Make of track is straining my Brain

[Peter.Hutton64]

Kato, Kato, Kato......I've had about 4 layouts all using peco, but I found it a nightmare with wiring and point motors etc. A friend of mine suggested I take a look at Kato. Yes it is a little more pricey but so worth it. Everything is plug and play and the quality is excellent. The joins are always perfect and it stands up to ballasting.

I had my last layout stripped down and packed in boxes for over 3 years and it came back out and all worked perfectly apart from the usual cleaning needed. I'd recommend this track all day every day. Indeed you do get what you pay for and Kato is without doubt premium.

[footplate1947]

Well I have been using Peco Streamline nickel silver flexi and points for nearly 50 years and it is wonderful stuff. Have never had an ounce of trouble with it except one thing, that little spring on the points sometimes giving trouble but if that happened it was normally after a lot of use and after being taken up when changing things on the layout. So just replaced them as and when. After all you don't expect your car to last for ever do you.

[GeoffAlan2]

Taint cheap though. I looked at that, before buying.

I thought I'd come back on this one. After taking the cost of Peco point + point motor + switch into account Kato points are not that much different in price. not all, but most Kato points come with motor built in, wire and switch plus odd lengths of track to make spacing of adjacent tracks work.

[yelrow]

Even if there is little in the cost of points, the same cannot be said about the rest . Lengths of metre long flexi, are cheap as chips in comparison to Kato track. I am sure the quality is excellent, but very easy to make up lengths of flexi, to any shape/ size

[Peter.Hutton64]

I guess it wouldn't do for everyone to like the same. I do remember having wastage and broken track from using the flexitrack. I have to say I have never had to throw a piece of Kato track away and the expandable pieces are great in terms of not having to make precise measurements. I have come across some muted hostility concerning Kato track, even to the point of being told "it's not real modelling". I get that some people come from a pureist background and have seen modellers berated for running the wrong Era rolling stock with the wrong engines etc. I have always gone with the maxim "do what makes you happy" that's the idea of modelling railways and have never subscribed to the rivet counter mentality, but it does take all sorts.

[yelrow]

yup, tis what you are happy with, and what your budget will stand. Totally, personal choice. I have never wasted any peco flexi, nor ever considered Kato track. Dont see where rivets come into the equation. You can either afford it, in which case, you buy it, or , you look for the best you can afford, given your financial constraints. Many other people make track, Marklin, Fleischmann, Tillig, to name but 3. I have all those, even some roco. One can only advise from personal use.

[footplate1947]

Out of interest I just had look at a Kato Ep550 point. A standard type of point that you use a lot of it seemed to me. I found one for sale at £33.07 and I did not like the look of it much. That is massively more expensive than a Peco point motor and point . And the Peco point was in my opinion much nicer looking job. I think the attraction to Kato must be the fact that the Kato is working out of the box but the Peco needs a little work to set things up and get going. But does not hold a candle to the look of a Peco point.

[Walkingthedog]

Laying track is part of the joy of a model railway. I’m afraid plug and play isn’t for me, but we are all different.

[yelrow]

gosh, fancy losing all those hours of wiring and adjusting, point motors. Would need a new hobby.

[Peter.Hutton64]

I know what I do with the extra time I save, upgrading scenery and actually running the layout. But I get that people take enjoyment from different aspects, I.e the electrics, scenery to name but two. What ever gives you the enjoyment is the right thing for you.