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Been awhile since the last news of a big sale of rolling stock for export. 12x12 car sets of N700s to THSR. full article: https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/business/economy/20230317-97865/ JR Tokai TV CM promoting the introduction of service of the N700s two years ago:

Full article: https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14860082

First time for a TV station to visit the normally off-limits mainframe that is the Tokaido Shinkansen COMTRAC sustem, which controls the routing of trains on the Tokaido Shinkansen. The system will be upgraded this October to the latest generation, which will handle schedule disruptions more quickly, especially at terminal stations (namely Tokyo Station). (COMTRAC segment is up to about 5:30 in the clip): JR Tokai news release (pdf in Japanese) includes diagrams seen in the TV news report: https://jr-central.co.jp/news/release/_pdf/000036204.pdf

Began last week. Revenue service begins this autumn. NTV new report:

JR East announced on the 18th that the planned order of E8 units for the Yamagata Shinkansen (debut in spring 2024) has been reduced by two trainsets to a new number of 15 (10 cars per trainset). Reason was economic fallout from Covid will be long-term in Tohoku region. First time a long-term capital investment has been reduced. https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/fea021654041e5139c96d2f9eebc92c5b56b7ae4

Hey guys, So, after a few months of planning and thinking, it's finally time to start building this baby! Tomorrow I'll go buy all the material needed for the wooden base and in the weekend I'll start building it. This is the final layout: Since it will go into my living room, and it will be 2.40m long, it will be divided in two parts, almost in the middle, so it will be easier to handle. The base will be of plywood, 1.5cm thick, reinforced with 3x2cm frames. Since the forniture has a Wenge-like color, I'll paint the whole base of a dark color. From below, it should be something like this: The two 45 degrees corners in the front are due to the fact that the 70cm deep base will go against a 60cm deep cabinet, so I'll to cut it in order to avoid hitting my leg every time I walk by. It will go here, below the TV, on an IKEA Besta bench : The TV will limit the space above, I'll have around 30cm to play with, but it should be enough. I'll make videos detailing all the process, which will involve a lot of trials and errors I'm sure, as this is my first build, but that's the fun part! Here's the introduction video:

Hi folks, I've spent about 4 months building a 3 level layout for my British OO, Japanese N and Lego and it's finally finished*. Hope you like the video. https://youtu.be/Nr3axLF001Q Feel like I have an encyclopedic knowledge of how to build a layout in a shed now, from insulation to wiring etc to the removeable bridge for the door, so if anyone has any questions happy to advise. Bridge has copper strips underneath to keep the connection, and is lifted up to leave the room, with a section of the scenery swinging open. Need to step over the Japanese one to leave which is a bit tricky but there's a handlebar on the outside to help. None of it is digital - Gaugemaster and Kato controllers respectively but with the Hornby HMDC app to control the two branch lines. Lego is battery powered, remote control. Shed is well insulated, have a heater and a dehumidifier in there. Layout is 6m x 2.5m so plenty of space for nice long platforms! *Lots of little details to add to the British one from signals to passenger bridges to station names etc but the laborious work is finally over, now on to the fun stuff: running trains and adding little details. Going to landscape the temple area with static grass, paths and lakes too.

JR East announced two days ago (JST) a new shinkansen/art gallery combination (?), the "Genbi Shinkansen" (現美新幹線), to run on the Jōetsu Shinkansen (Echigo-Yuzawa to Niigata) from spring 2016. It's to be based on a 6-car E3 set seating ~105 total, fitted with art exhibition spaces in each car and a cafe in the third car. The exterior will have photographs of Niigata's Nagaoka fireworks festival. Apparently the new train has something to do with the Echigo-Tsumari art festival. I know little of Japanese and less of art, so find more detailed information more directly from sources below: RocketNews24: [1] JR East press release (Japanese, PDF): [2]

I know that both Kato & Tomix produce E5 and H5 Series models, but I am wandering about everyone's experience with them and what are the differences other than the obvious coupling and diaphragm systems? Most of my Shinkansen are currently by Kato: 100 Series Grand Hikari, E2 Asama, E2-1000 Hayate, E3-0 Komachi, E3-1000 Tsubabsa & E4 Max. As you can tell I have concentrated on JR East Shinkansen. I have one Tomix 200 Series H unit Super Yamabiko, I am a bit partial to the late 80's shark nose sets, which is why i also have the full 16 car set of the Kato 100 Series Grand Hikari! And When I get around to expanding my fleet with an E1, it's gonna have to be the Tomix model, since the Kato model has been out of production since before I moved to China.... But I am not sure what to do when/if I decide to get E5 and H5 sets. I feel that the diaphragm on the Tomix models looks much better and closer to the full width diaphragms on the real trains. And I know from my experience with my Super Yamabiko that the Tomix conductive coupling system is reliable. Would I be right in guessing that the Tomix TN couplers hidden in the noses are not compatible with Kato's Shibata couplers? And if I ever choose to DCC my Shinkansen, how easy is it to install chips on a Tomix Shinkansen? At least the conductive coupling system should mean that the whole train can be fitted with a single multi-function decoder, right? Looking forward to hearing people's experiences, and comments on performance and maintenance would be appreciated too! Ewan

