Almost two years of isolation - the point of view of a lone wolf beginner

[NXCALE]

Hi all,

 

Being this my first post in any rail modelling forum, I would want take this opportunity to share my experience as an (ex) lone wolf beginner in the hobby.

 

Intro

First of all, I would like to mention that I have been “isolated” for almost 2 years. What I mean is that I started in the hobby without checking much about forums or finding what other people did or think about the hobby. So, I had been carrying on in this way for almost 2 years. Then one day, I was trying to get some info about Tomix controllers and I eventually found an article about it in this forum. Eventually, I got curious for the available information and here I am writing my first post.

 

Before the hobby

Since years before I started in the hobby, I have interested in electronics, trains, miniaturisation, automates (the old ones), Asian cultures and a couple of other things. So, the idea of entering to the hobby was there but many question marks were also surrounding the idea as I believe it happens to many other beginners.

 

First hand information and first encounter with DCC

After checking several videos in internet, I decided to go and see the real thing (i.e. visit your local hobby shop). There, I remember that the sales person explained the basics of rail modelling from his personal experience. He modelled American/European trains so he eventually moved to the DCC topic. I knew that the trains move with electricity but it was the first time that I knew about DCC… control multiple trains, whistles, lights, wireless... the salesperson was so enthusiastic with DCC that he even shown me some videos where a train was being control with a smart phone.  

 

I have to say I was impressed with what I saw although the other side of DCC appeared… probably you are now thinking that this was the price which is obviously a key factor about DCC. However, I was puzzled about how DCC controllers look more like the TV remote controls. I previously saw Kato controllers in some online videos and I thought they look good.

 

Well, the sales person carried on with the explanation and he also told me to get a starter train set to see if I enjoy the hobby (I agree with this approach) and that I could perhaps get a turnout to make it more interesting. When I asked how to move the points, he just explained that with “the finger from the sky”… since I already saw some videos of Kato turnouts so I could not understand again why making the matter so much complicated for a beginner. Anyway, my goal was to see some Japanese model trains but I could not see one in the shop. So, I just left the place quite confused and I decided to postpone getting my first train set.

 

Second round

It is interesting how curiosity works because I carried on checking videos about model trains. Eventually, I decided to just go to a website and get a starter set without having much information. I still remember watching the “send order” button in the checkout page… thinking and feeling like at the top of the roller coaster… ready for that adrenaline rush … well… it took actually some days until my first train arrived and other days more until I got a step-down transformer but the feeling was good.

 

The Lone wolf

I am not sure if it was a conscious or unconscious decision but I just did not seek for advice or opinions. After I got my first starter set and I enjoyed it for some weeks, I decided to order a couple of other things. Then I noticed that I needed information but rather that checking websites, I just decided to order some catalogues. With that information, some magazines and online videos (the ones that only show trains running, I have been in the hobby for almost 2 years.

 

Conclusion

I don’t recommend my approach to anyone as it is an expensive exercise. Moreover, you could get frustrated if you do not take problems as challenges. Perhaps I should’ve checked some forums during the last two years although I consider that this approach also gave the opportunity to experiment things while learning from my mistakes.

 

So, my comments for other beginners are:

 

• Yes, check other post of this forum and other forums to know how to start in the hobby. However, bear in mind that each person could has a different way to the hobby.
• I think that getting a starter set is generally a good idea. (Also, remember to keep all boxes in case that you change your mind, decide to sell it and move on).
• Once you realise you like the hobby, try to find what you actually like of the hobby. What I mean is that our hobby has many things/areas. It could be that you just want to run trains but eventually you will find that there are other things to learn and enjoy for the hobby like electrical/electronics, painting, building, planning, researching, etc. I think that is one of the reasons in one of the Tomix videos, our hobby is called the “King of the Hobbies”. Also, don’t worry if you cannot tell what you actually like of the hobby at the beginning, time will tell (it could be one, all the things listed above or even more).
• I believe it is good idea to a get a catalogue. I know that these are heavy and it could be expensive to deliver but it is like you moved to a new city and then you decided no having a map of that place. A catalogue gives the codes of the products, sizes, circuit diagrams, layout plans, imagines and some other valuable info. If getting a catalogue is still hard, try to borrow one.

I was planning to drop only some lines but I ended up with a long post. Thank you for reading and tell mw how you started in the hobby.

 

[JR 500系]

Welcome to the forums!

