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When you cleaned all the gears did you re lube them? Also a tiny bit of very fine oil on the motor bearings? Amazing what clean and lubing can do to a very old engine. Sweet you rescued the old gal! I would not do well in Japan with the bargain bins of stuff like this as i would get too much enjoyment in resuscitating older stuff and Frankensteining things. cheers jeff

Yeah even with de minimis exemption in the past ups especially has been the one to sometimes pop on the full customs processing fee coming into the us, especially from canada. I use to order some equipment from canada for work projects and just bought it in my own name [im a freelancer] and like a couple of hundred bucks usually and every time it came across the boarder ups they added the fee. Was totally silly with NAFTA and de minimis exemption. None of the other carriers triggered this. Usually a customs review should only happen if over the de minimis limit or something funky in paperwork or contents and UPS would need to be the agent [none of my packages were like this and invoice or package op ended by customs]. I would call UPS to investigate and get the run around every time but from what they were saying it was sounding like they just did it to most all the packages. When I would ask for customs paperwork to show what they were upset about as no duty owed or any inspection done to invoice or package ups would just say it was all internal paperwork and the process UPS had to do to bring a package across the boarder. So i just tried to avoid ups but sadly then [this was the 90s and early 2000s] for some reason many of the vendors i used insisted on ups to the us, total PITA. Luckily never had a single customs charge with probably a couple of thousand packages of packages from japan and china over the last 30 years so fortunate. Life does not look so simple in the future here, but hopefully something reasonable will work out with all this stuff, but maybe thats being too optimistic. jeff

Kofu, Yamanashi. https://maps.app.goo.gl/8uwDaJ7nbGeTs6Uf9 Maybe a bit too yellow.

Interesting i never thought of the Ptouch labels. But smaller font for just doing numbering like that would be easy and could use a hole punch to make a dot easily. They do stick better and are thinner than the usual Avery dot stickers and dont have to try to write cleanly tiny. Going to have to experiment with that. could also do black with white letters to make the labels blend in a bit better on the usual black underbody stuff or black on gray. do you just use a tip of an xacto to peel off the backing? jeff

The number at the bottom of the chassis is unfortunately misleading... The actual item number is 302, the first EF65 Kato produced, being first released in 1969. The mismatching item number is due to the EF65 sharing a chassis with the Kato EF70 (numbered 301) which released in 1967. Afaik there's no publicily available catalogue of all Kato products, but searching for "manufacturer + loco type + item number" gets you there like 90% of the way. There are plenty of blogs detailing the early years of Japanese N gauge who like to document releases like yours.

Merci! There was no box, this was the only n gauge item sitting next to toy cars, a HO scale passenger car, and other non related things like old postcards, cutlery, clothes, etc. I saw 301 written on the underside, I'm assuming that's the Kato reference, but can't figure out when that would have been produced.

Bien joué ! It's always nice to be able to restore an old model. You know have a working piece of history. Do you have the box still, or you bought it loose? This locomotive is probably 40 years old or more. I definitely recommend acquiring a fiberglass pen. It's my go-to for cleaning wheels and contacts.

Not sure where to put this but apparently tinyhk trains were converted to be runnable trains. Another regional transit system that can be collected. So now motorized MTR train models exist to some extent. Interesting potential ahead

Thanks disturb for the tips! I don't have a fiberglass pen, but I've made good progress with a peco copper brush. Probably a bit more abrasive than the fiberglass but it's what I had on hand. I disassembled the loco, splitting the two chassis halves. Applying power to the motor directly revealed it is not burnt out! Filled with hope, I set about cleaning all the gears, electrical contacts (especially the metal parts where the bogies sit in the chassis, and wheels. And you know what? I now have a working, not-even-that-badly-damaged EF 65 for 500 yen! I scavenged a rapido coupler off a tomytec motor chassis for a future project, since it'll be used for an EMU, so no need for front coupling. One of the lights still works, so I made sure to orient that towards the front of the loco, opposite the one rapido coupler. Other than that, it looks like there's a tiny edge piece of one pantograph missing, and one "post" on top of the rear cab had snapped off. Of course, it runs a bit rough. I think one of the axles may be slightly bent because there's a kind of rhythmic "chugchugchug" when it moves (despite not being an SL ; ) ). But it can even do (sort of) low speed running. I should have asked the old man at the market for an e-mail ( or fax?!?) to tell him his old loco is back up and running in France alongside german, french, swiss and English locos x).

