industry tracks off the main run. 
Allso where is the best place online to purchase this stuff, I haven't bought much lately and I am 50 miles from a train store or hobby shop that sells this stuff. I run digitrax DCC zepher.
Thanks
Bill


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## davidone (Apr 20, 2015)

I have used Kato ho unitrack and it is very easy to work with. Price is higher than other track systems but it is worth it IMO. Almost any large dealer like train world, Nickolos Smith stocks it. 

Good luck,

Dave


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## davidone (Apr 20, 2015)

Having trouble sending msg.

I would go to the Kato website to find all the info you need. Also I never have a problem using dcc with the track. 

DAVE


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## J.Albert1949 (Feb 3, 2018)

One more vote for Kato Unitrack.

Goes together easily and looks GREAT (for being "sectional" track).

For a source, try modeltrainstuff.com.

If you use an app like "Railmodeler Express" to lay out your track plan, it has templates for Unitrack.

Rather than 18" radius, Kato has 19 1/4" radius and 21 5/8" radius -- just a bit more "comfortable" that 18".

Be aware that they have *TWO* versions of the #4 switches
- powered version with metal frog
- manual version with plastic frog
... and that the dimensions of the two are slightly different (needs to be taken into consideration when planning). The manual turnouts have just a slightly sharper angle of divergence than do the powered ones.

ALL of their "manual" turnouts can be powered by adding a powered attachment (easy). They offer switch control levers with "plug and play" wiring. I like them.

If it's a "switching layout" only, and all turnouts will be within easy reach, you might start out with the manuals and then "add power later" if you wish.

Also (if it makes a difference)...
The powered #4's are power-routing ONLY (cannot be changed).
The manual #4's can be set to power-routing or NON power-routing by changing 2 screws on the bottom.

Hope this helps.


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## CambriaArea51 (Sep 2, 2019)

I like the Kato track.Going to use it in areas that can't be seen like tunnels.


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## Severn (May 13, 2016)

what are the brand choices?


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

I think Kato us generally accepted to be the best. However, I have used Atlas TrueTrack and LifeLike PowerLoc track, and they're both acceptable, too, the biggest issue with these being poor quality turnouts.


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## prrfan (Dec 19, 2014)

J.Albert1949 said:


> One more vote for Kato Unitrack.
> 
> Rather than 18" radius, Kato has 19 1/4" radius and 21 5/8" radius -- just a bit more "comfortable" that 18".
> 
> .


Actually Kato has a few more options in curve radius beyond the 19 1/4” and 21 5/8”. They go from something like 16 3/4” up to around 34”. 
I use Kato and have been very happy with it. The thing is it is not cheap, but very well made, easy to use and to my mind worth it.


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

*Kato Unitrack:*


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## Severn (May 13, 2016)

It's seems pretty clear Kato is very nice -- but I have one feature I'd like in this kind of track. I'd like command ready DCC control in the turnouts.

I've poked around on the internet and it seems like the only brand out of the box that supports this is bachmann EZ track...

I admit I may be pavlov-dog trained by Lionel fastrack on this one...

Still it's a feature I'd like to at least consider as desirable...

?


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## flyboy2610 (Jan 20, 2010)

NCE Switch-Kat's are made specifically to control Kato or LGB turnouts.
https://www.modeltrainstuff.com/nce-524116-switch-kat-accessory-switch-machine-decoder/


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## Severn (May 13, 2016)

That seems promising. I'd really like not to Go the bachmann route or at least try something else with a moulded base... Or possibly atlas which I have in O... But would prefer another option that is ok to not be fixed to a top...


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## J.Albert1949 (Feb 3, 2018)

I considered dcc-controlled switches.

But the Kato "switch levers" are plug-and-play, and you can buy an "extension cord" so that the leads can be extended (or make your own).

They work well enough for me. And the price is right.








Also, I've found that by routing my switch machine power cables through the plywood, along with the leads from the "powered UniJoiners", the track is "stable enough" to not move around, even though it's not "fastened down", per se.

Again ... works well enough for me.
And by NOT fastening it, it becomes easy to adjust and modify the track layout.
I made numerous "track revisions" before getting to my "final", most workable plan...


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## mikemac58 (Jan 12, 2019)

*Kato - Limited HO Options*

I am building my layout with Kato Unitrack and using SCARM to design the layout. Since I am a newbie the Kato track is awesome to work with as I am taking it apart and rearranging constantly as my design changes; however, I am restricted in what I can do with my layout due to the limited availability of Kato special pieces like crossings and curved turnouts. I wish Kato had the same track piece lineup in HO that they have in N.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

mikemac58 said:


> I am building my layout with Kato Unitrack and using SCARM to design the layout. Since I am a newbie the Kato track is awesome to work with as I am taking it apart and rearranging constantly as my design changes; however, I am restricted in what I can do with my layout due to the limited availability of Kato special pieces like crossings and curved turnouts. I wish Kato had the same track piece lineup in HO that they have in N.


Unfortunately, that's a known drawback to using sectional or roadbed track, and why most hobbyist gravitate to flex track eventually.


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## Gramps (Feb 28, 2016)

mikemac58 said:


> I am building my layout with Kato Unitrack and using SCARM to design the layout. Since I am a newbie the Kato track is awesome to work with as I am taking it apart and rearranging constantly as my design changes; however, I am restricted in what I can do with my layout due to the limited availability of Kato special pieces like crossings and curved turnouts. I wish Kato had the same track piece lineup in HO that they have in N.


You can go on Kato USA's website and they have HO trackplans that you might be interested in.


