Japanese H0 Lima Trains.

[FastFranz]

Ciao

 

Those are (attached image) the only two "Lima-Japan" wagons I have, in H0. In my wish-list I have the Shinkansen but it's hard to find in fair/good conditions at a reasonable price. Once I saw (on e-Bay) the Chuo Rapid Orange (no box, no rails, no nothing), I bidded it but had had no luck!

 

Francesco

Edited February 11, 2016 by FastFranz

[Welshbloke]

Interesting, the bogies are different on those two!

 

I've not seen any of the Lima Japanese stuff here, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's out there. Judging by the boxes they were using in the '70s they were trying to sell everything everywhere, as one of them has a DB Br.103 next to a GWR "King" class in the illustration on the back.

 

As for the Farish 33, I had one in the 1990s which melted one of its armature bearings. Later found out that the bogies were too short, and Farish had also attempted to offer the same model as a 33/2. The 33/2s were built narrower than the rest for use on the Hastings line, and it's very noticeable if you see a real one next to a standard width example. Another silly error...

[railsquid]

Did Japan purchased....                 German V100s !?

 

 

And if you look closely youll' notice that these aren't real V100s... in fact they miss 50% of the real wheels...

 

Did someone took "cutting the budget" too seriously? 

 

The N gauge version looks perfectly fine:

 

 

though so-called rivet counters might argue the BR blue is not quite the right shade. ;)

[FastFranz]

Ciao,

 

Lima has been reknown for having produced tons of ..."fantasy locos"!

 

Francesco

[Socimi]

Indeed

[Welshbloke]

Back on the Lima 103s, I've just realised that they have the pantograph on the centre car. Evidently Lima didn't quite understand how JNR used paired power cars, unless you could buy a MoHa 102 separately. Either that or they were aiming at an early 103 like the Kato Kokudens, but got the KuMoHa and MoHa roofs mixed up.

 

Talking of the Lima N 86, I saw one on ebay recently which had been lengthened to fit a Kato 21m chassis. As might be expected, this had taken it from too short to "dachshund" proportions...

 

I may well keep an eye out for a tidy boxed Lima 86 and some BR crimson and cream MK1s. I have a couple of theirs in blue/grey, they're too short (Lima didn't seem to understand that the gangwayed brake was shorter than the other types - in OO they made the BG too long, in N they made everything else too short) but are nicely weighted. At the time I bought them the alternative was hunting for the last Minitrix coaches or buying Farish with the sides printed on a clear shell, which never looks as good as separate windows in a solid side.

Edited February 11, 2016 by Welshbloke

[Socimi]

Also i found two Lima catalogs in japanese.

 

From 1977

 

http://mmiwakoh.de/Eigene%20Webs/PDFLima1977JP.pdf

 

(this in the N section shows a 485 series. A model who lived up as a myth in Italy. Even today it isn't clear if this model was produced or not.)

 

And 1978

 

http://mmiwakoh.de/Eigene%20Webs/lima-modellbahn/KatalogJP1978.htm

 

Plus some videos of a Canary Yellow 103 series running.

 

 

 

 

And a website.

 

http://fairyexp.fc2web.com/r_model/page/lima.htm

 

I'll search more about the 485 series.

[Tram-trainer]

Takahama Trainwatcher asks,

 

Posted January 25, 2016

Speaking of identity crises, Lima produced an attractive Australian model of the XPT in 2 different liveries. In my later childhood years I acquired a couple of sets, and a little while later an unpleasant realisation resulted in me sending off a furious letter to Italy.

Can anyone see the issue?

 

As I have used the NSW XPT between Brisbane and Sydney, I can see that the blue version is quite wrong with its design, while the red one is quite accurate. The design on the blue XPT in the picture [saying COUNTRYLINK with a pair of lines] is really the design that was used on the station platform along with the station's location.

 

I saw that no-one had answered Takahama Trainwatcher's question.

[marknewton]

How is it wrong? The dark blue on the XP power car should be lighter, but it's otherwise an accurate representation of the first CountryLink livery.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[Socimi]

9 hours ago, Tram-trainer said:

 

As I have used the NSW XPT between Brisbane and Sydney, I can see that the blue version is quite wrong with its design, while the red one is quite accurate. The design on the blue XPT in the picture [saying COUNTRYLINK with a pair of lines] is really the design that was used on the station platform along with the station's location.

 

 

XPT - Original Red liviery:

 

Lima

http://mmiwakoh.de/Eigene Webs/5165 NSWGR XPT.JPG

 

Reality

http://www.auscisionmodels.com.au/images/img999.jpg

 

XPT - Original Countrylink liviery:

 

Lima

http://mmiwakoh.de/Eigene Webs/5175 XPT Countrylink.JPG

 

Reality

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1648/26351132611_aacbf6ef3f_b.jpg

 

XPT - Second Countrylink Liviery (Version not produced by Lima).

