What did you order or the post deliver? (Worldwide Models)

[disturbman]

Gotten my (personal) hands on a ModuFactor generator car, as well as one of Changming's offline sales only 6K from the new production run. And the generator car is as expected absolutely amazing; details are super fine and crisp. And it also come with a pre-fitted two-tone LED interior lighting board, which I wish would be available for some Japanese models.

 

 

Now I need a rack of 25G passenger coaches. The wait begins...

[Bigdog]

On 2/9/2025 at 6:33 PM, disturbman said:

@Bigdog He pre-ordered it. Afaik, they are about sold out worldwide. Only J-scale have a handful still available, but these haven't arrived yet. We are working on the shipping preparations. Maybe you can try CNRailModel, but I'm pretty sure Jacky is sold out as well.

There will be a version by Kunter scheduled to be released this year, but I'm not sure I should advertise it. Kunter has proven to be a very toxic manufacturer and I'm ambivalent about promoting their products.

Thanks for that, I have never seen them on pre order let alone sitting on shelves. I have had experience with Kunter and I realised that they do live up to there name.

[disturbman]

They were on pre-orders for about two weeks two year ago. In general, CM products and CR models don't sit on shelves as demands exceeds production, at least for first production runs. But I think the market is growing as the second run of the 6K sold out instantly in the Mainland/HK.

[Nozomi329]

On 2/9/2025 at 4:08 AM, tripel7 said:

Changming CR400AF

Did you get to test it? Some Chinese sources suggest it comes with some design flaws with couplers resulting in more likely derailment, others complained about difficult interior access.

On 2/9/2025 at 6:33 PM, disturbman said:

toxic manufacturer

Kunter surely has its dark history, although CM's also toxic in its own way. My take is that they're both relatively new & small businesses with their own innovations and problems, sometimes unfortunately fueled by the much less reasoning Chinese discussion atmosphere.

[disturbman]

I'm curious to see how these "issues" hold up in reality. I think the main issue is the front lights design which overly dimmed the light produced by the light unit. But from from what I have heard, that couldn't be designed otherwise.

 

On 2/16/2025 at 6:19 AM, Nozomi329 said:

Kunter surely has its dark history, although CM's also toxic in its own way. My take is that they're both relatively new & small businesses with their own innovations and problems, sometimes unfortunately fueled by the much less reasoning Chinese discussion atmosphere.

 

The issues with Kunter goes beyond this. They have threatened and tried to bully CM and ModuFactor (I have seen the screenshots). They also have been very predatory in the way they price their sets and interacts with shops. The generator cars famously went up in price as stock diminished, they also have informed a shop that they wouldn't fulfill all their orders and that they should tell their customers to buy directly from their own TaoBao shop.

This is what I mean by toxic. They are not a manufacturer I want to support.

For CM, my main issue is that nobody can really out compete them at the moment. Maybe Bachmann could if they cared enough to invest in N, but all the other players are too small to fight against them. I think Minitown shouldn't have cancelled their DF11, there are enough people preferring their products for them to be successful.

Edited February 17 by disturbman

[tripel7]

On 2/16/2025 at 6:19 AM, Nozomi329 said:

Did you get to test it? Some Chinese sources suggest it comes with some design flaws with couplers resulting in more likely derailment, others complained about difficult interior access.

Not yet, but likely soon 

[Lessigen]

Went to a train show a couple weeks ago and noticed a pretty rare find across the Atlantic: a Minitrix DSB MY 1146. This thing is ancient - by my standards - as it's older than even me, judging by the packaging saying it was "Manufactured in Western Germany." I do have a Danish friend though, so I bought it. Also got some Unitrack there too as they were being sold for a decent price. I did learn about DC voltage drop, as I can't use the inner loop with the double crossover on my new layout since I only have one feeder.

 

Anyways as I don't have any other coaches with compatible couplers, here it is running with some very unprototypical Oigawa Oha 47s lol

Edited February 24 by Lessigen

[Welshbloke]

Old Minitrix is a pretty safe bet, as long as it's complete and in good condition. The mechanisms were designed to be serviced (everything comes apart with screws) and you can buy a coreless motor upgrade kit for most of them (handy if you find a mint one with a fried motor).

[Dillon]

I'm waiting for my Peco Ffestiniog Railway Bug Box, which is currently being shipped.

[serotta1972]

1st train purchase of 2025 and it’s a beautiful Kato Surfliner set. Great addition to my Kato Amtrak fleet. Slowly getting back into trains and hope to start running them soon.

Edited March 4 by serotta1972

[serotta1972]

One of those pre-orders I have forgotten about. Got this in anticipation of the release of the Athearn Amtrak California Capitol Corridor passenger train set that were announced back in 2022 - just announced that it will be delivered September 2025, fingers crossed. This is a local train that I have ridden from San Jose to Sacramento. Not often we have local trains available in models. This one is in HO. Since Kato released the Surfliner, hoping the Amtrak California Capitol Corridor will follow as the cars are similar. 

