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I came across a couple of handmade semaphore signals on Yahoo Japan Auction. Since these were 1/87 and since I've never seen them before in H0, and since I will at some point need a few, I decided to bid on them, and then use them as examples to eventually 3D print my own. The detail on these is really good, the lights are functional, and the arm moves as well.

The Bachmann model is of a unit repainted by BR for the 150th anniversary of the GWR in 1985, there was a three car Class 117 set and a single car Class 121. I have the 121 in O scale from Dapol. None of the other BR 1st gen DMUs wore those colours before preservation. The Paignton and Dartmouth regarded theirs as cheap people movers when they started up. 1st gen DMUs have vacuum brakes and diesel powered heaters (even the trailers) so can fit into a steam hauled train with minimal effort, just need adapter plates if you want to couple them to MK1s and use the gangways. They look vaguely like some GWR compartment stock if you squint hard enough, hence the repaint to blend them in.

So rather than saving what few yen I had (and because I topped up my card slightly later in the day), this was the result of a little shopping at the Keio department store here in Shinjuku, with thanks to @paolo for pointing me in the right direction. What I don't recall from watching Paolo's video was whether he mentioned the shop is accessible through a Maruzen bookshop, as I haven't watched that video in a while, though no doubt I'll be watching his Akiba videos again to plot my great plunder of the area's stores, mwahahaha... So anyway, Popondetta yielded the 2023 Tomix Guide, plus some other odds 'n sods bits: two Tomytec Hiroden buses (one new, one SH) and two boxes of Tomix 0652 wheelsets, a Kato 20-026 rerailer track with side ramps, infill piece and a bonus S124 straight, the 8039 WaMu 80000 2-car set without box, and a similar 8057 pair of Tsumu 1000 ventilated box wagons. From Maruzen came the latest Shinkansen Encyclopedia to complement my 2019 version, and a new, special-purpose eki-stamp book. Last time around I had a Suica Penguin notepad but I wasn't able to get it out this time for reuse. Oh well, the little stamp book only cost 550 yen! Alastair

@cteno4, @mojo thanks for the encouragement. I didn't have any luck today unfortunately but the Narita Airport police station (the aboveground one) has now filed a missing item report and they have contact details both for my hotels and when I head back to NZ at the end of next month. I'm prayerfully hopeful that organizer will come back to me. And yeah, I can relate to the size thing as I'm around 180cm and some of the low ceilings here feel almost head-scrapingly low! But anyway, I promised photos and so far I haven't posted any! Well, I should do something about that! While waiting for the shops to open this morning, I undertook another wander around some of my favourite photo spots: the spiral ramp behind Takashimaya Times Square, the level crossings on the Odakyu line as it leaves Odakyu-Shinjuku, and this little gem of a level crossing down by Yotsuya Station, in fact the station's south entrance and eki-stamp station is just the other side of the Chuo-Sobu line bridge. Of course being morning rush hour there was plenty of E231-E233 action (sometimes both together on the same train) plus an unexpected by me Sotetsu line service. Further lurking both before and after this turned up one of the two 209-1000 sets drafted into Chuo Line service, and an ex-N'Ex E253 bound for Nikko. I loved hanging out at this little crossing last time in 2019, and I'm glad to see that things haven't changed all that much here. One of the nearby buildings has been painted to resemble a NYC subway car of all things, but otherwise it's still Shinjuku as I remember it. And to my surprise, someone stopped to talk to me at one of the Odakyu crossings - he may have been a train buff too, I'm not sure - very friendly and very aware of the City Rail Link being built in Auckland. Great stuff! Later in the day heading to Narita Airport in the hopes of finding my travel organizer, I found myself changing trains at Kinshichō Station, home to these staging sidings which were hosting three E235-1000 sets and a solitary E217 set. From my poorly-noted observations, the E217s seem to be a little thin on the ground now although I did ride out to Narita on a fairly-crowded one; the Sobu Line commuter service seems to be E235 territory now with the odd 209 and 231 series sets in support and a E129 noted somewhere at (I think) Chiba station. And if that wasn't enough, apart from an EF210 and EF65 parked in the sidings at Shin-Koiwa with a rake of TaKi's apiece, I just so happened to see a real-life Tomix 97949 set... or rather, a rake of HoKi 800 ballast hoppers with several bearing numbers from that same set. Being just past the station, and under circumstances not conducive to photography, I didn't get a picture of them. Sorry! I'll try to post in a more chronological fashion rather than jumping all over the place if and when I can! Alastair

