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While browsing I noticed there are Old Passenger car sets available in brown and blue from Kato. https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10982578 https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10982579

The full list is just above Damo: https://jnsforum.com/community/topic/8278-nhk-world-running-a-show-called-train-cruise/?do=findComment&comment=253486

New Episode! #59 Energized along the Kumano Pilgrimage Trails The Kumano Kodo was designated UNESCO World Heritage in 2004. Travel the JR Sangu and Kisei Lines along the trails on the Iseji route between Ise Jingu in Mie Prefecture and Kumano Hayatama Taisha in Wakayama Prefecture. Broadcast on November 23, 2024 https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/shows/2068042/

I hope for the December Announcements, we see further "old Time" Passenger Cars or another Steam Loco.

Latest Order from J-Scale. KATO 3075-4 ED75 1000 KATO 3093-3 EF61 0 (Early Brown Livery) Greenmax 19501 Suha 44 5-Car Train Set (Dragon Green Livery)

The Hakko FX-888D is a good little work station it may not be the newest but its solid option. I'm almost afraid to try it but I will lol 😆

My apologies for not doing more updates. The business side of this trip has been very intense, breakfast between 6 and 7 depending on the hotel, and lucky to be in our hotel room by 9. And a different hotel each day. Once home I'll be doing updates but as teasers here are some observations and a couple of photos. I am amazed at the quality and price of used trains here. I have picked up not only a couple of complete train sets (1 DMU and 1 EMU) but some vehicles as well. The boxes may be a bit beat up but the contents look as new. We have used everything from subways, to the Tokyo monorail, right up to Nozomi Shinkansen. Plus a few plane rides. And a SL. Once home I'll post more photos but here are a couple to tantalize you with. Will

I must admit for the vast majority of stuff from aliexpress I’ve done really well and happy with what I got, especially for the price. The few snafus are completely drowned out by the great values, it’s just when there is a snafu on a $3 it can still annoy you and just takes remembering to let it go, it’s just 3 bucks and you have done well with way more things to balance it all out! shipping is at about a week or so now for me in dc. jeff

That HAKKO looks familiar. I have a similar one. Been a life saver. Also, try the El Yucateca Black Habanero sauce. It's a bit different taste than the green or red and I quite like it.

As a follow up I did get the guitars. They were quite nice for the money...

Finished up this little tool shed using similar methods as the engine shed. With the exception that this time I wanted to try airbrushing a light coat of Vallejo Air Rust on the corrugated panels on the roof.

Lately I’ve been finding some good deals on Aliexpress for various scenery materials like trees, ground cover, and grasses. Have to shop around to find the best prices and the ones that will get you free shipping (with total order >$10]. Recently got a number of cheap trees for like 15 cents each that with some tuning, trimming and extra sprinkles of foam are very fast trees for denser areas. Also cherry blossoms out of wrapped wire that are quite decent. While I’ve made a lot of trees over the decades a number of different ways, these do save a lot of time. Of course some are pretty bad, to uniform trees shapes. They also tend to veer a bit more to larger scale stuff, but if you look around you can find reasonable n scale materials. Also a the cheap Chinese architectural figures for a couple of bucks for 100 as well as seated ones. Also animals like cows, sheep, and horses. jeff

containers are just spare parts for your kokis, so that was on plan, but you did not follow thru to the full extent. Jeff

Lol "just parts" I'll remember that. 😁

Oh wow really!!!! That's interesting to know, I feel like I've been living under a rock. Thanks for the information I can't wait for my Taki to arrive.

For those that appreciate whimsy! Spent yesterday at the BRM model railway show in Birmingham, helping out on the Kato stand. As well as showing off the new EC-1 controller with Sound Box, the Mini Diorama Circus was on view. Hiroshi-san gifted me these lovely wagons afterwards. Not sure how widely available they are -- perhaps only sold at Circus events? Anyway, they have artwork designed by Akiko Takasaki, each side of the wagon featuring a different message or picture. If you've seen recent Kato publications like the STEAM booklet, they're consistent with that, and with the whimsical style featured on the Sekisui Mainline website and publications. They come as (very simple) kits that take about 30 seconds to assemble. UK price was £10 a piece, which seems reasonable for a novelty model. Although designed as something suitable for the tight curves of the Mini Diorama kits, I think they could just as easily be used on a real layout for a 'real' circus train. Perhaps parked up in a siding with a couple of N-scale elephants on a loading platform? Incidentally, the EC-1 controller was a definite hit! Well worth trying out when you get the chance. Children were magnetically drawn to it, such that we had to somewhat encourage them to take turns so others could get a go!