An interesting program about JR Central's Hamamatsu Works. I've seen some other documentaries about this facility, but this one is recent and is edited in an interesting style, not a lot of talking. Kinda good to chill out to 🙂 This is on TV Aichi's YouTube channel.

A YouTube member used a DJI flying drone and captured construction progress at JR West Tsuruga Station as it accommodates the southern end of the Hokuriku Shinkansen line: Note the new rail yard being built south of the station.

more: https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2020/11/dec36c0fae5c-jr-east-to-test-driverless-shinkansen-bullet-trains-in-2021.html

Hey all - Michael here. Well, after successfully moving back to the UK and completing some work projects, I've finally got time to run some trains - and at present, I'm doing so on my Dad's huge US outline N scale layout, which he's been building since 1985. Needless to say, my 100 series looks a little strange flying around upstate Washington, but it's nice for them to stretch their legs. After having collected 8-car sets of most of the JR West Shinkansen (100, 300, 500, 700) and one of the JR East (E7), I've fallen in love with the various weird and wonderful Tohoku Shinkansen, and looking at getting some more - but I've come up against a problem with the lovely 200 series (H set) I've set a limit for my Shinkansen consists at 8 cars, because they are perfectly realistic looking in N scale and on most layouts. However, the Tomix 200 series H sets are available only in a basic set of 6 cars, with the two double deck cars split between a 3 car set and a further 7 car set. The total for all three is not much short of 400 pounds UK, and I don't really want to spend the money on an extra 8 cars I'll almost never be able to run. Does anyone know a way of getting the two double decker cars separately...? Then I'd just need a basic set of 6 to make a complete train, which would match my 8 car 100 series very nicely. Cheers! Michael

Hello, I have a bit of an issue. I bought the Series 100 Grand Hikari Shinkansen used. Everything is running well until I found that the two last carriages have their couplers snapped. As with the picture below Any idea how to fix this? And whether there is a sparepart for this? thanks

I'm curious if anyone has added DCC sound decoder to their Kato Shinkansen, specifically the E7 or N700A. I saw a thread on here from back in 2015 that started addressing this but it seemed to end very anticlimactically due to limitations at the time. It seems like the non-motored trailer cars for the N700A have a cavern under the floor piece with a metal weight. Since the metal strips already run through here it seems like an easy place to stash a sound decoder with a sugar cube speaker. I assume a decoder and speaker will come close to weight to the metal already there. I think the biggest question here though, has anyone ever generated sound files for any of the Shinkansen?

Footage from earlier this year of the testing done between Maibara and Kyoto, at speeds up to 360km/h. Note how appreciably different the passing speed is between the revenue service top speed of 285 km/h and the trial 360 km/h. The nighttime environment is also nicely atmospheric.

Hi all - New to the Japanese-outline N scale, but loving the wealth of information and enthusiasm found here! I'm detailing various Tomix Shinkansen sets, some bought second hand in Akihabara - my 700 has these large gaps where I'm guessing the destination blinds/seating signs go - what do most modelers do to apply some detail here? My Kato 500 series came with some small stickers which fit over the glazing - are there some superdetailing parts I can get which show the destination? Also, my older 100 & 300 Tomix sets have blank spaces where the destination boards should be - does anyone know where I can find decals or stickers for those? Cheers, Michael

Hello all, With the Sapporo extension of the Hokkaido Shinkansen, is there any viability whatsoever of a though service from the Tokaido to the Tohoku and Hokkaido Shinkansen routes?

JR Central will introduce the Shinkansen N700S series on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen lines in fiscal 2020, replacing the 700 series trains which will be retired at the end of 2019. The N700S will feature a a new "Dual Supreme Wing" nose, which will lessen air resistance and reduce noise upon entering tunnels. The first prototype 16-car N700S train is expected in March 2018. Source: http://trafficnews.jp/post/54020/