Yodobashi also does Tax Free for foreigners. Just show your passport to the guy when purchasing and he'll / sh'll figure out what you are wanting to do. A lot of the bigger and some smaller stores do the tax free thing. Things that are not consumables don't have to be wrapped up until you leave but consumables (cosmetics, food of course, and stationery/writing utensils are examples of consumables) will be wrapped in a special plastic bag and are supposed to remain in there until you've left Japan. I've had Yodobashi try and put some toys in the bag in Osaka (but not at Yodobashi) but that sort of thing is fine to open. It's also all electronic now so no special customs/tax free receipts to gather and turn in when you leave. You just have to visit the customs/tax free desk at the airport on your way out and have your passport scanned and they'll mark all the items as having left the country. With 10% -- that's the current right? -- tax it makes a big deal on big purchases.

yes always pay in local. And make sure they don't switch it on you anyway, which has happened to us.

Late reply, life is still keeping me busy 🙂 I did more or less finish the Hokutan #2 kit yes, just the shell still needs painting and then some interior detailing. The Hokutan #2 is a 1/87 12mm kit though, not a narrow gauge 1/87 9mm kit, so it's actually a bit more complicated than most narrow gauge kits. I still have a few partially built and totally un-built kits (some N scale, some H0e (1/87 9mm), some H0j (1/87 12mm). I'm by no means an expert on these things, but I should be able to help with any questions. I could possibly also do a bit of an introductory write up on some basics, maybe with some example pictures and tools I use.

Hi Tony, If you plan to go to Osake, my recommendation : The great Aoniyoshi (Kintestu). Enjoy your travel. Kyoto is really a nice city and it's where you'll find the best Sake & Tofu (asx the water is extremely pure) JM.

We have just staggered back to the hotel - about 13 kilometers / 8 miles and the equivalent of 54 flights of stairs according to my wife's phone. That includes our trip to the Fushima shrine at Mount Inari, a visit to the Kato shop in Kyoto station and the Imperial Gardens. To my disappointment Mister Donut at Kyoto station is closed! It is not clear if this is temporary for renovation or permanent. Maybe a low key day tomorrow? Ciao, Tony

Similar experience. I left a shopping bag on the train once because I was in a rush. Picked it up the next day from the office at Mitaka, which for some reason is/was on one of the platforms. Back then my Japanese was even worse and I was trying to explain to the staff that the bag contained a t-shirt with a cat on it, but it came out as "cat clothes". You might ask the staff at the hotel to call ahead for you to see if it has been found. They will be able to tell you where you need to go to pick it up as well.

For Western style food the numerous "family restaurants" are worth trying. Royal Host, Denney's, Johnathan's, Gasto etc. They have decent options for kids too.

Interesting video, especially if you're looking for prototypical freight consists. I want one of these triangular roofed cars!

Alistair, I think you have good odds of it being turned in! When I was in japan for a scientific conference many years ago, the organizers had us taken to many sightseeing venues. On one I left my hat and on the bus ride back to the conference center I realized this and thought oh well. About 20mminutes after I got back to my room at the conference center the phone rang and they said my hat was at the front desk! Not only did the hat make it to the conference center at rocket speed they had figured out who was wearing a hat talking to staff! I was stunned and very happy! Later in the trip I did it again leaving my hat in a small restaurant at lunch. Like 2 or 3 blocks away one of the waitresses came running up to me with the hat! Granted at 194cm I stood out like a giajin godzilla so easy to spot, but she made a great effort finding me for the hat. Was wonderful. sadly banks profit margins are thin these days and the first thing to go seems to be customer service… jeff

Thanks onI, much appreciated! I’m so jealous of your visit to Sakatsu Gallery! jeff

Gaaaaahhh, I walked across that crossing this morning! And that is an awesome diorama to boot. Such a labour of love! Alastair

