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@Claude_Dreyfus Thats a nice set Im tempted to purchase it.

Well since it’s a diorama and not a functional running train in the scene you can probably regauge the car wheels, but regauging a steam loco will be a bit of a challenge grinding down the inner chassis for narrow gauge, but if non functional a bit easier as it doesn’t have to work! I would guess the n scale of the cars and loco you use would set what modeling scale you will use (1/148 British, 1/150 Japanese, or 1/160 us and Europe). Q1: What is the scale, or gauge, should I use to build this 24 in(610 mm) gauge branch line, so it will matches with the 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) gauge of the main line(N scale)? scale for the buildings would be based in the scale of your loco and cars you end up using. the gauge would be 4mm Q2: Is it really difficult to purchase, layout, and build the tracks, and parts of the above scale, or gauge in the U.S.? no commercial 4mm gauge track out there I think. You would need to hand lay ties and rails using I’m guessing like code 40 z gauge rail Q3: Is there any manufacturer sells W. G. Bagnall 0-4-4T steam locomotives in the above scale or gauge? dont know, have you done some internet searches yet? Q4: If not, then is it possible to purchase 0-4-4 chassis in the above scale or gauge, and then 3D-print (Resin? Filament?) the shell? maybe you need to do some searching. Lots of odd stuff on shapeways. Q5: For the typical choice of 24 in(610 mm) gauge flatcars of that specific complex period (just 3 years before WWI), who do you think could be the builder(British? German? or American?), and what could be the possible length? dont kniw this one jeff

Rich, ha old thoughts! If you have the links for that could you send them? Would be interested in what I was thinking at the time. One issue I’ve always had with Ttrak is the scenes smushed up against each other and worry that chaos between scenes and how that affects the viewer’s impression. More of a sub conscious are things jumbled up. These are the things folks don’t consciously register, but can effect their takeaway memories and impression. most public (non train) visitors don’t get that it’s not a set layout but a bunch of modules just popped together. We do try to be reasonable in scene transition module to module so many on first glance look like they are one scene, but as you look closer you notice things that transition abruptly or are off (like roads) between modules. ive also been frustrated all scenery has to be plunked into a few sized and shapes with track in the same place on most all modules. This is why I stepped back and rethought things with the mini onetrak and not having standard module sizes and shapes or track location. It’s been really fun to think about a scene and select the size and shaped module needed to fit that idea and where the single track should go for the scene. Also that the modules end up separated a bit and not butt up against each other. the rectangular layout design for Ttrak has re invigorated my interest in Ttrak, I had become very burned out on Ttrak and now I realize it was a number of those issues with the long skinny layouts that was causing that. anyhow like you said it’s always fun to step back and rethink things, it’s funny I find that I’ve not done that enough in my hobby when it was a really standard loop in my exhibit work! jeff

I am not sure as yet. I would like a load, but the wagons are very light so it would need to be something very pliable.

Yes they are big with cell phone repair and kits have various useful tools. The metal ones are best when it’s a tight fit as the plastic ones tend to be thicker. Guitar picks are useful to hold places open once you have opened it with the spudger. The old plastic starblecks coffee stirrers use to have a nice thin wedge end on them and you could clip off the last like 3/4” to use as a hold open wedge. They also have the thin plastic sort of credit card sized piece of plastic that can work. I have like a couple dozen different ones and just grab the one that is needed as what works best differs with trains. I try to keep my thumbnails long as they work for a good chunk of Tomytec directly. cheers jeff

lovely set. what are you going to use for rail. lengths of Styrene? I guess it depends on track curve radius.

Building it in N scale is probably where you will come undone. 00-9, HOn30, HOm, HOn, HOj, HOn3.5 etc already exist. Some of these are already well supported with track variations. 00-9 and HOn30 I think is probably best for what you wanna do. Google a few and see what works for you.

My first Japanese purchase for a little while, the new Tomix Chiki5500 rail carrier set has landed! It is a very nice set, and the detailing around the rail loaders is extremely fine. I did not get the accompanying EF65 as I already have plenty of locos and I don't really want yet another 'off region' loco unless it is very special.

"Someone's sat on it!"

From what I can gather, correctly identifying one is easier said than done. It could simply be a case of an additional 'unauthorised' batch being run by the factory. If so, then to all intents and purposes they will be no different to a 'genuine' product...the only tell-tale may well be the shop you bought it from and if so, the first you will know about it is if the warranty is not honoured. It's not as if you are going to be readily altered to its fakeness by the lack of quality control, or incorrect livery (colour shade or application)...

Could be a disgruntled factory if Dapol decided to move manufacturing elsewhere As for spotting one, “If you model looks like a Dapol model but runs without issue out of the box, it’s most likely fake” 😂

I wonder if they are even knockoffs, or just rejected models from the production run.

Just search for "spudger" on Amazon and you'll get a ton of them at really inexpensive prices. $5-$10 for an entire set of all sizes and shapes. Plastic material so as to not damage or mar the item. Mostly used to disassemble cell phones and other electronic devices.