I came across this, very interesting, video in my youtube recommended list. Cab ride from Ueno to Sendai on the Tōhoku Shinkansen: The landscape around the Tōhoku shinkansen has off course changed considerably over the last 30 years, both in terms of the railway(s) themselves as the surrounding architecture, having been caught up in the unstoppable march of progress. Yet it still remains highly recognizable, especially around the stations. Interesting things, imho, to notice: - Keihin-Tōhoku line 103 series. At this point in time JR East was already working on the design of the 901 series prototype, which would become the 209 series. They would replace the ageing 103 series fleet between 1993 and 1996. - Saikyō line 103 series. An interesting mix of ex-Yamanote line high cab 103 series formations, all kinds of mixes between fully air conditioned formations and everything inbetween. Would be replaced by new built 205 series in 1990. - Construction work at Fukushima station, the Yamagata shinkansen was under construction (conversion would be the better word though) at that point in time, and would open in 1992. - While the 400 series shinkansen was being designed at that moment, at that point the only series used on the eastern shinkansen was still the 200 series. - While the majority of the formations met along the way were al F formations (Either F1~F3/F4~F21 sub group (New built) or F41~F41, F51~F59 (converted former E formations) sub groups) I noticed at least one G formation (Though whether this was a G20~28 or G40~G48 sub-formation was impossible to discern) and one of the few remaining E formations. It also gives a valuable insight, to me at least, into the operation of the Tōhoku Shinkansen in the period after the split of the old national railways (J.N.R.), only 2 years and a few months after it occurred. In June 1989, when this was filmed, the Tōhoku Shinkansen had been in operation for close to 7 years. Originally opened on the 23rd of June 1982, the Tōhoku shinkansen was the 3rd shinkansen to open during the national railways era. It was part of the 1971 Shinkansen construction plan, which also included the Jōetsu Shinkansen (opened on the 15th of November 1982) as well as the cancelled Narita Shinkansen (cancelled in 1983). Though designed around a maximum operational speed of 260km/h, the maximum speed at the time of the opening of the line was set to 210km/h, the same as on the Tōkaidō/Sanyō Shinkansen pre 1986. The full route of the Tōhoku shinkansen was always planned to run between Tōkyō station and Morioka, however due to the 1970's oil crisis as well as the deteriorating financial situation of the national railways, it was decided to open the route in stages. During the opening of the Tōhoku Shinkansen, only the section between Ōmiya and Morioka had been finished, while work was still continuing on the section between Ueno and Ōmiya, while work had yet to commence on the section between Tōkyō station and Ueno. The section between Ueno and Ōmiya was opened on the 14th of March 1985. At the same time the maximum operational speed, on both the Tōhoku and Jōetsu Shinkansen, was increased from 210km/h to 240km/h, which made it the fastest Shinkansen at that point in time. While the 200 series was originally designed around a maximum operational speed of 250km/h, the first 5 batches (the E formations, E1~E36 delivered between late 1980 and 1982) were limited to a maximum speed of 210km/h. This was because of the MM+MM' (1 pantograph per 2 cars, i.e. 6 pantographs per 12 car formation) layout they shared with the 0 series Shinkansen. With contact noise being a large part of the noise footprint generated by the shinkansen (in 1974, residents along the Tōkaidō Shinkansen had filed a lawsuit against J.N.R. because of the noise pollution generated by the 0 series (the only series operating at the Tōkaidō shinkansen at that point in time) formations running at speed. As a result, new standards for noise pollution were passed in 1975 limiting the maximum sound level permitted to 75db in build-up areas. Though it would still take almost a decade before actual action were taken to reduce the noise on the existing lines), as well as the overhead line swaying caused by the passing of a pantograph resulting in loss of contact for the upcoming pantograph at high speed. In order to allow a future increase in speed, the 200 series cars built from batch 6 onward (1983) would be fitted with a high voltage through cable near the roof of the car. This allowed the number of active pantographs to be reduced to 3 (from ~1993 onward only 2 would be in use, with the two forward pantographs used as reserve, while the redundant middle ones (cars 6 and 8 on the F formations, 6 on the post 1997 K formations and cars 6 and 12 on the 16 car H formations) were removed) and therefore, with changes to the ATC, they were capable of running at a maximum operational speed of 240km/h. While the first 3 new formations were originally numbered consecutively to the existing E formations (E1~E36) as E37~E39, because of their different operational capabilities they were quickly renumbered into a new sub group of formations, the F formations (F1~F3) while their cars would be numbered into the 1000 sub-type range of the 200 series. For the production batches 7 onward, another small change was made to the design of the series. For the scheduled opening of the section between Ueno and Ōmiya, it was projected that the ridership on the line would increase. As a result, the interior of the type 221 and 222 end cars were slightly redesigned to allow the addition of an extra row of standard type seats in both of them (adding 5 seats per end car). As a result of this, the end cars were numbered into the 1500 sub-type range of the 200 series, the middle cars remained in the 1000 range. All remaining batches, 7~9 would be delivered with 221/222-1500 sub-type cars between 1984 and 1985, they would be part of the F4~F21 sub-group of formations, the last 200 series formations to be built. Which brings us to the formation this video was shot in. According to the description, this was filmed in the cab of 222-1512 which, if the information correct (footage at the end of the video reveals part of the formation number (4) from the observer side of the cab, which could only be formation F4 (or, translated from geek speak, the number 4 seems too close to the second wiper on the right to be F14), which would make it 222-1501 as opposed to 1512... It is off course possible that they filmed this part of the material separately at a different time and they are unrelated) means this was filmed in 200 series formation F15. Formation F15 was completed by Nipon Sharyō on the 20th of November 1984 as part of production batch 8, the second to last production batch for this series. In June of 1991, as with all remaining F formations, her green car changed position within the formation, changing from position 7 to position 11. In March of 1997, as part of the increase in K formations formed needed for the opening of the Akita Shinkansen in the same year, she would be reformed into formation K48. This group within the K formations, K41~K51, were the first to contain 10 cars as opposed to the 8 cars of the original K formations (K1~K11). The remaining 2 surplus cars were then used to extend the 8 car K1~K11 sub group into the 10 car K21~K31 sub-group of formations. The remaining cars of F15 (225-1030 and 226-1074) would be added to formation K6, which would continue as K26. In December 1999, K48 was the 4th K formation to undergo life extension and renewal work, K26 would follow a year later in December of 2000. While this renewal was meant to extend their life for another 10 years, most would actually serve beyond this 10 year benchmark. When the 200 series retired from the Tōhoku shinkansen in November 2011, K48 was the first of the renewed formations (with exception of formation K25 which was severely damaged after a derailment during the Niigata-Chūetsu earthquake in 2004) to be retired and scrapped, exactly 27 years after she was built. K26 would soldier on for a little while longer, being transferred as one of 8 K formations designated for the Jōetsu shinkansen, she was finally retired in January 2013, 2 months before the scheduled retirement of the last 200 series shinkansen. 225-1030 and 226-1074, the last remaining cars from formation F15, would serve for slightly more than 28 years. Please enjoy!

