Neko Publishing

[velotrain]

I'm really confused about something in the latest HS NEWS.

 

They show Neko Publishing offering

1/80 Nagoya Railroad Series 7000 Panorama Car Display Plastic Kit

 

 

Apparently there are 2-car sets for the end cars and also middle cars.

What mostly confuses me is that these are listed as "Display", but there are separate body and chassis kits, and then there's a "motorized" kit, as well as a lighting kit.  None of these are cheap, and if you get everything to build even two cars it's quite expensive.

 

Since they're only showing drawings and not photographs, it's possible that this production may not happen at all?  Are they trying to get early orders to help raise funding so they can actually manufacture these?

[HantuBlauLOL]

Don't expect any japanese model other than N scale to be cheap anyway.

[cteno4]

Charles,

 

I've not seen Japanese model train companies do this sort of see if they get enough preorders to do the run.

 

Japanese HO ain't cheap, limited market, so limited production and usually high quality as well so all adds up. Larger mounds cost more so HO limited run gets expensive faster. I expect these are very limited runs and thus going to be expensive, there is a sliver of the Japanese modeling market that spends the yen on this sort of thing...

 

From the look of it the basic model I think includes the chassis/trucks in display form as they talk about couplers. I think the additional chassis kits are for running the model along with a motorizing and lighting kits.

 

Think of it as tomytec railroad series in HO!

 

Jeff

[katoftw]

Very confusing.  :laughing3:

 

But on a note related to Neko, I'm seriously considering the C11 Thomas and Suha 43s and Suhafu 42s.

Edited December 5, 2015 by katoftw

[marknewton]

I don't know about the Panorama car kit, but Neko has previously released a number of HO scale models which I have bought. They made an all-brass model of an Akita Chuo Kotsu freight motor, and more recently a kit for a JNR KiHA 40 railcar and a MaNi 50 luggage van. In each case the initial notice on HS only featured drawings. The KiHa 40 is an unpowered static display kit, but there was a mechanism/drive sold separately.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[velotrain]

I don't think I'd heard of Neko before, and it seemed a somewhat strange approach, but I guess there are folks who collect HO display models.

 

As someone suggested, I'll view it as Tomytec in HOj scale.

[bikkuri bahn]

Neko is a well-known hobby and lifestyle publisher, similar to Kalmbach or Ian Allen.  They are not a manufacturer, so these rolling stock kits are made by others for Neko, to market to enthusiasts desiring niche items and/or stuff the big two won't make, but at a reasonable price point- hence the plastic kit form and separate components.  The kiha 40 model was well received by modelers, so Neko continued with the Keio 5000 series and it appears this Meitetsu prototype. 

 

*a nitpick: these are not HOj scale (which is niche rich man only 1/87 12mm gauge), but rather the mass-market (i.e. what Kato and Tomix makes) 1/80 16mm gauge, known as HO 16番 in Japan.

Edited December 7, 2015 by bikkuri bahn

[velotrain]

*a nitpick: these are not HOj scale (which is niche rich man only 1/87 12mm gauge), but rather the mass-market (i.e. what Kato and Tomix makes) 1/80 16mm gauge, known as HO 16番 in Japan.

 

I don't follow - would you be more interested in them if they were HOj? 

 

I didn't realize you were a rich man ;-)

 

Actually, I had previously thought that HOj referred to the 1:80 scale models.

 

I trust you mean 16.5 mm gauge?

[velotrain]

*a nitpick: these are not HOj scale (which is niche rich man only 1/87 12mm gauge), but rather the mass-market (i.e. what Kato and Tomix makes) 1/80 16mm gauge, known as HO 16番 in Japan.

 

I don't follow - would you be more interested in them if they were HOj? 

 

I didn't realize you were a rich man ;-)

 

Actually, I had previously thought that HOj referred to the 1:80 scale models.

 

I trust you mean 16.5 mm gauge?

[bikkuri bahn]

HOj would be the very expensive (brass) models in 1/87 scale*, with the 12mm gauge to replicate the 1067mm gauge used by JNR and many private railways.  I can't afford it b/c I'm not rich.  I do buy 1/80 scale items because they provide good value for money and most of the items offered in that scale fit my interests, namely 1960's to 1970's "golden era" railways, as well as general merchandise and LCL freight. The gauge is indeed 16.5mm, but it's called #16 or HO #16 for brevity.

 

*particularly those offered by maker Imon, who are very vehement that 1/80 scale not be called "HO scale", but rather #16.  Perhaps a bit over the top...

Edited December 7, 2015 by bikkuri bahn

[Jcarlton]

I'm not sure that this mixing of scales and whatnot isn't the HO scale people in Japan shooting themselves in the foot.  I mean, I can see why the compromise for 1:80 happened and I can see why it bothers some people.  Still when the market is as limited as HO in Japan is why make divide it and make it even smaller.

[kvp]

Just look at the various OO and N standards in the UK. You have standard, local standard, fine and even finer scales. 1:87 and 1:80 are the same as 1:160,1:150 and 1:148 as the trains are the same size, even though not in the same scale.

[bikkuri bahn]

I'm not sure that this mixing of scales and whatnot isn't the HO scale people in Japan shooting themselves in the foot.  I mean, I can see why the compromise for 1:80 happened and I can see why it bothers some people.  Still when the market is as limited as HO in Japan is why make divide it and make it even smaller.

Nitpicky hobbyists willing to pay for what they want, that's why.  BTW, HO scale was once the most popular scale in Japan, but toy maker Tomy and its marketing might changed all that...