MicroAce - New Releases

[scott]

According to HS, Micro Ace is releasing a couple of nice 4-car 107 series sets, but at almost $150 each, I think I'll just live with my recent Kato pre-orders. :-P

 

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10105414

 

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10105415

[disturbman]

MA just release a bunch of sets. One of them is a 485-1000 limited express in Viva Aizu livery. I think it's the first time I see such an 80s/90s livery and I quite like it. I must resist the urge to click and buy this one on Popondetta.

 

Images at HS

[KenS]

That's a nice looking train, but I can't find anything about it online.  Anyone know where/when it was used?

 

Update: a little googling tells me that "The Series 485 Viva Aizu connects Koriyama on the Tohoku Shinkansen with Aizu Wakamatsu, a fairly large city in the interior of Fukushima Prefecture." (JRTR article), but the machine translated description on HS mentioned Ueno.

 

So my question really is, did this train operate into Ueno Station in Tokyo, or only well to the north of Tokyo?

[westfalen]

In 1997 I rode it from Aizu-Wakamatsu to Koriyama. It ran only between those two towns to give Aizu-Wakamatsu a connection with the Tohoku Shinkansen.

[disturbman]

If I understood this page correctly, the Viva Aizu service  was created in 1993 when the opening of the Yamagata Shinkansen made a direct connection between Ueno and Aizu-Wakamatsu unecessary. The service seems to have been abandoned at the end of 2002.

[KenS]

Darn, not a Tokyo train.  My budget is thankful; the rest of me is disappointed. 

 

Thanks for the info.

[CaptOblivious]

Darn, not a Tokyo train.  My budget is thankful; the rest of me is disappointed.  

 

Thanks for the info.

 

 

The Viva Aizu pictured was the 1993 livery, used for only one year. It was replaced with the Aizu Akabei livery (available for preorder now), still in use. Service ran from Ueno to Koriyama to Aizu Wakamatsu. In 2002, the service to Ueno was discontinued, but Aizu - Koriyama service continues (if you have any doubt, check the Aizu webcam!). Service to Ueno is still provided on select summer weekends as a Joyful train service, as I understand it.

[KenS]

Interesting. The Akabei livery doesn't look as good to me as the Viva Aizu, and 1993 is a bit early for the period I'm modeling. But that's only approximate. Hmm...maybe I could justify the Viva Aizu after all...

[CaptOblivious]

Wait, my mistake.

 

The silver/black paint scheme appears to have been in use for over a decade, from 1993 to 2005 or 2006, when they were repainted in the Akabei paint scheme. So maybe that is current enough for you?

 

refs:

http://www.uraken.net/rail/kokutetsu/485aizu.html

http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%81%82%E3%81%84%E3%81%A5

[disturbman]

I'd say 1993 to 2005 when the service was tranformed the first Aizu Liner livery appeared (http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10052635). But well, I can be mistaken. This whole affair sounds very complicated.

[KenS]

The silver/black paint scheme appears to have been in use for over a decade, from 1993 to 2005 or 2006, when they were repainted in the Akabei paint scheme. So maybe that is current enough for you?

 

Early 2000's are close enough for me. It's all your fault then. 

 

One just showed up on HS and I ordered it (it's gone back to "waiting list"; perhaps they just received one more than their pre-orders).  I'm going to have to exercise some restraint next month. June has really been over the top.

 

But I'd been wanting a 183/185/189/483/485/489 of some kind for a while now.  It's a classic, and distinctively "Japanese" to me, design.  I just hadn't been excited by most of the paint schemes ("Retro JNR" just doesn't do it for me).

[disturbman]

I'm jealous, hopefully I still my beautiful 2005 version of the Aizu Liner (well, that's my avatar) and I do agree, the 485 is a classic and a distinctively "Japanese" design. And I don think I need another one even if I'll be soon the proud owner of three different 781 set.

[disturbman]

Well well... MicroAce keeps rereleasing old sets. Today's posters announce the return of the Doraemon Train, Series 117 in JR Central livery, Keihan series 3000 and 8000, JR Kyushu Sea Side Liner (Kiha 66) among other things.

 

[smg id=943]

 

[smg id=944]

[Martijn Meerts]

I guess they're running out of unique trains :) It's good that they're doing re-runs of popular trains though, means more people can get the trains they really want, without having to sell organs to afford them.