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## Severn (May 13, 2016)

Just the other day I finally got something to run in circles around my simple bachmann "test track" loop after spending quite a few days fiddling with broken things [don't ask!], coupler replacement, and a sound decoder install (ongoing, but works...).

Anyway after so doing I noticed something -- the track noise!

This is the same thing that drove me bonkers eventually with lionel fastrack in o-gauge -- after it started bothering me -- eventually reached a state of pure unhappiness, I sold my 100s of feet of the stuff and replaced it with not-plastic-molded track bed track which dramatically improved that issue.

Now I do think the Kato is nice and I have looked at it a little in person, and I'll probably just try a few feet of it and make it work (somehow) with the little bit of bachmann track I do have...

But if its not quiet as a mouse.... I will not be happy with it.

[yes this is kind of irrational but it just one of those things.]


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

Kato track is very visually appealing, but it makes the Devil's own noise in operation.

Conventional track and cork roadbed will ensure quiet operation. I have locomotives without sound that you can barely hear going by you while running. Now, the consist adds noise of steel wheels on steel track rolling by, but that's an entirely different sound that the amplification of the sound of a train on Kato track on plywood.

If Kato track is hollow underneath like I think it is, it is acting like an amplifier driving a speaker (the plywood).


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

MichaelE said:


> Kato track is very visually appealing, but it makes the Devil's own noise in operation.
> 
> Conventional track and cork roadbed will ensure quiet operation. I have locomotives without sound that you can barely hear going by you while running. Now, the consist adds noise of steel wheels on steel track rolling by, but that's an entirely different sound that the amplification of the sound of a train on Kato track on plywood.
> 
> If Kato track is hollow underneath like I think it is, it is acting like an amplifier driving a speaker (the plywood).


I'll agree with Michael on most points. Use plastic roadbed, which is hollow underneath, and either plywood or extruded foam under that, and you have basically created a subwoofer that would make an audiophile jealous.

Track without plastic roadbed and either cork *or foam* (my one nit with Michael's comments) roadbed will make for a much quieter layout. If you really wanted to go all out on the sound deadening, laminate a 1/8" to 1/4" thick rubber sheet between two layers of plywood or extruded foam, but that's overkill for most of us. 

I have also heard, anecdotally, that filling the space underneath the plastic roadbed with either spray insulating foam or foam rubber roadbed deadpans the noise of the plastic roadbed, but I have never tried it myself.


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## Severn (May 13, 2016)

This is one of those topics that to me has been beat to death over in that other place concerning plastic based road bed & its noise. The upshot: some have no issue, many have some issue and offer various coping mechanisms, and a few despise the noise and sell it all off [me].

What I did was take a 3 ft or so section in a large layout of fastrack, and experimentally replace it rather painfully because they don't really go together with atlas -- this is in O-gauge. The noise reduction effect was dramatic and noticeable. I then replaced all the straights the same way in what at the time was a rather large layout in a basement area. Slowly then the curves -- and finally switches. 

I rather missed the fastrack switches because they are solid and perform well with a satisfying "snick" at each throw. But it was just really impossible to connect it up well with the other track and ... I decided, "in for a penny, in for a pound" sort of thing, and so replaced all of them too.

But that's all in the past or at least in boxes -- so enter HO.

Thinking I would totally avoid the issue with HO, I bought some micro engineering flex track -- having never seen it but seeing a few online reviews that gushed like: "It is simply looking the best of any HO track out there!" And similar.

Well I neglected to take things into account in terms scale and construction in various senses -- firstly -- I do not have a permanent layout. Thus I don't nail anything down.

For what I was doing with O this was never a problem because laying a bunch of track out with O can work because it's all fairly hefty stuff. But this just does not work with the delicate aspect of say micro engineering which was clearly meant to be nailed down to something. ( I suspect many that are similar in design and intent of use -- peco, etc..)

Thus I'm still stuck with the bachmann which I slightly expanded with the better quality version ... yet I still wish for something else -- because at times it has this slight noise. (heavy felt over fold out tables with track on top, possibly 1/2 birch ply in places to bridge a gap).


I may try the atlas in HO which seems of similar design as the O, and possibly somewhat hefty and oversized. But I was just trying to get away from the brand which while I like it overall, I thought it would be worth trying other offerings in the ho market.

And I should try the kato to be fair. It may be fine.

Well, that's a story -- I hope you enjoyed my telling of my track travails!


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## prrfan (Dec 19, 2014)

I run HO Unitrack on hollow core doors without much sound at all. In the past, I had regular track on cork roadbed with plywood. It was quiet until I ballasted it then very noisy.


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## J.Albert1949 (Feb 3, 2018)

I use Kato HO unitrack on 1/4" plywood, and although it generates some "running sound", I don't find it to be particularly noisy or displeasing.

Perhaps that's because I don't "hard fasten" it to the surface, it pretty much just "floats" (although it's kept from moving around by track feeders and wiring to the switches).

Running trains on tracks "makes sound". That's the nature of things.


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## Lemonhawk (Sep 24, 2013)

One theory is that using white glue on the ballast makes a nice sound path to the structure underneath.


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## Severn (May 13, 2016)

I do think I'm in the minority here. I think most people are not that bothered by this kind of noise, or they've found various methods for dealing with it. However I found none of this sufficed for me in regards to fastrack -- and given that -- I'm wary of similarly constructed track products for any scale. 

So I hear the bachmann track which is not really that loud really -- but it's just bad enough for me to consider other manufacturers. And since I don't have a big investment it, it's worth just trying something else instead of spraying it with foam or trying the other approaches...


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

It's important to remember that "too loud" is an individual thing. One man's cacophony is nothing at all to someone else.


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