 

It's more fun in a group than a lone wolf ~  I came from a lone wolf stage too so I understand. This forum is amazingly full of information and the people are all very knowledgeable and will share their vast knowledge with us, which is really cool!  :)

[splifdfx]

"Welcome to the pack" !  :)

[enodenlover]

Welcome nxcale. I'm generally not much of a joiner but I'm glad that I joined and became an active participant here. Lots of friendly people who've always been there with helpful answers to my many questions.

[cteno4]

Welcome nxcale!

 

Glad you found us. We all have taken different paths in the hobby, and that's fine. Going it on your own can be rough, but it let you really figure out what you like and don't like with out too much influence of others! I think you will find folks helpful here and usually folks will end up showing you both sides of the coin for you to learn from and make your own choices.

 

Keep us posted on your progress and dive in where you have interests!

 

Cheers,

 

Jeff

Edited December 6, 2015 by cteno4

[miyakoji]

Hi nxcale, welcome to the forum!

[NXCALE]

Hi all and thank you for welcoming me.

 

I am glad to join the pack and looking forward to share and learn from all of you!

[katoftw]

Welcome.  As it is a global forum.  And N scale Japanese trains aren't popular worldwide, you'll find a lot of us isolated.

[NXCALE]

Thank you again for welcoming.

Yes. Modelling Japanese trains in DC outside of Japan could make anyone feel like that.

But still... it is fun and challeging!

[Martijn Meerts]

I think quite a few of us have been in a similar situation. When I started with model trains, there was no internet, and getting information beyond what was in the catalogues was hard. You'd have to go to clubs, but they usually wouldn't help you unless you became a member right then and there.

 

When I got into Japanese trains, I did know quite a bit about trains. I had quite a bit of European N-scale already, and a bunch of Marklin H0 trains. The only thing I didn't do, was order directly form Japan, which has probably cost me quite a bit. On the other hand, the store I bought most Japanese stuff from the first few years was very helpful, and made it easy to get into Japanese trains :)

Edited December 7, 2015 by Martijn Meerts

[NXCALE]

Hi. Thank you for sharing your experience about your pioneering in the hobby.

 

It is good that there are now more Japanese products available in the market. I found difficult to imagine starting in the hobby if we would not have all the tools/options available nowadays.

[cteno4]

Luckily there has been a lot of Japanese n scale available for a long time here as the hobby has been big in Japan for a long time now. The only big expansion in the last decade has been the tomytec line of buildings, scenery bits, vehicles and small trains that have been a boon to beginners as they are pretty much assembled and painted (except the trains that require some assembly of extra parts) for very decent prices.

 

It's mainly been the access to the trains that's improved with the Internet. 15-20 years ago there were only a few limited sources for Japanese model trains outside Japan. Access is now much better and forums and email listserves have brought other Japanese train modelers and rail fans from around the world!

 

Jeff

[Bernard]

nxscale - welcome to the forum....one of the reasons the forum was started was there were very few people where I live in the USA that model Japanese RR....talk about a "lone wolf".....my local hobby store used to carry a few sets but stopped because as one clerk put it, "we aren't stocking those "spaceship" looking trains from Japan any more, no one wants to buy them." Guess who bought all their sets when they had a close out sale?

[cteno4]

Yeah I guess we were all pretty much lone wolfs in the earlier days of Japanese train modeling outside Japan! Jrforum yahoo group was the first time I found others like 13+ years back. That luckily lead to a few of us finding each other around DC here and for some reason we have a very high density of Japanese train folks here. Most other places folks are scattered a just a bit too much or not quite enough to coagulate much except for a few pockets unfortunately,mso many have to be lone wolfs in person, but the Internet now let's us get to get her virtually!

 

Whereabouts are you from nxale? Perhaps there are some near you on the forum or that others know about.

 

Again glad you found us nxale!

 

Jeff

[katoftw]

I am amazed how you guys would have done it pre internet days.  We have it easy now as beginners.

[HantuBlauLOL]

You probably still isolated now, as Japanese modeling on outside Japan is isolated too, lol.

 

Anyway, welcome!

[Kabutoni]

A belated welcome!

 

Chipping in on the whole isolation point. Like Jeff and many others, I also stem from the pre-internet forum days. I'm not sure how I got interested in Japanese trains, but it probably had something to do with my previous interests in South East Asian cultures. Combine that with my partial heritage (Indonesian) and affection for trains in general and you have the whole setup practically there. Starting out with a few coaches, rails, an old Kato ED75 and the JRForum on Yahoo! Groups, I set off on my adolescent adventures over 15 years ago.

