Stick with Kato Controller or go with a Gaugemaster?

[Gordon]

where to place terminal connectors, insulated connectors and such.

You won't need many of either. I have three layouts laid with extensive Unitrack, and have only ever used about 4 insulated rail joiners, all the rest will self isolate if the points are arranged suitably. Likewise each of my layouts has two power feeds at most.

for the pre-ballasted track, I have already noted that for the Swiss alpine layout I am planning it is admirably suitable for some stretches, I do however think it is a little too stark and plastic in appearance and will benefit from a little ballast and track colour to naturalise it.

Not necessarily. As the old model railway saying goes, there's a prototype for everything. There are a few places in Switzerland where the track looks exactly like Kato unitrack just out of the box


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[daffy]

I agree, much of what I've seen in Switzerland suggests heavily ballasted or at least banked track bedding. I am going to be using single track, as per the Albula line and others, so this sort of picture shows just how suitable Kato track looks -



I have a lot of experimenting to do with layout but I am already realising from comments such as yours that I shall find it pretty simple to set up. I have a couple of double crossovers, am thinking of some single crossovers, and a number of No6 turnouts, together with lots of various radii curves, with the possibility of a reverse loop somewhere in the mix, so I am looking at having fun. If I get into difficulties expect a few enquiries from me to get posted over the next few months as I await some building work to be finished - even started! - before I can actually get down to building the baseboard.

[Gordon]

More shots of the 'perfect Kato' track -  from a bridge at Kiesen between Bern and Thun





I recently got the Cat's Eye loco in N gauge (Fleischmann)




and look at this German 4-track section:

[daffy]

Here's two photos of an Rhb 'Krokodil' travelling on what could easily have been the prototype for Kato's single track : (both photos from bahnbilder.de website)


captioned :"RhB Krokodil Ge 6/6 I 415 mit Extrazug Davos-Platz - Filisur zwischen Davos-Wiesen und Filisur (05.08.14)" and accredited to 'magnus'

. captioned :"Am 16.10.2016 fährt das Bernina Krokodil Nr.182 mit dem Montebello-Express durch die bunt verfärbten Lerchenwälder bei Pontresina" and accredited to ' Matti Morelli'.