Search the Community

Hi Everyone! It's been a while since I've posted anything, 2020 was not a very good year.... What with Covid, moving house & looking for a new job, I didn't do much with my trains.... Anyway, for my questions... Last Chinese New Year, in Tokyo, I bought 2 of the TOMIX 3 car JRF container train packs: number 92417 EF510-0 with 2 KoKi 50000s & number 92491 EF210-100 with 2 KoKi 107s. These are my first TOMIX locos that will be running as normal trains, so I am planning to replace the Arnold Rapido couplers with knuckle couplers. First question is: Will TOMIX TN knuckle couplers couple with Kato knuckle couplers (as in the knuckles included with Kato locos) and also the Kato Coupler N (11-702 and 11-707)? I usually replace the Rapidos on freight stock with Kato Coupler Ns. The models themselves did not come with any option parts list, but according to the 2020 TOMIX Catalogue, in the listings for the 3-car EF510 Cassiopeia base set, the EF510 takes replacement JC52 knuckle couplers. I have taken both of the locos apart to check the couplers, and both them have the same coupler housing sub-assemblies.I also have a TOMIX ED61 in the Track Cleaning Car Set, it has the same coupler mounting assembly, but its' option parts list has a different TN coupler replacement listed. So the second question is: Is JC52 the correct part number for TN couplers for EF210 and EF510? And lastly, a note on coupler replacements for other TOMIX models.... A couple of years ago I was asking here on the forum if anyone had tried replacing the TOMIX Tobu Spacia Rapidos with Kato Couplers. I can report that I finally managed to get the Rapidos out of the coupler pockets and replaced them with Kato's grey jumper fitted Shibata type, part 11-704. The Tobu Spacia really does look much better with these than with the Rapidos it came with! Happy Chinese New Year everyone! Ewan

Looks like the JR Freight EF210-0/100 series locomotives will receive a new livery based on the EF210-300 series livery.

Digest feature of an interesting cab ride aboard EF 210 163 on train 1155 from Tokyo Freight Terminal to Sagami Freight Station in Kanagawa Prefecture. It starts with 24 cars, dropping off 8 at Kawasaki, another 4 at Hazawa, and continuing on with the remaining 12 to Sagami Freight Station. Rare footage of freight only tunnels which allow freight trains to bypass the heavily trafficked passenger train routes in the Keihin corridor. A Jiji Tsushin production. Hat tip to Sr. Horn over at SSC for this.

For any of you into freight on grades, here are three videos by YT uploader JRwehksf of the Senohachi section of the Sanyo Main Line. Lots of footage of freight, some closeups of the new EF210-300s, and some 115 EMU run-bys as well. There are I think two different 4-car 115 series sets in some kind of livery for tourism promotion, they look good.

I was just looking for info to answer Vadim's thread in another forum and I found this: http://www2s.biglobe.ne.jp/~hidepon/5inch/ef210.html Apologies if this has been posted before. I'm more of a railfan than a modeler, I don't know too much about this, but based on what the page says, this is 5-inch gauge, about 1/8.4 scale. Its length is 2160mm, and it weight 95 kilograms. It uses 24VDC power. Even more: http://www2s.biglobe.ne.jp/~hidepon/5inch/5inch.html .