 

During those years, I saw the startup and fall of shops outside of Japan reselling Japanese model trains and related goods. The start of fora and a growing interest due to the increasing ease of availability, to the point where we can almost have the same access to models as when in Japan. Of course, getting your hands on garage kits, 2nd hand models and special editions is still hard, but it isn't impossible any more. It has also become more affordable, so newbies have it very easy indeed! On one hand, I envy that, but on the other not. It has been a time of mystery, which is also a lot of fun!

 

It's the love for my wife, Japan and trains that eventually drove me to actually move to the source and actively participate in the Japanese model train scene. During my relatively short stay here, I became a member of the Japanese T-Trak group and am getting around in the more serious (model) railway fan scene.

 

From a general point of view, I may be an extreme case in regards to model trains -in a sense, since I want to actually be on the market with products in Japan. Since a few months, I have been working together with Nanyō Bussan (a small company in Yokohama) on developing an Indonesian DMU in N-scale. It should be commercially available in a few months, probably appear in the large magazines as well and become available over the major mail order sites and shops. One day, I hope to become more established and set up an actual individual company for direct sales of my own products. For now, I think it's wise to hop along with folk who have more experience and the network at the ready.

 

Some call me crazy and I guess I am. >:-D

[cteno4]

Yeah in the very early days (pre Internet days were it was just magazines and sending a SASE--self addresses stamped envelope for the younger folk--to get a mimeographed price list) we just had one real supplier here in the states getting any Japanese trains over, called Mokei imports in Saint Louis. His wife was Japanese so he started importing model train stuff and it grew over the years. I actually got his price list from his ad in model railroader magazine when I was a kid in the early 70s! You could order directly from him or a few shops were also retailing for him. In the early days I thing some high end brass was his main income then greenmax buildings and Tomix accessories became a long time big sellers for him as he was the only importer in the us for the stuff. He was able to get in well with the brands in japan As his wife was Japanese and they traveled there each year. He was able to get such good prices on the Japan end that he could wholesale here that would result in pretty much he same street price here as in Japan. A container full would come in every couple of months and then it was Waiting for it to get unpacked and processed and shipped out (and a second round of processing and shipping if you ordered thru a retailer!).

 

He was smart as he would bring over kato and Tomix catalogs and I think sell them at cost as they were cheaper thru a retailer here than in Japan and book rate shipping here was just a couple of bucks! He would usually bring over one or two of each of most of the current Tomix and kato trains and have a smattering of maybe 75 trains on a 3 page price list he would mail out to dealers every couple of months. Prices on these were generally not as great, but not horrible as he bought this stuff in low quantity to give folks interested some access to trains. My first was an aurora 100 series that I had only seen one picture of the real train! He would special order for you, but usually that would be like 6+ months as his order and shipping cycle took a long time to order, assemble and ship each container every few months... Not the instant gratification of hitting the buy button and EMS having it there in 2-3 days!

 

Until the Internet it was virtually no pictures, just lists with little or no descriptions. As Toni said it added mystery to things, that's for sure! But it was fun. Early on I just had a few odd Japanese bits when I was a kid, but later I dropped all the us stuff and went all Japanese just as the Internet started up. It was amazing how fast that allowed a lot of enterprising importers and exporters to make contact with customers! At first it was more like personal shoppers, then evolved into the direct exporting by a few shops like rainbow ten. Again they just had a product price list you could view on line or download, no fancy product web pages or product pictures!

 

It is much more of a golden age now for doing the hobby with the easy access to stuff now, that is for sure. Yes a lot of the mystery is gone, but it has opened the hobby up to those that may love the trains but may not be as much into the culture and language to get access like you needed before to perhaps generate enough interest for the trouble! But the cool thing too is that I see a lot of newbies get interested in Japanese trains first then the developer a deeper interest in Japan, so that great as well.

 

Anytime is a good time to get into the hobby! Just getting into it, doing, learning, and enjoying is what it's all about!

 

Jeff

[NXCALE]

Hi. Thank you again for sharing your comments and for the welcoming words.

 

It is amazing to read the pre-internet experience of several people: rising and falling of small shops outside of Japan, +6 months of shipping time, no imagines, pockets of people trying to pull this together, shops refusing to have “spaceship” looking trains (and well done, getting those closing down offers)… all great stuff to read.

 

p.s. now I can see that we all are in some way that lone wolf. Perhaps sometimes walking alone and getting together from time to time or perhaps walking in packs but still not being majority in this great hobby.