How did you improve your rolling stock?

[Das Steinkopf]

58 minutes ago, katoftw said:

Was there spare ac units in the packet?

 

You get 4 in the pack plus the drilling template.

[katoftw]

So what are you doing with the 2 spares? 😉

[Das Steinkopf]

1 hour ago, katoftw said:

So what are you doing with the 2 spares? 😉

 

Looks like someone has put their hand up for them, doesn’t it 😜

[railsquid]

Randomly perusing the Kato 2015 catalogue the other day I rediscovered a page advising on how to install detail parts, one of the recommendations is to install grab handles like this:

 

Kato EH200 (parts application) by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

and cut off the remaining sprue once in place, which I was skeptical about, but proved much simpler than expected.

 

Kato EH200 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

Apologies if that is a widely known method.

Edited April 17, 2019 by railsquid

[Sheffie]

It makes sense. The sprue is a decent way of holding the handle while installing it, and the mounting points are a pretty good way of holding it still while you cut off sprue 

[cteno4]

Yeah fine bits like that you usually mangle trying to hold onto them while cutting them off. The glue points hold it steadier and firmer than you could with forcepts. Plus no risk of the dreaded tweezer PING!

 

jeff

[railsquid]

The surprising part is that it was very easy to cut off the sprue (using a pair of non-cheap pliers acquired for precision purposes) and it came away cleanly without damaging the grab handle.

 

Interestingly this method isn't mentioned in the instructions, which merely show where sprue-less grab handles need to be attached.

[cteno4]

I usually cut the big sprues down to smaller bits to remove the little parts rather than trying to clip them off the whole big sprew with all the parts on them as I find i can cleave off the part in parallel to the sprew instead of perpendicular to the sprew and like you say it comes off easier and cleaner. Also you don’t end up holding the small part between finger and thumb with the sprew still looped around your thumb, a lot easier to jsut snip off the little cut off sprew bit and have the part in your finger/thumb free fo the big sprew loop.

 

i have this pair of reverse handle cutters that clips the big sprews easily, but sadly micromark no longer carries them...

 

i did break down a month or two ago and got some godhand cutters. I’ve not done a whole project with then but testing them out some they really are the gold standard in sprew trimming.

 

jeff

[gavino200]

13 hours ago, railsquid said:

 

Interestingly this method isn't mentioned in the instructions, which merely show where sprue-less grab handles need to be attached.

 

I agree. This is super weird. I had given up on placing these grab handles at one stage until like you I randomly came across the instruction page in a Kato catalog. I went through all my other Kato catalogs wondering what other great tips it may contain. It turns out they publish this exact same page about placing the grab handles every year. 

 

Maybe they just think everyone should be reading the catalog. 

[Das Steinkopf]

Next task on the block is the Shi Ki 1000 that I received the other day, originally the 3 cars of this type were owned by Nippon Express, in 1987 all of them were transferred to the newly formed JRF. This was a real fun job as I had to remove the raised plates for the Nippon Express logo as well as some script, a thorough work out was required using a full battery of scalpels, needle files fibreglass pen and wet and dry sandpaper. 

[railsquid]

On 4/17/2019 at 12:55 AM, railsquid said:

An ancient but very serviceable Kato 165 series, sadly lacking corridor connectors:

 

kato-165-series-corridor_01 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

(...snip...)

 

An ancient but very serviceable Kato 165 series, now with corridor connectors:

 

kato-165-series-corridor_02 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

 

Some even more ancient stickers I acquired in a rummage box somewhere in Akihabara:

 

kato-165-series_10-331_04 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

Plasticard:

 

kato-165-series_10-331_05 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

Now we know where the train is going to:

 

Kato 165 series by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

kato-165-series_10-331_06 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

[JR 500系]

Nice work on the 165 series squid!  🙂

 

And more decal interior works for me!  Presenting: 

 

 

I don't have the 3-car set, but luckily this decal kit allows the 2-car set to be applied too! All I had to do is to leave out the decals for the Kiha-140 and that's it, luckily the Kiha-47s are identical!  🙂

 

 

And trust me... it's … HARD work... those mini decals for the seats... just... WOW... lots of work go into cutting and pasting them carefully on each individual seat! Talk about growing more blind!

 

 

The seats look really nice, and I like the wooden grain floor!

 

 

The side facing seats are really nice!

 

 

Here's a small little, I guess it's a library corner with book shelves and stuff? I've never rode on the Ibusuki-no-Tamatebako so i'm not too sure... 

 

 

This looks like a mini serving area, I guess it's where the in-train kiosk is? (the pole is for the interior light stand) 

 

 

Although with the shell on, one can HARDLY see it... 

