Kato's HO Unitrack WGH Plan Set

At a Glance

Manufacturer: Kato
Scale: HO
MSRP: $198
Available: Now

Contents

• 123mm (4 7/8 inch) Straight Track (3 ea.)
• 174mm (6 7/8 inch) Straight Track (4 ea.)
• 246mm (9 3/4 inch) Straight Track (4 ea.)
• 246mm (9 3/4 inch) Straight Feeder Track (1 ea.)
• 109mm (4 1/4 inch) Bumper with Track (1 ea.)
• 490mm (19 1/4 inch) Radius 22.5 Degree Curved Track (29 ea.)
• 246mm (9 3/4") Manual Left Turnout with 490mm (19 1/4 inch) Radius Curve(2 ea.)
• 246mm (9 3/4") Manual Right Turnout with 490mm (19 1/4 inch) Radius Curve(2 ea.)
• Adapter cord (1 ea.)
• HO Rerailer (1 ea.)

HO Unitrack uses code 83 nickel silver rails.

Evaluation

The Unitrack WGH Plan Set is a "track only" set. It doesn't come with any trains or a power source. The box bears the slogan , though technically it should have said "Enjoy DC or DCC". The omission of a powerpack saves you money if you intend to use DCC to run your trains. Who needs a DC powerpack gathering dust?

The instructions include a track plan for a 4x8 foot layout in the shape of a kidney bean. This layout has a siding on one end of the bean and a small two-track yard in the enclosed area. There are also two additional, more complex, layout diagrams which require the purchase of additional Unitrack products.

The key working component of any real "layout" is its turnouts; without them you just have a single-path track, no matter how many twists and turns it takes. The WGH Plan Set comes with four turnouts, two left and two right. These are #4 manual turnouts, operated from a slider-switch beside the rail. A really neat feature of these turnouts is their configurable power-routing; power can be routed via the turnout for DC operations, or supplied to both legs of the turnout for operating under DCC.

Options

Kato offers optional DC turnout machines to adapt the manual turnouts to powered remote operation. Third-party products can be used to operate these turnout machines using DCC.

Because this is a starter set, your options are only limited by your imagination, your budget, and the variety of Kato's HO Unitrack offerings. I'm hoping to see Kato expand this line with more curve and turnout radii and elevated viaducts like they offer in N scale.