 

http://www.firstlighttravel.com.au/sites/default/files/Countrylink XPT.jpg?itok=mydGYkr7

[Need for High Speed]

I have some lima HO high speed trains too but they're French TGVs not Japanese.

[dmustu]

Hello,

I recently came across a Lima Shinkansen on ebay, and got it for a reasonable price. The model is a bit beat up, it smells of tobacco and has yellowed, more through nicotine than age!  Some of the paint has chipped, the pantographs and ariels above the cabs are broken, and it looks like the previous owner has added some extra pick ups rather crudely. 

 

But apart from that, it's ok. I got it as a bit of a restoration project, clean it up, repaint it, new pantographs and ariels, should be ok. I might look at replacing the wheels and possibly re-motor/fit dcc if I can be bothered!

[Need for High Speed]

3 hours ago, dmustu said:

I recently came across a Lima Shinkansen on ebay, and got it for a reasonable price. The model is a bit beat up, it smells of tobacco and has yellowed, more through nicotine than age!  Some of the paint has chipped, the pantographs and ariels above the cabs are broken, and it looks like the previous owner has added some extra pick ups rather crudely. 

But apart from that, it's ok. I got it as a bit of a restoration project, clean it up, repaint it, new pantographs and ariels, should be ok. I might look at replacing the wheels and possibly re-motor/fit dcc if I can be bothered!

 

LOL never had an issue with buying trains reeking of tobacco smoke. but the wheels do have monsterus flanges. When I bought my Lima I had some one of had a spinny grinder machine and trued the wheels on my Orange TGV. Which I bought on ebay for about $122 USD I think. with a lot of pieces from a Jouef set so basically I have a Lima TGV pulled by a Jouef TGV motor car.

No it did not smell like cigarettes and thankfully they weren't full of bubble gum and dog hair like these nasty Legos some one tried give my school.

Wow I didn't realize some Limas are from the 70s that makes me wonder if some of my trains are at least 15 to 20+ years older then me.  ; )

 

Anyone have any idea what years this particular Lima Collection HO model was made in? I know it's not Japanese, it is a French TGV duplex, but I found it dirt cheap at a show a few months ago. The bogies needed to be rebuilt because the electrical contacts were messed up, although it has a very powerful motor and is crazy fast but my RENFE S-102 is faster and I've yet to wire DCC into this one. but shouldn't be hard because the circuit board looks ancient. I am looking at buying the HO JR500 soon and want to know if Tenshodo has the same issue with big flanges?

[railsquid]

Quote

No it did not smell like cigarettes and thankfully they weren't full of bubble gum and dog hair like these nasty Legos some one tried give my school.

Wow I didn't realize some Limas are from the 70s that makes me wonder if some of my trains are at least 15 to 20+ years older then me.  ; )

 

 

From the 1950s, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lima_(models)

 

 

5 minutes ago, Need for High Speed said:

 

Anyone have any idea what years this particular Lima Collection HO model was made in? I know it's not Japanese, it is a French TGV duplex, but I found it dirt cheap at a show a few months ago. The bogies needed to be rebuilt because the electrical contacts were messed up, although it has a very powerful motor and is crazy fast but my RENFE S-102 is faster and I've yet to wire DCC into this one. but shouldn't be hard because the circuit board looks ancient. I am looking at buying the HO JR500 soon and want to know if Tenshodo has the same issue with big flanges?

 

I'd guess this is 1980s or maybe 1990s, but that's just a guess... If you want to know about Lima stuff, here's the place to go: http://lima-modeltrain-collectors.xobor.de/

I seriously doubt Tenshodo (or any other current manufacturer) produces anything with "pizza cutter" wheels (or a mechanism as dire as the Lima ones).

 

[dmustu]

2 hours ago, Need for High Speed said:

 

Anyone have any idea what years this particular Lima Collection HO model was made in? I know it's not Japanese, it is a French TGV duplex, but I found it dirt cheap at a show a few months ago. The bogies needed to be rebuilt because the electrical contacts were messed up, although it has a very powerful motor and is crazy fast but my RENFE S-102 is faster and I've yet to wire DCC into this one. but shouldn't be hard because the circuit board looks ancient. I am looking at buying the HO JR500 soon and want to know if Tenshodo has the same issue with big flanges?

The blue and gold boxes were used in the later years of Lima, I'd guess from the early 1990's until they ceased trading. Boxes from the 1980's were silver and red. The only other Lima model I have is a 117 dmu from the 80's in the silver/red boxes.