 

(I've always been against people buying limited edition trains purely for the sake of making a profit on them later on)

[CaptOblivious]

There are plenty of unique trains left...where's the new Skyliner? No-one has done a model of that "disco train" that came up in another thread ("Yuutori"? Maybe?). There are others I am waiting for, but I can't recall them off the top of my head. Plenty of trains waiting to be modeled!

[Martijn Meerts]

I'm sure they'll continue to do one-offs. But with all the economic blahblah, I guess they want to play it safe, and re-releasing models that they know are going to sell well is a good way to get in some extra cash.

[ToniBabelony]

There are plenty of unique trains left...where's the new Skyliner? No-one has done a model of that "disco train" that came up in another thread ("Yuutori"? Maybe?).

 

That would be the "Resort Express Yuu"! (For me "Disco Fever Express Super Turbo Liner 3000", or something like that.)

 

 

For some trains I don't see the point of a rerun, but what the hell. Reruns are always good.

[westfalen]

There are plenty of unique trains left...where's the new Skyliner? No-one has done a model of that "disco train" that came up in another thread ("Yuutori"? Maybe?). There are others I am waiting for, but I can't recall them off the top of my head. Plenty of trains waiting to be modeled!

There's B Train Shorty http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10121203 and Tomy versions http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10115913 coming. We're just in the wrong scale.

[disturbman]

Ahaha! New items announced. A manufacturer is finally preparing a release of the JR East Kiha E130! :) Finally something to mix with a Kiha 110 in a consist. :) I guess Don is going to be happy... Geil!

[Fenway Park]

Hi,

 

Micro Ace have announced their intentions for April 2011 for more details see ngi.blog.eonet.jp

 

The list is comprehensive

 

115 series -300

 

JNR 181

 

EF10 including the stainless steel variant if my translation is correct

 

Kintetsu 5000 double deck?

 

C60

 

C61

 

plus coach set for above Northern Honshu region

 

167 School train

 

JNR 181 EMU

 

Kiha 40

 

Kiha 183

 

C11 190 and 304: C11 190 is at the Oigawa Railway according to MA while C11 304 is a wartime variant preserved in the Saitama Prefecture.

 

First impressions a more interesting list but why are the C11s the same price as the C60/C61?

[bikkuri bahn]

First impressions a more interesting list but why are the C11s the same price as the C60/C61?

 

Marketing decision?  Anyway, I reckon the design/tooling costs are not much different for these tiny globs of polystyrene, especially if they share the same mechanicals.

[Fenway Park]

Hi

When Micro Ace first brought out their model of the C11 it came with a wagon.  The next production run did not include the wagon.

 

The price increase for the April steam locos makes them more expensive than Kato's brand new D51. On current exchange rates it would mean the C11 retailing in the region of £110 once VAT and Customs Duty are included.

 

Micro Ace's version of the C11 is far better than Kato's.

 

It's good to see Micro Ace returning to steam locos again. Hopefully, 2011 will see others reissued.

[westfalen]

Hi

When Micro Ace first brought out their model of the C11 it came with a wagon.  The next production run did not include the wagon.

 

The price increase for the April steam locos makes them more expensive than Kato's brand new D51. On current exchange rates it would mean the C11 retailing in the region of £110 once VAT and Customs Duty are included.

 

Micro Ace's version of the C11 is far better than Kato's.

 

It's good to see Micro Ace returning to steam locos again. Hopefully, 2011 will see others reissued.

A C12 would be nice.

[ToniBabelony]

Posters are out!

 

http://microace-arii.co.jp/poster/img/10_11_1.jpg

http://microace-arii.co.jp/poster/img/10_11_2.jpg

 

And hot damn! Two versions of the Keihan 5000 Series! A 5-door icon of the Kansai. And the Kintetsu 10000 Series Vista Car in old and new livery. Awesome!

 

But, wait... Just look at the prices! It's MicroAce all right, but still they seem pretty steep, even for MicroAce. I wonder why they just don't do updated reruns of some items in this time of crisis.

[KenS]

Micro Ace is re-releasing the East-i D and East-i E inspection trains in June, and HS has them up for reservations:

 

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10068779

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10068771