[ED75-775]

Had some more new stock turn up recently, including this absolute little cracker of a locomotive:

 

 

This is Märklin’s brand-new, totally updated version of the BR86 2-8-2T and it’s absolutely gorgeous. Full sound, loads of detail, all it needs is a smoke unit (sold separately) and it’s perfect. This version (item nr. 37086) is based on Dieringhausen-based 86 507 as it looked in 1964.

 

Meanwhile in the background other recent new items include:

- a brand new BR151 freight locomotive (item nr. 39132)

- a second hand BR74 tank locomotive  split from a 29074 starter set

- a brand new dining car (type WRmh 132, item nr. 43872)

- and a set of two coaches (Post mr-a postal car and BDüms 273 half baggage car, item nr. 42850)

 

Some of this is being paid for out of a little collection size reduction to focus on my main interests, namely steam and 1970s-1980s German railways. I am also getting slightly more critical of what I’m buying so that I can align with those interests.

 

Meanwhile on the orders front I’m waiting on four more coaches, including a new postal car from the 2025 Märklin New Items lineup. They probably won’t show until midyear at the earliest though. To wrap up, have another photo of the 86 on our Club’s layout taken earlier today.

 

 

Alastair

[SL58654号]

On 3/12/2025 at 12:05 PM, ED75-775 said:

Had some more new stock turn up recently, including this absolute little cracker of a locomotive:

 

 

 

Alastair

Simply stunning. Speaking of German and other foreign steam, I just obtained these two very nice photo books by Japanese rail photographers Hirota Naotaka and Akira Iwakura, respectively. I already owned Steam Locomotives of Europe by the later author, and Naotaka Hiroata I knew for having written "Steam Locomotives of Japan" - the book that I would say was the impetus for my lifelong search for Japanese steam and eventually settlement in this country (today marks SIX YEARS straight that I have resided in Japan, and only four years to go till I can apply for permanent residency! Wish me well!)

 Both authors traveled to Europe in the 1970's and took photos galore of both preserved steam and SL still actively used by the railway authorities of Europe's railways at the time. Iwakura's book came in a slipcase and I don't know what it is about Japanese publishers, but they tend to have books contained in slipcases more often, which I like. 

Their European steam photos were often included and annotated in issues of the Railway Pictorial, Tetsudou Mokei Shumi and other Japanese contemporary rail fan magazines, many of which I also own.

Naotaka Hirota is now 90 years old, and I am now embarking on a search to find and contact him so that I may interview him for the Japanese Railway Society. His photos of SL in Japan were what started me on my lifelong love of this country. 

[gibet_b]

 

 

13 minutes ago, SL58654号 said:

Speaking of German and other foreign steam, I just obtained these two very nice photo books by Japanese rail photographers Hirota Naotaka and Akira Iwakura, respectively.

 

I love the cover of the left one ! 

 

And just received these Kato passengers cars yesterday :

 

[disturbman]

That's the wrong thread for this set, though 😉

[gibet_b]

You're right ! I'm sorry ! Admins can delete, of course.

[disturbman]

Nah, it's fine. Don't worry.

[SL58654号]

As I've been in a Swiss railway mood lately (Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works engines in particular) I walked into Nikkyosha today and picked up this beauty.
The latest Ge4/4-II EL by KATO. And life is filled with many railway delights for me here in Kumamoto. There's a cherry blossom festival at Okoba Station in Hitoyoshi this Sunday that I plan to attend. There aren't any trains of course but the festival is intended to raise support for early revival of the Hisatsu Line.

[SwallowAngel]

The swiss railways really are something to marvel at...

I actually have a trip planned to visit the Rhaetian Railway, can't wait to see the alps via railway. From where I live you can only see them towering in the distance with their snow capped peaks.

(The trip also serves as a convenient excuse to perhaps get some models in the future 😅)

[SL58654号]

22 hours ago, SwallowAngel said:

The swiss railways really are something to marvel at...

I actually have a trip planned to visit the Rhaetian Railway, can't wait to see the alps via railway. From where I live you can only see them towering in the distance with their snow capped peaks.

(The trip also serves as a convenient excuse to perhaps get some models in the future 😅)

No kidding. I only rode the standard gauge SBB lines during my one and only visit to Switzerland, but the scenery everywhere was magnificent, and the Swiss have a passion for steam too. Lake Lucerne had some fine paddle steamers proudly gliding by as I waltzed around the city on my way to the Transport Museum there. Ah happy days of university while abroad. 

 

It's also little wonder why Mr. Kato had models of RhB trains produced. They're good-lookers and Swiss and Japanese railways have had diplomatic agreements for some time. 

[Section31]

On 3/25/2025 at 9:21 AM, SwallowAngel said:

The swiss railways really are something to marvel at...

I actually have a trip planned to visit the Rhaetian Railway, can't wait to see the alps via railway. From where I live you can only see them towering in the distance with their snow capped peaks.

(The trip also serves as a convenient excuse to perhaps get some models in the future 😅)

 

I was looking at the new trains coming into service to replace those older Rhaetian Railway. Definitely will pay attention to KATO cool livery one based off the Stadler Trains they are bringing into service.

Edited Wednesday at 09:25 PM by Section31