How To Assemble Kato N Catenary Masts

My focus in N scale has mainly been contemporary passenger operations, and this includes things like the Northeast Corridor, New Jersey Transit, SEPTA, and other prototypes with electric operations. I've been intrigued with adding Kato catenary components to parts of the layout as scenic detail features, although actually powering N catenary is more than I want to take on. So the Kato components are an interesting idea, snce they're meant to be scenic features only. But they aren't much used in the US, and attempts to get info by posting queries on Facebook groups have been unproductive.

So after some searching, I've come up with an explanation of what the various components are about and how to use them. I found this English-language web page on the Japanese prototype for Kato catenary is very useful. This discussion will cover the catenary components that are used for standard Unitrack, not the wider plate track.

We'll start with the 23-056 catenary pole base set. This provides bases for either style of standard double track catenary bridges, as well as the single track gantries. The set contains two styles of base. Both come in the same package:

If you separate the bases into two types, the style on the left is for use with standard Unitrack, both wooden and concrete tie. The style on the right is for use with viaduct sections. I'll concentrate on the standard Unitrack in this post, although I've also added the viaduct style to viaduct sections on one T-Trak module.

The standard Unitrack bases have moldings that will either let them fit onto the bezels under the track centers or the gussets under the ballast slopes:

The bases extend from beneath the track on two sides. One side goes to a socket for the catenary bridge base. The other side goes to an interface that will allow two bases to keep two parallel tracks at the correct distance for double track catenary bridges:

For single track, you just use the one base with a Kato single track catenary gantry, 23-059. For double track, two bridge styles are available. The one below is 23-057, a curved arch.

This, according to the Sumida Crossing site linked above, is a modern Japanese style used on both the Shinkansen and narrow gauge lines. You can occasionally see arches like this in the US, but they aren't common. Here's one that's been cut out and installed on the bases with double track:

The good thing about this system is that the bases can be permanently attached beneath the Unitrack, but the bridges can easily be removed, replaced, or swapped out with a different style. Especially for T-Trak, this is very desirable to prevent damage in handling the module. Here's a first crack at installing a Kato bridge in scenery:

However, the Kato 23-060 style of Warren truss catenary bridge is much more like what you see in the US, in some parts of the Northeast Corridor, METRA electric, and New Jersey Transit. I have a set of these on order. I find that unless the bases are glued down and permanently attached to the Unitrack, the whole assembly is pretty flimsy. But the components make good scenic details for passenger operations in urban areas. In addition, on former Conrail electrified freight lines where the wires have been removed, the catenary bridges are still in place, so they're also prototypical in modern freight only areas.