MicroAce - New Releases

[Gordon Werner]

On 4/25/2018 at 8:27 PM, Das Steinkopf said:

 

I already mentioned that one, given that JR Kyushu has already retired the 485 Series I am going to lay my bets on this one

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10497566 .

 

sorry ... apparently I was looking at a cached version of the page

[Gordon Werner]

On 4/25/2018 at 11:27 PM, Das Steinkopf said:

 

I already mentioned that one, given that JR Kyushu has already retired the 485 Series I am going to lay my bets on this one

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10497566 .

 

do you think they'll make a model of the Aru Ressha train? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aru_Ressha

 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/JRKyushu_DMU_ARU_RESSHA.jpg

Edited May 2, 2018 by cteno4

[cteno4]

11 minutes ago, Gordon Werner said:

 

do you think they'll make a model of the Aru Ressha train? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aru_Ressha

 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/JRKyushu_DMU_ARU_RESSHA.jpg

 

Baroque goes to japan...

 

jeff

[Gordon Werner]

1 minute ago, cteno4 said:

 

Baroque goes to japan...

 

jeff

 

it's certainly something.

[katoftw]

For what MA charges for 2 car kihas and the loudness of the prototype.  I'd probably wait to see if AmiAmi put it up for 37% discount before buying it.

[JR 500系]

27 minutes ago, katoftw said:

For what MA charges for 2 car kihas and the loudness of the prototype.  I'd probably wait to see if AmiAmi put it up for 37% discount before buying it.

 

You mean these?

[Kiha66]

On 5/1/2018 at 7:11 PM, Gordon Werner said:

 

do you think they'll make a model of the Aru Ressha train? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aru_Ressha

 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/JRKyushu_DMU_ARU_RESSHA.jpg

 

Grrr, I don't need it but it entered service on my last day in japan in the city I was in.  I'd be sorely tempted...

[Das Steinkopf]

8 hours ago, JR 500系 said:

 

You mean these?

 

I have put one on pre order but I will have to do a little bit of kitbashing to it, I am going to extend the skirting to turn it into the reinforced version that is currently used on them, if I can pick up a replacement or 3rd party reinforced skirting that will be even better, I will also renumber 11-302 as that one was sold by JR Tokai to the TKJ in 2016. The finished product will look much like the earlier MicroAce model of the KiHa11-300 https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10080436/20/4 .

[JR 500系]

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10538015/30/1

 

Holly Sharks.... 29k for a 7-car set without a motor is pretty much robbery man....

[Das Steinkopf]

I know where you are coming from, I ended up cancelling my pre order with AmiAmi for the Kiha 11 at their displeasure but oh well they'll just have to live with that, I had a rethink about it due to the fact I would have to make modifications to it, not too mention the fact that I purchased a Kato 313-0 Series 4 Car set off them for about ¥1000 cheaper than the Kiha 11 2 car set.

[railsquid]

13 hours ago, JR 500系 said:

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10538015/30/1

 

Holly Sharks.... 29k for a 7-car set without a motor is pretty much robbery man....

 

Plenty of options for much cheaper unpowered 7-car coach sets, however if you want this particular obscure one, you either buy the MicroAce one (though the effective retail price will be somewhat lower), or don't. Presumably MicroAce has realised they are better off with small production runs which they can (and must) sell at higher prices to people who really want them.

[JR 500系]

40 minutes ago, railsquid said:

 

Plenty of options for much cheaper unpowered 7-car coach sets, however if you want this particular obscure one, you either buy the MicroAce one (though the effective retail price will be somewhat lower), or don't. Presumably MicroAce has realised they are better off with small production runs which they can (and must) sell at higher prices to people who really want them.

 

Yeah I realised that is the marketing strategy of MA presumably nowadays, judging from their very slow release news and very limited and rare rolling stocks. 

 

Luckily for me, they hadn't produce something that I would really like to have so far, except for the 811 (which was again delayed)

[Gordon Werner]

On 5/18/2018 at 3:26 AM, JR 500系 said:

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10538015/30/1

 

Holly Sharks.... 29k for a 7-car set without a motor is pretty much robbery man....

which set are we referring to?