@Grant_T thanks - I'd like to say I've taken your advice but it hasn't all been plain sailing so far. So to recap, I am now sitting in my hotel in Shinjuku's Kabukicho district (not far from Goji, I saw him briefly earlier this afternoon) but I had a few annoying snags along the way. First I left a travel organizer (thankfully not full of Important Things) behind at Narita Airport's railway ticket machines as I rushed to catch my train, then my Travelex card didn't have enough funds to pay for the hotel when it should have; luckily my ANZ card did though! There were two other issues (no paid breakfast and wrong travel plug) but I've found solutions to both - a nearby konbini and a trip to Bic Camera for a new adapter. So I'm feeling slightly happier and will go this afternoon to see if JR East's Lost & Found service has that organizer, which was brand new, and Travelex has been peppered with annoyed emails asking them can they get the money to me ASAP? Their customer service is sadly lacking which is a bit of a turn-off... they'll get back to me by Friday! Hopefully sooner as I need those yen. But happily, I have funds for now, my cards work, and I now know where the local Popondetta store is and have already been there (and tested out my card in the process). I'll post later about my new purchases and some pretty train pictures. I did my wander around the same-ish route as 2019, no photobombing 215 series this time but an ex-Narita Express 253 waiting to head to Nikko and a Sotetsu service on JR tracks instead! Alastair

Ciao Massimo, grazie mille! I know the linked sites. Actually, Giorgio from RR-Momory is a good friend of mine, we often met at Verona Model Expo, and I have been working with him on the Lima part of his website, providing lots of material. A few years ago I met a Lima-N collector from the Netherlands. He told me that he collected almost every single Lima N-scale item and brought a self made collector's catalogue with him. I tried to obtain a copy (pdf-file, whichever) of his work, but he didn't want to. I'm mainly into HO (H0, as we Europeans say), I just have a few odd pieces of Lima N, like the V100, the NH-Diesel, a JNR 481 3-car train, a Renfe Class 31 and a few coaches. Martin

I don't think anyone would of. As there aren't any prototypical examples to copy. Elevated tracks have always been slab tracks or ballast in spans.

Kato store was nice - but pricey. I have made a note to ask about the those sumo spectators as well. And I will follow up on the figures when I get back home. Ciao, Tny

Toni, thanks! I’ll take them! May work. Looks like sitting figures that have had their legs cut off at the knees. They look like they are kneeling sitting on their heels. If you could ask at Sakatsu if they have anymore of the old sumo spectators lurking in the store, really appreciate it. They no longer show up on their website. It’s from the old prohobby/ICOM line they took over. enjoy, hope the Kato store was fun! jeff

I found Kato 24-224 at the Kato shop in Kyoto Station - thought that they were exactly what you are looking for but, when I did a net search, they are listed as sitting figures. I thought my near vision was good but maybe not so much? Anyway, from a distance maybe these would work. I bought a set, and if they work for you, happy to pass them on. Tony

@SL-san - current plan is to go to the railway museum on Friday as that appears likely to be very rainy. Looking forward to it. Tony

Strangely we also went to the Shosei-en Garden when we were in Kyoto on May 10! A beautifully quiet garden just a block away from all that traffic. I do hope you are going to spend some time with other important cultural pursuits such as the Kyoto Railway Museum. Besides all the usual exhibits it has an impressive HO scale layout and most importantly (to me anyway) a wonderful collection of working and statically preserved SLs!! Easy to spend the best part of a day there plus you can view some 1 to 1 rail action from the rooftop and checkout overhauls in the workshop through the glass windows. Enjoy, Graeme

Bill, I was thinking of the TOMIX N scale Double-track elevated bridge piers 4 pieces set as the support. That way I can still have a tram running underneath. I know I can just put regular Tomix track on these but I wondered if anyone had used the wide track elevated.

Never seen it done, but you could use an S140-37 Overhead bridge which is just a flat surface. You would need concrete piers Tomix 3048 to support the bridge. Overhead Bridge S140-37 Tomix 3015 https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10009755 Concrete Piers Tomix 3048 https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10010450 An example of overhead bridge being used. With Wide Tram I suspect there would not be room for platforms. https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10028717/70/1