I recently received the Kato N700A 4-car set and installed the DCC decoders in the cab cars and the power car. I was considering adding a DCC sound decoder into the non-powered car. I believe there should be enough room under the floor plastic if I removed the metal weight. I'm curious if anyone knows of or has created any sound projects for any of the Shinkansens yet.

Lima was a well-known Italian model train manufacurer, it's now part of the Hornby group. During it's "golden age" (the '70s) Lima produced H0 scale models of many countries, including USA, Australia, South Africa... and Japan. Here are some pics (all taken from the internet) The worldwide famous 0 seres "Kodama" shinkansen, in italy it was called "The Tokaido". The 103 series, also known as "The Legendary Kokuden", is one of the rarest Lima models. It was produced in Yellow, Lime Green, Orange and Sky Blue. Yamanote Green: Chuo-Sobu Yellow: Chuo-Rapid Orange

From the The Mainichi: NAGOYA (Kyodo) -- In a move to better compete with a rival train operator's famous "seven-minute miracle" for cleaning a bullet train between its arrival and departure, Central Japan Railway Co. will shave off two minutes from its own shinkansen cleaning work, beginning next spring. https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20190605/p2g/00m/0bu/060000c?fbclid=IwAR0eP7xFRwO0WbrFoMIn3n3C0d8KoNGuZgb7TnsaXZLVgjFKEjGf1dih_wg

The weekend of March 9-10th saw the annual Keighley Model Railway exhibition in West Yorkshire in England. Now it is rare for there to be two Z gauge layouts at a show but Chris Wright was there with his 'Bullet Trains' layout and I was there with 'Republic Steel'. The show runs concurrent with the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway Spring Steam gala and I called in on the way down on Friday before setting up the show. I spotted some lads from the other layouts on the trains who had had the same idea! Chris's layout is 8ft 6" long and features sporadic lightning and thunder to liven things up. Obviously the Shinkansens are Rokuhan He has modelled it in Cherry Blossom time He also had one of the Rokuhan mini layouts on display at one end (See video) My Republic Steel layout can be run either as British Rail 'Railblue era' 1950's USA or Showa era Japanese steam due to the fact that Blast furnaces are generic and look pretty much the same the world over. For the Keighley show it was running BR to highlight the wide variety of British rolling stock that can be modelled using kit-bashing and 3D printing techniques Just 4 ft 8" long it is an easy layout to transport and display The 3D printed Class 37 has been very popular with the public. Seen here with the recently completed Cardiff Rod mill wire coil train

After a prolonged absence the webcam (with sound) or the Tokaido line and Yurikamome tracks near Shiodome is working again