It doesn't look like it's filtered through to Kato USA yet but Kato are releasing a new version of the Unitrack grade crossing using infrared sensors making it DCC compatible. The basic crossing will be single track with a double track add on kit available separately. Kato Japan say it will be out in January. http://www.katomodels.com/product/nmi/xing_gate_s.shtml
Rick....The road markings would be fairly simple to fix. Its a 4 gate...I like that. The price...I cant read japanese so will have to take it from your "WOW" that its up there. ;-)
I wonder how the mechanism works. I mean, you can see the little sensors, immediately the to left and right of the road crossing, so I can only imagine that the action is "chop!" quick. Would be great if they could have those detachable so they could be put further away from the crossing. (And of course, I expect to see someone on here do something like that along with photos and step-by-step instructions...)
I'm thinking that those 2 short sections with sensors are to be placed somewhere down line for sensing. I can only read typonese...not japanese...lol
Crap. You know, a little bit of page-down helps. D'oh! :tb-tongue: Yeah, that's probably the case. (Coffee, STAT!) Though I still wonder how fast they'll raise/lower.
Hopefully somebody misplaced a decimal point, and if not I'm afraid that none of them shall ever grace any layout of mine at that price. Grade crossing gates shall be operated by a large finger coming down from above accompanied by a human voice from above saying ding ding ding for the bells. Seriously there are probably automatic crossings out there for far cheaper although I haven't browsed the catologue for that lately. And checking the catologue, crossing gates operating EZ Track $32.50
Nice product, but I must agree with John Moore, way to over priced for my layout also. Will never happen. But as with every new product pricey to begin with but as it ages the price comes down because the Manufacturer wants to move more of them down the road. So I'll wait and see. Thanks for posting the heads up though; gives me something to look out for in the future.
The price on the Kato site is MSRP, a Japanese online dealer is taking pre-orders for $190.20 for the basic set and $70.85 for the double track add on. If anyone can find a ready to run out of the box automatic crossing cheaper (or at all) let us know where. You can't really compare it to the toy train set EZ Track crossing.