[cteno4]

Dmustu,

 

try some gentle soap and water with qtips, I’ve gotten some tobacco yellowed items cleaned. Spit is also a pretty universal cleaning agent remarkably...

 

jeff

[Socimi]

18 hours ago, Need for High Speed said:

 

Wow I didn't realize some Limas are from the 70s that makes me wonder if some of my trains are at least 15 to 20+ years older then me.  ; )

 

 

Lima actually started producing model trains in the late 1940s, 1947 if i'm not wrong.

At first they were extremely crude, scale-less models with a clockwork mechanism, then in the mid '50s-early '60 Lima transitioned to models with electrc motors in 1/80 scale (i have a few models from that era, namely an italian E424 electric locomotive, some coaches and a couple of freight wagons).

In the mid '70s-early '80s Lima again transitioned to 1:87 scale, and this was it's golden era, the height of production variety, with models from all of Europe, North America, South Africa and Japan. This until the 1990s, when Lima transitioned for the last time from the "Toy train" market (simplified, sturdy and affordable models) to the actual "Railway modelling" market.

It would be merged with another famous italian model brand, Rivarossi, in the early '2000s and then be bought by Hornby a little later.

[marknewton]

On 7/8/2018 at 7:28 PM, Socimi said:

In the mid '70s-early '80s Lima again transitioned to 1:87 scale, and this was it's golden era, the height of production variety, with models from all of Europe, North America, South Africa and Japan.

 

Lima also produced models of Australian trains. While they've now been superseded by better quality locally-produced models, they were the first company to offer mass-produced RTR Australian models. For many years they were the only ones available, and there wouldn't be  many local HO scale modellers who didn't have some in their collections. My son recently bought a Lima Vline B class diesel at an exhibition at a good price, and I've been fettling it to get it running well. For its age, it's not a bad model at all.

 

All the best,

 

Mark.

[martin67]

On ‎6‎/‎24‎/‎2016 at 7:46 PM, Socimi said:

Also i found two Lima catalogs in japanese.

 

From 1977

 

http://mmiwakoh.de/Eigene%20Webs/PDFLima1977JP.pdf

 

(this in the N section shows a 485 series. A model who lived up as a myth in Italy. Even today it isn't clear if this model was produced or not.)

 

I'll search more about the 485 series.

 

Ciao,

 

the Lima N-scale JNR 485 is no myth but real, I'vo got one in my collection (along with a Playart 485 4-piece Train set in HO). Lima produced only a 3-piece Train.

 

 

 

Have a good one,

 

Martin

 

 

[gavino200]

On 1/25/2016 at 10:51 AM, Socimi said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

A second hand one of these, or something very close to it, in green, was my very first model train. I think I was about seven. I still remember those funky weird couplers. Memories....

Edited August 31, 2018 by gavino200

[Socimi]

5 hours ago, gavino200 said:

 

A second hand one of these, or something very close to it, in green, was my very first model train. I think I was about seven. I still remember those funky weird couplers. Memories....

 

This one?

 

 

from

http://www.limabritishho.co.uk/LBHO-Locomotives.htm

[gavino200]

2 hours ago, Socimi said:

 

This one?

 

 

from

http://www.limabritishho.co.uk/LBHO-Locomotives.htm

That’s it! Thanks 🙂

[AmeliaChan]

Hello! 

I'm new in this forum. I'm from Chile and i love japanese trains. 
One day some guy posted old lima stuff for sale in a local facebook page, i saw the shape of the 103 series in one of the boxes and i send him a message. The guy sold me the three cars of the kokuden in their original boxes for like $100, i was happy to have a japanese train in HO, the model was in a really nice shape, i didn't know that lima do some japanese stuff (apart of the well known shinkansen), the train was beautiful, but that old lima pancake motor was a piece of trash. I wanted to replace the original motor for a new one, in my attemps to open the model i ended cracking it up, i was so pissed that i left the train away from my eyes for a long time.
If you ask me what happened to the train, i sold it for $60. Yes, i was a little stupid lol. The guy that bought the train was so damn happy to finally have it, my advert on Facebook of the complete train lasted like 30 minutes until the guy that wanted the train went to my house.

[railsquid]

That's actually not too bad a model for its time, visually at least (though the glass in the cab windows doesn't look like it's inclined enough).

[AmeliaChan]

44 minutes ago, railsquid said:

That's actually not too bad a model for its time, visually at least (though the glass in the cab windows doesn't look like it's inclined enough).

Yes, for a really old model, it was really nicely done, the cab window on my model was a little off position, i didn't know why, but the clear plastic had that front window inclinataion.

Also the train was scaled to 1/80. I didn't measure and scaled the model, but my electrotren dmu was a lot smaller than the lima one. If you are a lima collector, that model is a must have, for me, it's one of the most beautiful lima trains made in that era.