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Spanish high speed trains in N gauge


ronin

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5 minutes ago, ronin said:

Interesting.  All sorts of ways to solve a given problem.  It functions well once on the track.  My only issue right now is getting the train on the track easily.  May I ask your method?

 

As I commented in the worldwide models "what did you order" thread, these are probably the worst couplers i've ever come across. what I do is I just put the train half on the track, couple it together, and then put it on properly. I use the same method with my tomix shinkansens and rapido pendolino.

 

7 minutes ago, ronin said:

I forgot to mention that the train doesn't run that great right now.  it is quite slow and makes an occasional motor noise so I assume I need to disassembly, clean and lubricate.  Does anyone have a recommendation on how to get the body off to access the motor assembly?  The Japanese trains are pretty easy to bet the bodies off, but this one seems to be assembled differently.

 

I know that @oenckie has popped the body off to digitize his, maybe he can help you.

 

By the way, the older motorized bogies are notorious because of their breaking cogwheels, but there are unbreakable ones available from some vendors.

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On 9/18/2018 at 9:53 AM, ronin said:

Interesting.  All sorts of ways to solve a given problem.  It functions well once on the track.  My only issue right now is getting the train on the track easily.  May I ask your method?

 

I don't hook them together until they are on the track.  Putting individual cars on the track is like on any other train -- I use my handy KATO tool if I can find it; otherwise I just use fingers.  I push the cars together and they "latch".

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Need for High Speed

well if you hate putting tiny wheels on the tracks Bachmann makes I think in n scale a metal re railer tool all you do is place the train on the metal holder and it drives right onto the tracks with all wheels alined but only works under DC. Or switch to HO! Bigger wheels bigger rails closer to finger size so its much easier putting them on the tracks, although can sometimes be a challenge keeping it on the track when things are un even.

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Well, nearly 3 years to the original day of this thread, I found a place in Germany that had the re-released S102/112 from TopTrain(formally StarTrain) 60302 and placed my order.  Can't wait to get it in and set up some track. Will post pictures when I get it.

 

I would have liked to have gotten the 60303 set as it doesn't have the horse image on the side that the 60302 has, but I couldn't find the 60303 set.  It looks like they only made 200 sets of each.  Does anyone know what the horse image is there for?  Does it denote something special or anything?

 

Will keep you posted!

 

Eric

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5 hours ago, ronin said:

Well, nearly 3 years to the original day of this thread, I found a place in Germany that had the re-released S102/112 from TopTrain(formally StarTrain) 60302 and placed my order.  Can't wait to get it in and set up some track. Will post pictures when I get it.

Dm-Toys has been dumping these for the last year or so now for bargain bin prices on EBAY.

 

5 hours ago, ronin said:

I would have liked to have gotten the 60303 set as it doesn't have the horse image on the side that the 60302 has, but I couldn't find the 60303 set.

They already sold out after selling them for 220-260 or so each. I think @Suica got one of those that way.

 

5 hours ago, ronin said:

Does anyone know what the horse image is there for?  Does it denote something special or anything?

A short google reveals this is an advertising slogan by RENFE. https://www.levante-emv.com/comunitat-valenciana/2010/11/30/ave-caballo-ganador/761356.html (use google translate).

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Yavianice,

 

Thank you again for the informative feedback.  DM Toys is who I got my set from as well.  On ebay their price is crazy high, but on their website it is merely very high.  Having said that it was a little above the price you mentioned for the non-horse version.  Had to pay a little extra for the horses...either way it certainly ate up my train budget for awhile, but I am happy to finally get one.  DM Toys did throw in a free gift for the purchase,  and I got a bauhaus-design house, so one of my plastic passengers will have a nice modern home.

 

Oh, and congrats to Suica.  Would love to hear your thoughts on the train if you have one.

 

Thanks again, 

 

Eric

Edited by ronin
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DM-Toys have "we don't want your business" prices on ebay. The way to purchase from them are their 1 day auction sales. Trains usually sell for cheap there, and is the best way to get the AVE trains (or any japanese trains). Check out the "completed/sold" auctions.

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Will do.  Thanks for the tip.

 

Ok checked it out and I see what you are saying.  I don't feel too bad as I paid a little more than the prices I saw for the completed listing, but not too much more.

 

So those are 1 day auctions?  I guess I just have to set up a reminder or something.  Any other way to not miss those?