Interesting. I wonder why they don't tell you how to spot the fake ones (maybe requires disassembly that not everyone wants/can do?). As these knock offs get into the market, they will probably end up in the used market or at trains shows. How does one then determine whether they are genuine or not as you no longer are dealing with an authorized dealer?

Hi, how are you? Hope all is well. I am not a railway modeller, but I have a desire to build a diorama of the Sha Tau Kok Branch Line(Kowloon-Canton Railway). The gauge was 24 in(610 mm). It opened in 1911, and closed in 1928. The passenger service was hauled by two W. G. Bagnall 0-4-4T steam locomotives, and the passenger cars were the flatcars being used for the freight service. Passengers were constantly exposed to the elements. Unfortunately I could not find any details about the freight service. Legends said documents were either destroyed or lost during the Battle of Hong Kong. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sha_Tau_Kok_Branch I sincerely ask everyone for your generosity to help me putting this puzzle together with your years of expertise in model railroading!! Q1: What is the scale, or gauge, should I use to build this 24 in(610 mm) gauge branch line, so it will matches with the 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) gauge of the main line(N scale)? Q2: Is it really difficult to purchase, layout, and build the tracks, and parts of the above scale, or gauge in the U.S.? Q3: Is there any manufacturer sells W. G. Bagnall 0-4-4T steam locomotives in the above scale or gauge? Q4: If not, then is it possible to purchase 0-4-4 chassis in the above scale or gauge, and then 3D-print (Resin? Filament?) the shell? Q5: For the typical choice of 24 in(610 mm) gauge flatcars of that specific complex period (just 3 years before WWI), who do you think could be the builder(British? German? or American?), and what could be the possible length? Thank you so much for reading my post, and I am looking forward for your insightful answers and comments!!

Yeah they look great @tossedman, and thanks for the link. Might be a while before I can get a decent colour printer, but it's now on the list.

TCS recently announced DCC decoder installation services https://www.tcsdcc.com/so/6fOx91E-V?languageTag=en&cid=3e030a2c-4ad0-40bf-aef7-acb3a6ecaad0

We saw the 2816 many times around Calgary as they were doing their shakedown runs. It's pretty impressive. My kiddo was at the departure ceremony and recorded this short clip.

I drew road signs in Illustrator. You used to be able to get road signs from Kobaru but they've gone out of business. Fortunately Sakatsu has picked up a lot of the Kobaru products including the road surface signs. They are dry transfer and you rub them on á la Letraset. Here's a link to them.

I'm with Jeff on the printed roads. I've tried it and you can make them look pretty good of you know your way around graphics on a computer. Here's a module I did a few years ago. Cheers, Todd

Thanks everyone. I was just confused by the different terms being used by Plaza Japan, so this clears it up a bit.

As regard DCC Some of your sets can use Kato drop-in decoders which are relatively inexpensive. If you have a friend that could fit these for you it would reduce costings a little rather than paying someone at Kato to do it. -SL Yamaguchi coaches - 485 series. The SLs will be the trickiest so worth getting quotes for these. Not sure with the Kitaguni set as some coaches are tooled for drop in, some aren’t. I believe there is a replacement light board for the EF58 but may require some permanent body shell modification. Certainly in Japan, off the shelf DCC fitted products by Hobby Centre Kato are a significant increase in cost compared to their base counterparts. Although most have detail parts fitted in addition, it can be a big jump in price. Hardwired Example HO EF510 0 DCC sound fitted ¥61,050 HO EF510 0 base ¥15,070

It's fun to keep your brain busy, noodling away at different ways to set up home or display layouts and trying to break out of the standardized thinking that modules tend to create. That's one reason I continue to do non-permanent, tabletop layouts. To me, that's not something to outgrow -- it's something that can keep you going. By the way, I've been re-reading old posts from another discussion group, and 13 years ago Jeff expressed the thought that the small size of T-Trak really limited scenery options. Now he's fascinated by irregular layouts on strung-together, postage stamp-sized modules! An active mind keeps exploring and rethinking... Rich K.

It looks to me like your layout is actually well-suited for DC operation with two power packs, except for one thing. That is that one track of your pair almost acts like an oval, while the parallel track almost does an up-and-over figure-8. If you made all trains cross over at the double-crossover, you would have two separate loops operationally. But if you run the trains straight through the crossover, which you probably do, what you have operationally is a single big long loop. Then a train that starts running left-to-right at the top of your track plan later finds itself running back right-to-left there in the opposite direction on the parallel track. It's an interesting plan, but it creates logic issues like the ones you are running into. One solution would be to remove the crossover (not the double crossover, the crossover under the bridge) to create two separate loops (one all blue and one all orange). Then, when you want to switch a train from one of these loops to the other loop, set the power pack speeds and directions to match while you cross the train over on the double-crossover. If you prefer the complication of the present arrangement, then DCC might be the way to go. Rich K.

Probably out of stock and the their wholesalers don't have stock. Therefore the reservation process starts again. Warehouses on the North American scale are rare in Japan because of the high cost of land and (scarcity of land)