Kato's HO Unitrack WGH Plan Set

Contents

The Unitrack WGH Plan Set is a "track only" set. It doesn't come with any trains or a power source. The box reads "Enjoy DC and "DCC", though technically the "and" should have been "or".

The set includes:

• 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 is Code 83 Nickel Silver rail.

Layout

The box has a track plan on the back for a 4 x 8 foot layout in the shape of a kidney bean. it has a siding on one end of the bean and a small two-track yard in the enclosed area. There is a second, more complex, layout diagrammed which requires the purchase of additional Unitrack products.

Turnouts

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.

These switches have 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. Kato offers optional DC turnout machines to adapt these manual turnouts for powered remote operation.

Summary

Let's face it, the simple oval of track that comes with most model train sets gets old very fast. The first thing a child wants when they get a train set is more track. Unfortunately we don't see a lot of packaged "off-the-shelf" layouts. Kato's HO Unitrack WGH Plan Set is an excellent way to start out with a 4 x 8 foot layout. For temporary layout builders it fits easily on a standard 5 x 9 foot ping-pong table, with room to spare. The integrated roadbed ease of assembly and disassembly and the reliability of Kato's Unijoiners make this a set you and your young railroaders will enjoy for a long time.