Kato Unitrack · N scale · 17 pieces
Reverse Loop · Small Locos — Kato Unitrack N scale plan
A tight R216 teardrop that flips a train end-for-end. For 4-axle locos and short cars; 6-axle locos need R282 or wider.
- Board
- 1,422 × 610 mm
56 × 24 in - Track footprint
- 1,258 × 432 mm
49.5 × 17 in, centerline - Pieces
- 17
2 turnouts - Geometry
- Open
2 open ends, by design
What it teaches
Two adjacent #4 turnouts — a right then a left — whose diverging legs are joined by a teardrop: S62, four R216-15 curves, six R216-45 curves and an S248. A train that takes the first turnout's diverging leg runs the loop and comes back through the second turnout onto the main heading the other way.
There are two turnouts because one cannot work in sectional track. A loop that returns to its own start has turned 360°, which leaves it parallel to where it began — but a single turnout's diverging leg needs the loop to arrive 195° round, anti-parallel to the leg. No sequence of catalog pieces does both, so the loop is closed onto a second turnout instead.
R216 is tight: this loop suits 4-axle locos and short cars. 6-axle locos need R282 or wider, so RailMind also ships Reverse Loop · Broad R348, the same throat with every curve R348 or wider.
The main's two ends are open on purpose: it is a lead through the loop, not a loop itself, so RailMind's HUD reads two open ends.
Why a reverse loop needs two turnouts, not one →
Parts list
Grouped by the Kato part number you actually buy — a curve's left and right hands are one part. Quantities, pack sizes and prices are the ones RailMind's parts list computes for this plan.
| Kato part | Piece | Qty | Each | Sold as | Buy | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20-000 | S248 | 4 | $2.50 | 4-pack | 1 pack (4 pcs) | $10.00 |
| 20-040 | S62 | 1 | $1.75 | 4-pack | 1 pack (4 pcs, 3 spare) | $7.00 |
| 20-171 | R216-15 | 4 | $1.88 | 4-pack | 1 pack (4 pcs) | $7.50 |
| 20-170 | R216-45 | 6 | $2.25 | 4-pack | 2 packs (8 pcs, 2 spare) | $18.00 |
| 20-220 | #4 Turnout L | 1 | $37.50 | single | 1 | $37.50 |
| 20-221 | #4 Turnout R | 1 | $37.50 | single | 1 | $37.50 |
| Estimated total, per piece | $107.75 | |||||
| Buying whole packs — 5 packs + 2 pieces | $117.50 | |||||
Approximate US retail per piece — Kato sells most track in packs, and street prices vary. Use as a planning estimate. The per-piece total is what the pieces cost; the whole-pack total is what you pay at the counter when a pack leaves spares.
Build it
RailMind ships this plan in its example gallery. Open it, edit it, and print it at true size — tiled across Letter or A4 with registration marks — to lay the track over. The parts list above is the one it produces, and it will check it against the track you already own.
iPad only · iPadOS 18 or later · free to build a starter layout, one US$29.99 purchase to unlock every piece.