Sam's Project Page

[Kiha66]

Hello all,

 

Now that I'm all moved in to my new apartment, time to start on playing with trains!  I plan to build a small layout from a kato guide book, and maybe a small diorama or two.  Hopefully posting updates here will keep me motivated to finish it this time!  In the meantime, inspired by serotta1972, a small dining table setup to let some trains get out of their boxes.  I call it Desktop Dentetsu!

 

-Sam

 

[katoftw]

Nice.  I had my trains out on the dining table this morning also.  Was testing my Kiha 140+47 Isaburo-Shinpei and another Kiha 2500 from Shimabara.

[serotta1972]

I am excited for you and looking forward to seeing the progression of your layout building.  

[railsquid]

Looking forward to what transpires, I was originally planning to build something based on that plan.

[cteno4]

Sam,

 

Great! Glad you have some space now to play! Looking forward to where it goes for you.

 

Jeff

[Kiha66]

Had to drive a friend to Napa today, so I stopped by the local hobby store.  Found a early kato C62 in the junk bin for $5.  I believe its from the 1980s, and its missing number plates, smoke deflectors, and the trailing wheelset.  Still, might make for a good diorama of a derelict park display or rail museum.  I remember the D51 I saw in a park in Okinawa was in a similar state, it even had a hubcap as a headlight!

(Please excuse the poor picture, it was after midnight and all I had was my phone with me)

[cteno4]

oooh deal! $5 something can be done with it!

 

jeff

[Kiha66]

Anyone here used a hollow core door for a layout base before?  My plan should just fit on a 36" by 80" door, which is about the max size I can fit in my apartment.  It should also allow the layout to be portable, and also fit into the bed of my truck.  I'm not sure how the legs would work, but I guess some folding legs could be constructed or salvaged.  

[cteno4]

Sam,

 

Great you are going to a layout! They are great at being very stiff and light, but bit of a hassle getting wires thru, but not too horrid.

 

To transport and slide under the bed I would build a small frame around the bottom side to protect the wiring, could just use some 3/4" square molding. You could make some foamcore panels to Velcro into the open areas on the bottom to protect the wires. Or just tape the wires up well with duct tape.

 

IKEA has some inexpensive legs. You need to glue some small squares of like 6"x6" 1/2" ply in the corners to screw the leg plates into as the hollow core door wood skin is pretty thin to drive screws into. Plastic roll around drawer carts work as well and give lots of storage.

 

Cheers

 

Jedd

[Kiha66]

I've started putting together my kato rural station.  The kit goes together fairly easily.  I plan to add lighting later, once I have more structures completed.  Anyone know where the prototype structure was located?  I'd like to detail the interior, so some pictures of a similar station would be a great help.  I'll post photos of my builds in the hope that it may help/inspire someone else, but let me know if I'm overdoing it.

Something I noticed with the build is that half of the white trim? that goes above the windows gets covered up completely by the platform overhang, so I'm not sure why it was necessary to install it on those sides of the building.  Also be careful when tightening the screws that hold the platform roof supports to the platform roof itself, as they stress the roof with very little pressure and can cause discoloration where they hit.  

 

Happy Modeling!

-Sam

[Kiha66]

So most of the buildings for the layout have been ordered from plaza japan, and should get here in a week or two.  The track is slowly coming together, and my order of catenary poles arrived today!  While I'm waiting for all the parts to arrive I've decided to build another diorama, based off Ogushigo in Kyushu.  Though today the line mostly sees local traffic, until recently it was the route of the Sakura and Akatsuki blue trains, and still sometime sees visits from JR Kyushu's Seven Stars and Sweet train cruise trains.

Edited October 29, 2016 by Kiha66

[Ekiben]

Looks great. Thanks for the rural station build tips and pics; I'll be starting mine soon.

[Kiha66]

Been quite busy with school, but I've managed to get some work done on the layout.  The station is now mostly finished, and many of the buildings for the layout have started arriving.  I just ordered about $150 worth of track from hobby search, although I'm still on the fence about getting the kato automatic crossing gate.  I also got an small oled screen to try making an electronic departures board, inspired by KVP.  