Remember, I went with a plan to buy spare parts only.... 🤣🤣🤣🤑🤑🤑

Need to get second bag!!!! 😎 Wait! These people make Koki's too???!!!! WHY did you have to tell me that???? 🤣

The Taki 1000's with Taillights have been out for a while now, one of the best things about them is they come with a decal sheet with 10 alternative car numbers which help with expanding your fleet of them.

A wall of Hogaraka Dou containers is a dangerous place to be, I won't be putting pictures of my KoKi's yet as it will take me a while to dig out the 100+ that I have, that said I will put up my list of containers to show you how far an addiction can go, that said I still have some more on order. Tomix 3114, 3117, 3120, 3124, 3126, 3130, 3134, 3135, 3136, 3138, 3142, 3143, 3144, 3145, 3146, 3147, 3149, 3150, 3152, 3153, 3154, 3155, 3156, 3157, 3159, 3160, 3161, 3162, 3163, 3164, 3165, 3166, 3167, 3168, 3169, 3170, 3171, 3174, 3175, 3182, 3183, 3184, 3185, 3301, 3302, 3303, 3304, 3305, 3312 Hogaraka Duo C1207, C1212, C1213, C1409, C1412, C1414, C1415, C1416, C1417, C1418, C1419, C1420, C1421, C1422, C1423, C1425, C1513, C1514, C1515, C1706, C2108, C2109, C2110, C2112, C2202, C2252, C2253, C2254, C2255, C2258, C2259, C2505, C2506, C2602, C2604 C2608, C2611, C2614, C2702, C2704, C2705, C2706, C2707, C2853, C3106, C3304, C3305, C3402, C3403, C4102, C4113, C4305, C4306, C4307, C4309, C4310, C4311, C4402, C4405 C4406, C4110, C4412, C4414, C4415, C4420, C4421, C4422, C4423, C4425, C4427, C4609, C4610, C4612, C4613, C4616, C4617, C4618, C4619, C4620, C4623, C4625, C4702, C4703, CC6153, C6202, C6302, C6502, C6504, C6602, C6702, C6703, C6704, CA3102, CB3102, FA3105 Covers and loads P2704, P2705, P2714, P6602, P6612 Platz Con 1, Con 2, Con 11 Kato 23-501, 23-571, 23-572, 23-573, 23-574, 23-575A, 23-577, 23-578, 23-581, 23-582 Popondetta 8502, 8518, 8519, 8520, 8521, 8527, 8528, 8529, 8534 Greenmax 2706, 2708 Torm TP501, TP509

I would never thought this would happen, but the Lincolnshire Light Railway volunteers took a trip to Japan to visit RASS and their little railway, link to FB post: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/149L5x7rHY/ This is big because not everyone outside of Japan knew about this railway, and seeing volunteers of a British railway could encourage other British narrow gauge groups(like the Narrow Gauge Railway Society)to visit Japan, which both railways offered a hand in friendship, which I could tell it could lead to more wonderful visits and collaborations.

Wow Kingmeow that's an impressive picture and more impressive collection of Hogarakadou containers. Now I see why your bag were so large and many lol

Gotcha mainlining containers now! how many spare bags to bring one of each of those home?! jeff

Yes not enough hobby shops… jeff

I am still going through my 4,000 pictures from our 3 week journey and I came across this shot. This was at TamTam in Kobe and BEFORE I became interested in Koki's. It wasn't until I was back in Tokyo (also TamTam by coincidence) on the return when I started to "investigate" and got some starter equipment. I just think how much damage it would have been if I picked up the addiction interest before I reached Kobe! But I also kick myself now that I see this picture and the lost opportunity as the ones on the right seem interesting and not the heavies like Tomix, Kato and Hogarakadou. 😖 Looks like I need to do Japan 2025!