When you say 9mm or 3/8 what are you referring to? This makes want to invest in a P-Touch which one do you have? That's a great use for the P-Touch I could use it for identifying which locomotives had decoders or not. Theft deterrent is a good use for the machine also. Since you're the only guy running Japanese trains there's no mix up lol untill others start liking Japanese trains also lol. That's another great ideal for using the P-Touch, I never wanted to go back to work so quickly lol.

@Kingmeow - There were three charges on the bill but I cannot remember the details. One charge was the Customs Duty. Don't remember the others specifically - some sort of service fees. I had actually purchased the items using Mira's eBay account so the bill went to her - and she paid it as she knew I would be cranky about it! Tony

P-Touch 9mm or 3/8" works well with N-Scale. Often I make a TON of my three letter name initials and stick it on the fuel tanks (US locomotives) as I run them at train shows. Used more for identification mix-ups rather than theft deterrent as other modelers may have the same equipment. Now that I'm starting to gather more Japanese equipment there's not much need for that as I'm the only guy running Japanese trains at shows. 🤣🤣🤣 Recently I added a "F" (using P-Touch) underneath the front truck of a newly acquired EF510 as the "1" and "2" to indicate which is forward on the shell is impossible to see with my naked eyes. The "F" on US locomotives is easier to see and 98% of them have safety cabs so you know which is front.

@Tony Galiani was any of the listed charges for "Brokerage Fee"? USP and FedEx are known to charge brokerage fee for things coming from Canada into the US and people have learned to use Canada Post -> USPS. I'm stating this wondering if their Modus Operandi are the same for other, distant, countries like Japan. One of the reasons why I stuck with DHL when I order from Plaza (and it exceeds the economy of Japan Post) even though the two of them are a buck or two cheaper.

Those are exactly what I'm looking for thank you, I do have a P-Touch at work that I may run a test sample on and see how they come out. Using the P-Touch would never have crossed my mind to use for this application thanks again.

You can use wire number labels. Available from Amazon or at Home Depot for the same price. Wire number labels But if you have time to kill and have access to a Brother P-Touch machine you can make your own and cut them out into pieces. I find the (genuine) P-Touch labels stick very well and does not leave behind any adhesive residue when removed even a long time later. Another Japanese innovation. 😁

In one day I did five SBB train stations in Zurich. The main Zurich HB, Bahnhof Enge, Stadelhofen, Tiefenbrunnen and Wiedikon. Wiedikon is an impressive neighborhood station. It is west of the main core on tram lines 9 and 14. Outside the station is a bus terminal for VBZ and Postalbus lines from outlying communities. In the age of ticket machines the ticket concourse remains viable with a Kkiosk convenience shop and a expresso shop. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zurich_Wiedikon_railway_station While I was there an intercity train arrived and I saw people arriving with suitcases. As far as I know this is only a S-Bahn station. Perhaps this was a private hire train. I can't imagine that type of train being accommodated at busy Zurich HB. It remained at the platform for quite a while I photographed trams and buses at street level. The glass walled building in the background of the train platform photos is a large tram depot. It covers several blocks and at the top end the city has built cooperative apartments over the tram depot. More later. SBB intercity train in the foreground and a S-Bahn train in the background. The beige building in the background is the section of the tram depot with coop apartments over that section of the tram depot. Before the intercity train arrived from the top end of the station. After this station, the trains go back into tunnels.

Zurich has 29 railway stations. I have never seen a place with so many impressive stations. This Stadelhofen one of the first stations outside of Zurich HB. Lines coming here are running on the east side of finger shaped Lake Zurich. The SBB station is served by 9 SBB S-Bahn lines and two additional peak hour lines. Outside on Stadelhofenplatz are the interurbans of the S18 Forchbahn line and VBZ tram lines 8, 11 and 15. At the far end of the square further VBZ tram lines 2 and 4 running down the east side of the lake to Tiefenbrunnen. The major Bellevue tram hub is only about 4 blocks away. Like many SBB stations and VBZ tram hubs, Stadelhofen Station has a modern and attractive travel centers where tickets and passes can be purchased. The overhead signs indicate what a busy place this is. Along with many stations another trait of Zurich train lines is lots of tunnels. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zurich_Stadelhofen_railway_station

There's the cafe right out on the concourse on the left of the photo and the end of one of tracks on the right. The stuff dreams are made of!!!!

