Tomix Wide Tram Rail

[bill937ca]

Tomix Wide Tram Rail is now available and 177140103 has a video showing how several features work. It includes  clipping the under track feeder into place,  how to attach overhead poles to the side of the track bed, attach a safety island type stop, and clip two sections of track together.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UXP-opjczw

[Bernard]

Bill - Nice video it shows all the options you have with the track. Do they also make the tram safety island as a full model?

[nik_n_dad]

Excellent.  I have some of this on order to jam in "somewhere" on the in-progress NJ&D, and now won't have to post 10 times about "now how do I....."

[disturbman]

I must say. I really like what I'm seeing. I'm starting to think I should give in to the tram fest going around here. ;)

[bill937ca]

Bill - Nice video it shows all the options you have with the track. Do they also make the tram safety island as a full model?

 

The tram safety island comes as a add-on part of the Tomix 3076 or 3079 tram accessories kits. Which makes it  a pricey stop. Greenmax also offers tram stations separately and a at a better price.

 

Tomix 3079

 

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10104805

 

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10104805z3/70/3

 

Tomix 3076

 

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10050215

 

Greenmax 46-2  Street Car Station

 

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10007634

 

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10007634z/70/1

[bill937ca]

I must say. I really like what I'm seeing. I'm starting to think I should give in to the tram fest going around here. ;)

 

I feel the Wide Tram Rail track center is most prototypical for narrow gauge trams, especially 1067mm in Japan and 1000mm in Europe (which are quite common).

 

There are photos and additional comments on my Tomix Track blog.

 

http://jtrains.wordpress.com/2010/10/10/tomix-wide-tram-track/

 

http://jtrains.wordpress.com/2010/10/09/tomix-91085-wide-tram-super-mini-rail-oval-layout-set/

 

The 103mm curves will not take larger trams or trains, but my Tomytec Portram and Kato 14-070  Hiroshima Electric Railway Type 200 Tram run beautifully on the new track.

 

In fact I find the Kato 14-070 runs much smoother and slower than the Kato Pocket Line tram which is jerky and a speed demon.  The chassis is the same, but the 14-070 has more weight.

[Mudkip Orange]

WANT

[CaptOblivious]

Folks here have complained about the Tomix track spacing being too wide for trams…but having seen this stuff in action (thanks Bill!), my first thought was: Container yard in a box (er, blister-pack). This stuff would be great for throwing a container yard together in a tight space.

 

Also, I have drilled so many holes in my fingers by holding my work like he does when using a pin vice. I've since bought a cheap wooden cutting board as a work surface that I don't mind drilling the occasional hole in, and I recommend others here do the same: It not only avoids the risk of injury (ouch!), but it makes drilling nice clean holes much easier.

[bill937ca]

Folks here have complained about the Tomix track spacing being too wide for trams…

 

I have been sitting on the edge of my chair waiting for this track for months and drawing numerous track plans. With that in mind I found some photos that illustrate similar tram track centers. These are all European, in Basel, Bern and Zurich Switzerland.

 

 

 

 

 

[westfalen]

What we need now is some pointwork to make our tram lines more than a round in circles train set.

[nik_n_dad]

The tram safety island comes as a add-on part of the Tomix 3076 or 3079 tram accessories kits. Which makes it  a pricey stop. Greenmax also offers tram stations separately and a at a better price.

 

What's the difference between the 3076 and the 3079 kits?  I can't quite tell the difference.  Also, which set of catenaries are used for the wide tram track?

 

Thanks.

[to2leo]

Relating to the release, can anyone understand what Tomix is going to release in the immediate future on the lower right?

[bill937ca]

Relating to the release, can anyone understand what Tomix is going to release in the immediate future on the lower right?

 

 

Everything in the lower half is already released. The track sets were released in mid-September, individual pieces on September 20th and all six Portram trams have been released by Tomytec.

[bill937ca]

The tram safety island comes as a add-on part of the Tomix 3076 or 3079 tram accessories kits. Which makes it  a pricey stop. Greenmax also offers tram stations separately and a at a better price.

 

What's the difference between the 3076 and the 3079 kits?  I can't quite tell the difference.  Also, which set of catenaries are used for the wide tram track?

 

Thanks.

 

Tomix 3076 and 3079 are the same except for the pavement finish.  3079 is ashpalt (or smooth) and 3076 is a rougher stone finish.

[Tecchan]

Look what you've done: now I want one!

[bill937ca]

Also, which set of catenaries are used for the wide tram track?

Thanks.

 

As far as I can tell the video uses Tomix 3077 Overhead Masts.  But these are really railway overhead masts.  I don't think anyone makes a tram overhead pole at this time.