Edited by ronin
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You can set reminders on eBay if something that matches your criterias pops up. I have alerts on for Kato and Tomix searches that only show auctions for example. I think it‘s also possible to only get notifications if a specific seller offers something.

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The Duck made it across the pond!

 

First impressions are positive.   I dont have a layout set up so I can't run it, but visually I think it is a very nice looking train that feels like good quality.

 

I like the box has a photo on the outside of the real train.  I have become spoiled with the nice cases from Tomix an Kato, and the box itself does not feel as nice as those cases.

 

The train itself is very nice.  Lots of detail all over.  I especially like the pantagraph and other details on the top.  Overall I think it is nicer quality compared to my Arnold S103, but I haven't run it yet so thats a big piece missing.

 

More pics in a minute...

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Interesting that they use the same couplers between the motorcars and the middle cars as KATO (KATO is going to change them starting with the Thalys re-release)

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1 hour ago, chadbag said:

For some reason it still reminds me of the UFO tv series from the UK in the early 70s -- the interceptor used in that series.

 


lol yes just add the rocket to the nose! Now which train looks like a space 1999 eagle?

 

jeff

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1 hour ago, cteno4 said:


lol yes just add the rocket to the nose! Now which train looks like a space 1999 eagle?

 

 

I was wondering the same thing (because I couldn't remember the TV show name "UFO" and even though I knew it wasn't Space 1999 that was the first thing that came to my mind).

 

Looking at images on Google I am not immediately reminded of anything...

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10 hours ago, Yavianice said:

Interesting that they use the same couplers between the motorcars and the middle cars as KATO (KATO is going to change them starting with the Thalys re-release)

 

probably because the "Pato" project started from Soldat S.L. (it was the Kato distributor in Spain, all the Kato AVE and Renfe items released has been developed jointly)

in the meantime many companies has changed, but on the back are the same people

In my archive probably the original Soldat pdf pamphlet is still available, if I remember correctly the Pato was announced in "Kato news", the Startrain trademark has been developed after, passed to "Nowellhobby" and finally become Toptrain

 

Ciao!

Massimo

 

Edited by jappomania
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10 hours ago, Yavianice said:

Interesting that they use the same couplers between the motorcars and the middle cars as KATO (KATO is going to change them starting with the Thalys re-release)

Ohhhh where did you hear this?

 

Quite excited by the thought of new couplers...wonder if I can retrofit my Reseau...

 

The Renfe set looks really good as well, very unique looking!

 

Guy

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If I understand correctly, the Kato couplers shown in the link above could be retrofitted to my S102 train set?

 

Visually they certainly look more realistic.  From a practical point, would they work better than the couplers shown on the train now?  Would they decrease the gap between cars?

 

Not shooting the couplers down at all, just trying to understand the differences. 

 

Thanks,

 

Eric

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On 9/2/2020 at 10:10 AM, ronin said:

Fom a practical point, would they work better than the couplers shown on the train now?  Would they decrease the gap between cars?

The couplers on your model are the same as on the end cars of my Kato TGV duplex and Eurostar. They work "fine", in my opinion, but they are a bit trickier to couple and uncouple than a standard coupler. Sometimes one of my power cars will run away from the train, but it's because I didn't couple it all the way, and once I do, it's not an issue anymore. My general solution has been to just keep the trains on the track and keep them together to save possible coupling/uncoupling errors or damage.

 

And they seem to couple close together for my liking as is, so I haven't had any concerns there.

 

Not sure if the new Thalys coupler will be better, but it's safe to assume that it will be given that they are making this design change. It looks like it would be easier to couple/uncouple, but we won't know until their released. For me though, the intermediate cars of the Thalys/Eurostar at the common bogies are a different coupler type altogether and it takes some grunt to get them apart and together. That's not going to change even if I switch out the couplers on the end cars. It's still not going to be much fun to take these trains off the track and put them away, so mostly I just won't...

 

I guess if (like me) your happy enough with the couplers as is, there's no point in changing them. So put it on the track and see what you think! (And post some pics! Let's see it in action!) But it's a low cost part if it makes a meaningful improvement, so I'll be listening for reviews when they're released.

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Threw down the ubiquitous oval and fired her up!

I like the additional red detail on the top of the middle cars.

Connecting the cars isn't too difficult.  I've got a couple Odakyu Romance sets, and it's similar enough to connecting those.

Not the fastest set in the world, but she runs smooth, so no complaints. 

 

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Edited by ronin
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