A few more train shots at Zurich HB.

I came across SBB RABe 501 High Speed train at Zurich HB. The RABe 501 is another Stadler product with 117 first class seats and 286 second class seats for a total of 403 passengers in an eleven car train. As of December 2020, Giruno units operate services from Basel and Zürich to Chiasso and Lugano. Services between Zurich and Milan have also operated since 12 August 2020, and have later expanded to Venice, Genoa and Bologna.[24] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SBB_RABe_501 Both photos were taken at Zurich HB.

Does anyone have a source for stickers that I can use on my commuter cars?

This is mighty old 😮 But the usual practice should apply. First remove the shell (I expect it should be simply clipped to the chassis) and then figure out how to get to the motor, unclip the bogies and open them. Sorry if I can't get more helpful, I never had such an old Japanese model in my hands. If you don't have one, you should get a fiberglass pen to clean those wheels.

I think a lot of the people that would be interested in these wouldn't mind a little gluing / soldering to get custom length ones, so the option to have various length middle sections would be a nice addition. It would probably be worth giving the etched wires a try if they're not a lot of work. If they sell well, you can easily get more of them etched. And if not, it's not a lot of wasted time. Personally I'm more in the camp of wanting to have wires if I have the masts as well. Just the masts always looks a bit off to me, even if to-scale wire would be pretty much invisible. Having wires is of course also a terrible pain when you need to clean the track 🙂 I have built my own catenary from scratch before (fully functional actually, for Euro locos with working pantographs), and there I made a quick jig for the wire, and just soldered together some copper wire. It was rather fiddly, but very doable for the simple type of wire. The 2nd wire you posted would of course be quite a bit more work to scratch build.

Hello, During my récent trip to Japan, I found an EF 65 by Kato at a local market for 500 yen. It'll be fine as a static display piece, but if I can get it running it would be even better! I'm not familiar with this type of motor with two driven bogies, and am wondering how to disassemble and clean everything. Any tips? Thanks in advance, /Philip