[serotta1972]

Hey Kiha66, looking good!  I'm thinking of getting that same suburban station and platform setup.  Keep it up!

[Densha]

That's a very fine selection of JNR rolling stock. :)

[Kiha66]

Hey Kiha66, looking good!  I'm thinking of getting that same suburban station and platform setup.  Keep it up!

 

Thanks!  I definitely recommend it, it's a joy to build.  

That's a very fine selection of JNR rolling stock. :)

As you probably tell, I love the early dieselization/electrification period of JNR.  The railroads seemed to have so much energy.  Gleaming new DMUs traveling to all corners of the country, heavy freight hauled by big boxy electrics, EMUs in cream and red going faster carrying thousands of people, and of course power of steam still very much in effect.  I blame youtube for getting me hooked.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9z8Vygsbws&index=16&list=PLlcTeZLl033QJxEAx3-lrcKQ4O84EpEXh

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RU45jy9bfk&index=8&list=PLlcTeZLl033QJxEAx3-lrcKQ4O84EpEXh

[Kiha66]

Been busy with school, but managed to start switching the rapido couplers for something a little more prototypical.

Also got some 40 pin GPIO connectors from work out of a propulsion boiler automation system.  Should come in useful for connecting up the layout. 

Edited December 18, 2016 by Kiha66

[cteno4]

I hope the ship is still working!

 

Jeff

[tossedman]

Looks great Sam. Off to a good start. I love that layout. Is there more in your book about it? Is it worth my while trying to find a copy?

 

Cheers eh,

 

Todd

[Kiha66]

Looks great Sam. Off to a good start. I love that layout. Is there more in your book about it? Is it worth my while trying to find a copy?

 

Cheers eh,

 

Todd

Actually the whole book is dedicated this layouts production, it gives a parts list (with item numbers, which is handy) and goes step by step on how to build it!  I got my copy from amazon.co.jp, looks like they still have a few left if you're interested in picking a up a copy.  Here's the link if your interested.   Link

 

I hope the ship is still working!

 

Jeff

Luckily these were just old parts being replaced, system updates mean that all sorts of cool stuff gets thrown out all the time.  

[cteno4]

Ha figured you were not stripping your ride! Nice to get useful bits like this to use.

 

Jeff

 

Ps I grew up on a research ship and it was docked next to a scrap yard and a box/crate factory so my childhood was scavenging both with a small crowbar, wrench, pliers and screwdrivers for my creations! Plus there were a couple of lockers on the ship of old spare parts they didn't toss like yours that they kept around for just in case.

[Kiha66]

Well I'm all out of replacement couplers, but managed to get almost all of my rapido equipped fleet changed over.  Just two 115 series left, and then my hoki sets whenever they arrive.  I really should do a photo of all my trains together, although I'd need to get some more track first.

 

Ha figured you were not stripping your ride! Nice to get useful bits like this to use.

Jeff

Ps I grew up on a research ship and it was docked next to a scrap yard and a box/crate factory so my childhood was scavenging both with a small crowbar, wrench, pliers and screwdrivers for my creations! Plus there were a couple of lockers on the ship of old spare parts they didn't toss like yours that they kept around for just in case.

There's nothing like industrial dumpster diving / salvage to get the creative juices flowing, one of my favorite parts about being a machine shop assistant is seeing all the cool projects that get made.  One of my buddies just made a linear induction motor out of salvaged scrap steel and copper, and I just finished a three phase motor demonstrator for a professor. 

[tossedman]

Actually the whole book is dedicated this layouts production, it gives a parts list (with item numbers, which is handy) and goes step by step on how to build it!  I got my copy from amazon.co.jp, looks like they still have a few left if you're interested in picking a up a copy.  Here's the link if your interested.   Link

 

Thanks Sam, I was on the brink of ordering but thought I'd ask first. I'll get a copy.

[tossedman]

Ordered! Nice to be able to find 10 year old books so easily.

[Kiha66]

Got some goodies over the holidays, some from family and a few I had ordered previously.  Also got a 3d printer, should get plenty of use out of that.