 

A9742? do the locomotive-hauled train sets usually come with an EF[whatever] locomotive?

[Suica]

1 hour ago, Gordon Werner said:

A9742? do the locomotive-hauled train sets usually come with an EF[whatever] locomotive?

It doesn't.

See https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10538008 & https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10538008/50/1

[railsquid]

6 hours ago, Gordon Werner said:

which set are we referring to?

 

A9742?

 

And A9740.

 

Quote

do the locomotive-hauled train sets usually come with an EF[whatever] locomotive?

 

Some do, some don't. There are some sets with steam and diesel locos too.

[JR 500系]

Looking at the MA calling retail price for a 7-car un-powered carriage set (yes it's rare) at 29,000 yen 

(what was the locomotive to pull this, just for interest?)

 

and looking at a a same 7-car carriage set WITH a special steam locomotive and being Limited edition  at 37,000 yen, yes I will pay 8000yen more for a limited edition set with a Steam Locomotive. 

 

While I do understand the rationale as to why MA is doing this, I am wondering if the sales of these models would really be able to sustain the company in the market... 

Edited May 20, 2018 by JR 500系

[railsquid]

1 hour ago, JR 500系 said:

Looking at the MA calling retail price for a 7-car un-powered carriage set (yes it's rare) at 29,000 yen 

(what was the locomotive to pull this, just for interest?)

 
Doing a quick Google image search for "お座敷+あすか" shows a variety of EF81s, EF65, DD51s and even an EF57

These sets are generally hauled by whatever passenger-rated motive power is available for the routes they run on.

 

Quote

 

and looking at a a same 7-car carriage set WITH a special steam locomotive and being Limited edition  at 37,000 yen, yes I will pay 8000yen more for a limited edition set with a Steam Locomotive. 

 

While I do understand the rationale as to why MA is doing this, I am wondering if the sales of these models would really be able to sustain the company in the market... 

 

 

I'm going to whet my Occam's razor and postulate that as rational actors MA have looked at their target market and concluded they can sell a small production run at a premium price, rather than a larger run at a lower price with the risk it won't sell.

[Das Steinkopf]

1 hour ago, railsquid said:

 

I'm going to whet my Occam's razor and postulate that as rational actors MA have looked at their target market and concluded they can sell a small production run at a premium price, rather than a larger run at a lower price with the risk it won't sell.

 

 I think you're on the money on that one.

[kvp]

1 hour ago, Das Steinkopf said:

 I think you're on the money on that one.

Also, thinking about the difference between this set and a motorized set: one motor unit under one middle car. And that's all. Imho it should be priced one motor unit below other small run MA 7 carriage multiple units.

[nah00]

On 5/20/2018 at 3:19 PM, railsquid said:

 

I'm going to whet my Occam's razor and postulate that as rational actors MA have looked at their target market and concluded they can sell a small production run at a premium price, rather than a larger run at a lower price with the risk it won't sell.

 

That's the way Atlas operates now in the United States with locomotives. They don't mass produce as much anymore, pre-orders are what drives their business. However if you want a locomotive and you didn't pre-order it good luck finding it, especially if it's desirable (i.e. the Norfolk Southern First Responder diesel I should get oh sometime next year, maybe).

[Gordon Werner]

thanx AmiAmi ... I would never have guessed that the "real thing" looks different

 

 

[Gordon Werner]

In related news ...

 

I really really wish Micro Ace would get off of their collective butts and release the Shintetsu 2000, 5000, 6000, and 6500 series train sets

 

(2000s/5000s are basically identical in design as are the 6000s/6500s  (the 6000s are 4 cars (Mc - M - M - Mc) and the 6500s are 3 (Mc - T - Mc)))

 

(doesn't have to be Micro Ace of course ... but they've already released 4 versions of the venerable 3000 series Shintetsu trains)

 

Edited June 4, 2018 by Gordon Werner

[Suica]

Probably some news / rumor about MA 

 

Maybe one of our Japanese speakers can help.

[Yavianice]

Reduced prices because of change of manufacturer? I am not sure.

[railsquid]

Seems they're aiming to open their own factory in China, rather than contract out work, with the aim of a 10~20% price reduction from next year. According to the owner of 2 model shops in the Matsudo area.