SL Yamaguchi Trip Report 6 We crossed from Kyushu to Honshu via a pedestrian tunnel under the Straights of Kammon yesterday. This tunnel, which connects the cities of Shimonoseki and Mojiko, is bored under the sea just north of the Shinkansen tunnel and is accessed by 180’ deep elevators on each ends. Unfortunately, my friend dropped his iPhone as we entered the elevator and it slipped through the crack, dropping all the way down the 180’ shaft 🥺… But I digress. JR Mojiko Station Mojiko station is a Government Designated Important Cultural Asset, opened on February 1, 1914. The 2-story building constructed in the Renaissance style with high historical valuable is one of the oldest station buildings in Kyushu Kitakyushu Railway History Museum Nearby is the Kitakyushu Railway History Museum, a great find for any railway enthusiast. It’s small but a real gem, showcasing several restored locomotives and railroad memorabilia. There are a couple of nice model railroad layouts in N and HO as well as a well-stocked omiyage / railway nicknack store. Following descriptions by the museum Japanese National Railways No. 59634 First year of manufacture1922 Production company etc.Kawasaki Shipyard The 9600 type was the first domestically produced freight locomotive, and 770 were made. It was used throughout Kyushu and was affectionately nicknamed Kyuroku. Its distinctive feature was the high car body height, due to the boiler being located above the driving wheels. This locomotive was transferred from the Yonesaka Line to the Gotoji Locomotive Depot in 1974. Fans called this locomotive, which had come all the way from afar, "Thank you for your hard work," because of its number. It worked in the Chikuho region for less than a year, but it was one of the last steam locomotives in the Kitakyushu region. Japanese National Railway C59 No. 1 First year of manufacture1941 It was born as the main locomotive on the Tokaido and Sanyo main lines. It was assigned to Moji in 1956 and used for the sleeper express "Asakaze" and the express "Unzen", and in 1962 it was transferred to Kumamoto. It also pulled Kumamoto's first express "Mizuho", which was launched that same year. When the electrification of Kumamoto was completed in 1965, it was scrapped as it had no other place to be transferred to due to its heavy axle load for main line use. Nine cars of the same model were dismantled, but this car was kept on display at Kokura Factory as a quasi-railway monument. It had traveled the equivalent of 62 times around the earth before being scrapped. Japanese National Railways Kuha 481 No. 603 First year of manufacture1969 Production company etc.Nippon Sharyo The 481 series, which can run on both AC and DC, is an advanced version of the electric express "Kodama" that appeared in 1958, and was born in conjunction with the electrification of Kumamoto. This car was born in 1969 as Kuro 481-5 and was active in the Tohoku region, but in 1983 it was assigned to the Kagoshima Depot, where it was converted into a regular seating car and its car number changed to Kuha 481-603. After being used as the express "Nichirin", "Kamome" and "Ariake" in Kyushu, it has been preserved at the Kokura Factory since 1997. Japanese National Railways ED72 No. 1 First year of manufacture1961 Production company etc.Toshiba It was introduced as an AC electric locomotive for use in the Kitakyushu electrification project. Since it had a heating boiler, it was characterized by its long car length and the presence of a middle bogie in the center where no power was transmitted. As heating was changed from steam to electricity and the boiler became unnecessary, it was no longer necessary to limit it to passenger use, and in its later years it was also used for freight trains. This vehicle was a prototype locomotive and is slightly different in style from other locomotives of the same type, but it was preserved at Oimatsu Park in Moji Ward, Kitakyushu City as Kyushu's first AC electric locomotive. Japanese National Railways Kiha 07 No. 41 First year of manufacture1937 Production company etc.Nippon Sharyo This is a typical pre-war mechanical (clutch-driven gear change) diesel railcar, and when the cars were coupled together, the drivers on both sides would signal to each other as they drove. In 1952, the gasoline engine was changed to a diesel engine. This car was allocated to Bungomori Locomotive Depot in 1957 and used on the Miyahara Line. It was retired in 1969 and was carefully stored at Bungomori Locomotive Depot and Oita Depot. This is the only car of its type manufactured before the war that has retained its original form. Japanese National Railways EF10 No. 35 First year of manufacture1941 Production company etc.Toshiba When the Kanmon Tunnel was opened in 1942, this section became the only electrified section, and an EF10-type DC electric locomotive was deployed specifically for the tunnel, with the locomotives being replaced at Shimonoseki and Moji. In 1961, the Kyushu side was electrified with 20,000 volts AC, and the Honshu side with 1,500 volts DC, and the role was handed over to dual-purpose locomotives. This locomotive was then used in various parts of Honshu until 1979, and after its retirement it was preserved in Moji Osato Park. Japanese National Railways Kuhane 581 No. 8 First year of manufacture1967 Production company etc.Hitachi, Ltd. It debuted as the world's first sleeper train express "Gekko". It is a convenient express train that can operate both day and night as a seated express train during the day. In 1970, the number of trains increased and it was used for express trains between Kansai and Kyushu, such as "Tsubame" and "Hato". In 1984, it was converted into a local train at Kokura Factory and reborn as the AC train 715 series (Kuha 7151), and was mainly used on the Nagasaki and Sasebo lines until 2000. After being scrapped, it was repainted in the express train livery it had when it was first introduced and was preserved at Kokura Factory. Series 14 Sleeper Car First year of manufacture1972 Production company etc.Nippon Vehicles The 14 Series 11 sleeper express train was manufactured by Nippon Sharyo in 1972 as the second generation sleeper express train. It began operation as a replacement for the 20 Series "Sakura" and "Mizuho". The preserved "Suhanef 14 Series 11" has a diesel engine under the floor, and can send electricity to five cars including the train itself. When it was manufactured, it was a three-tiered sleeper with a conductor's room, but in 1982, the sleepers were remodeled to two tiers. It was in service for a long time, but the sleeper express "Mizuho" was discontinued in 1994, the "Sakura" in 2005, and the "Fuji" and "Hayabusa" in 2009, and this was the last operation, but it was in service as a special train in Kyushu until 2010, and was preserved at the Kumamoto Vehicle Center after its retirement.