[nik_n_dad]

Being very new to Tomix track, when I ordered our wide tram track, I ordered the wrong feeders.  Which ones do I need, 5538s or the 5537s?  I ordered the tram track from Plaza Japan, which oddly carries neither, so I ended up with a bunch of 5534s (the only Tomix feeder they had).

 

Thx!

[bill937ca]

Being very new to Tomix track, when I ordered our wide tram track, I ordered the wrong feeders.  Which ones do I need, 5538s or the 5537s?  I ordered the tram track from Plaza Japan, which oddly carries neither, so I ended up with a bunch of 5534s (the only Tomix feeder they had).

 

Thx!

 

5538, but if you order the SA-WT or MA-WT track set it includes the DC feeder.

 

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10089698

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/Wide-Tram-Super-mini-Rail-Oval-Layout-Set-Tomix-91085-/200522496779?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item2eb0127b0b

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/Wide-Tram-Super-mini-Rail-Oval-Layout-Set-Tomix-91085-/200522496779?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item2eb0127b0b

[Mudkip Orange]

What we need now is some pointwork to make our tram lines more than a round in circles train set.

 

The old-style glue-over-the-top tram plates are designed to fit the R140-30 switches. So, not quite as plug and play as the straights and curves, but you could assemble an impressive ladder in a very short time.

[Jes]

Received my first packages of wide tram track last week, and had a little play with it. First of all, I think the track looks much better painted a dark brown rusty colour, which also disguises the grey clamps the track is attached with. My painting skills aren't such that I can paint the rails without partially painting the surface as well, so I will give that a concrete colour later.

 

As the tracks are quite far apart, I thought it would look good to place the catenary masts in the middleof them. I usually make masts from brass, and attach them through a hole in the baseboard. But since the joint between the track plates complicates drilling a little hole quite a bit, I have been thinking about alternatives like making masts from plastic rod and glueing them on top. Drawback: almost impossible to neatly replace a mast when damaged (and that is bound to happen...) Haven't yet found a good solution. Any ideas on this?

[bill937ca]

Received my first packages of wide tram track last week, and had a little play with it. First of all, I think the track looks much better painted a dark brown rusty colour, which also disguises the grey clamps the track is attached with. My painting skills aren't such that I can paint the rails without partially painting the surface as well, so I will give that a concrete colour later.

 

As the tracks are quite far apart, I thought it would look good to place the catenary masts in the middleof them. I usually make masts from brass, and attach them through a hole in the baseboard. But since the joint between the track plates complicates drilling a little hole quite a bit, I have been thinking about alternatives like making masts from plastic rod and glueing them on top. Drawback: almost impossible to neatly replace a mast when damaged (and that is bound to happen...) Haven't yet found a good solution. Any ideas on this?

 

Streetcar tracks generally do not get rusty unless the tracks are out of service for an extended period of time. I near King and Church in Toronto for about 20 years and I am well aware of how streetcar tracks look.

 

If you are running left handed as in Japan, you could put a double sided or single sided loading platform in the center as Okayama does.

 

[brill27mcb]

The tram safety island comes as a add-on part of the Tomix 3076 or 3079 tram accessories kits. Which makes it  a pricey stop. Greenmax also offers tram stations separately and a at a better price.

 

What's the difference between the 3076 and the 3079 kits?  I can't quite tell the difference.  Also, which set of catenaries are used for the wide tram track?

 

Thanks.

 

The Tomix 3079 kit matches the new Wide Tram pieces in color and surface texture, while the older 3076 does not. You can use it to easily pave a turnout (points) or a crossing to add to a Wide Tram layout. Every tram line needs a maintenance and storage facility, right? The curved street pieces will probably be of no use, but the straight pieces can be used to pave odd length straights and so on. You will also get center curbing, center boulevard light/overhead poles, and the tram stop. The poles and tram stop in the two kits are different.

 

Rich K.

[bill937ca]

Doug Coster has pointed that Tomix has announced several new Wide Tram Rail pieces for spring 2011 including a S18, S37 straight pieces, an X37-90 crossing, a S37 TCS sensor and Criss-Cross (rail crossing set) for Spring 2011 release.

 

http://www.tomytec.co.jp/tomix/products/kettei/seihinkakettei.htm

[Jes]

Did some further cosmetic work on my wide tram track. It turned out to be very easy to cut a little hole in the sides of the plates and attach the overhead masts, using a little bolt. See attached picture.

After painting the rails dark brown, I sprayed the plates a slightly lighter grey than they were, and gave them a couple of washes with dilluted black ink. If done all individually it will result in slight differences of colour. I'm happy with the overall result, which resembles a tramway made from concrete slabs

[bill937ca]

Modeling floor level loading and street level loading with Tomix track and Modemo's Metitsu 780s.  The 780s ran on the now abandoned Gifu lines and were built in 1997.  Modemo will shortly release a non-coupler equipped version of these cars as they now operate in Toyohashi.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LlWDH7-tLw