 

 

We can see the seats, but really small... 

 

 

Same goes for the other side... (hate that spring... but seems nothing we can do about it...)

 

 

Is it really worth it for all that effort put in? I'm starting to wonder.... 

 

 

The Ibusuki no Tamatebako looks really nice... and unique... and i'm glad I finally got it!  🙂

[railsquid]

Another one knocked off the todo list... adding "臨時" train type markers to this rather ancient MicroAce 155 series which I am somewhat fond of as I acquired the set at a junky junky knockdown price of about 3000 yen and it has responded well to various treatments.

 

MicroAce 155 series by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

Some investigation reveals these (and the 153 series which they're based on) often ran with empty train type marker boxes, but the model looked very bare without.

[Kamome]

On 4/23/2019 at 9:46 PM, JR 500系 said:

s it really worth it for all that effort put in? I'm starting to wonder....

I would say yes.  I appreciate that you generally view n gauge from a distance but nice to have the extra detail when you do get up close. I’m very tempted by these

[Keith]

On 4/23/2019 at 10:46 PM, JR 500系 said:

Is it really worth it for all that effort put in? I'm starting to wonder..

I agree, they look great. Are the stickers just normal stickers and if so any idea on the longevity of the glue? Temperature swings would also be a concern to me.

[JR 500系]

1 hour ago, Keith said:

I agree, they look great. Are the stickers just normal stickers and if so any idea on the longevity of the glue? Temperature swings would also be a concern to me.

 

They are stickers, but they seem to be of a higher quality that those normal decal sheets that I buy to make custom decals... Let's see how they are over time. My first decal was the E235 series, so i'll keep a lookout on them and report if I do see some peeling of sorts... 

[railsquid]

MicroAce must be super-proud about the detailing on the ends of their cars and want to show it off by leaving a gap wide enough to jump a motorbike through.

 

MicroAce E231-500 (Yamanote Line) by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

To avoid motorcycle/train accidents on my layout I closed the gap with Tomix couplers.

[JR 500系]

On ‎5‎/‎25‎/‎2019 at 11:22 AM, railsquid said:

MicroAce must be super-proud about the detailing on the ends of their cars and want to show it off by leaving a gap wide enough to jump a motorbike through.

 

To avoid motorcycle/train accidents on my layout I closed the gap with Tomix couplers.

 

Hey man I know what you mean and I totally agree ~ The TN couplers make the train look so MUCH better ~ The only problem I encounter with TN couplers is that sometimes they make the train too tight for certain curves and derailments happen..... This happened so much with my GM 103 series Osaka Power loop... 

[Kiha66]

Had a rough day, so to unwind I finally got around to detailing my kato EF63s.  They're beautiful locomotives, I really need to run them more often.

 

[serotta1972]

Looks good Sam, are those Tomix and or Kato?  

 

[Kiha66]

Thanks Jr, these are from the recent release of the Kato locos.  

[katoftw]

So I was happy to play with rapido couplers although they were slightly bulky and ugly to look at.

 

Then came along the Kato Seven Stars of Kyushu with only knuckle couplers.  And no replacements.

 

Then the Kato Kyushu DE10s came along with knuckle couplers also.  But did include rapidos for change overs.

 

And then I thought about some sets needing knuckle couplers and some need rapidos.  Then using engines fitted with a knuckle coupler on one end, and a rapido couplers on the other, for versatility.  But then the 20 packs of 11-702 and -707s are 300-400 yen each.  And wont break the bank to buy up and replace all the rapidos.

 

So:-

Tomix 7 car Takasaki depot brown coaches

Tomix Hoki 800s x3

MicroAce Maya34

Kato Yo 8000

Kato Koki 50000s x4

Kato Koki 106s x6

Kato Koki 107 x8

Kato locos x20ish

 

So started on a few to trial.  The long and tedious process has begun.  The Kato coupler pockets are fairly easy.  Those Tomix ones with the metal plate are a pain.  And I haven't started on any locos yet.

 

Let the spring losing games begin!

Edited June 16, 2019 by katoftw

[katoftw]

Hoki 800s and Maya 34 done.

 

[katoftw]

Found some more vehicles that weren't on my previous list that needed knuckle couplers.

 

 

Takasaki Vehicle Center all knuckle couplered up.  Plus Twilight Express.

D51-498

DD51-842 (was the workhorse today testing all the coupler installs)

Series 12 blue coaches

Old brown coaches (these were trouble, coupler pocket required modification to fit knuckle coupler)

EF65-501

EF81 + series 24 Twilight Express (these came with seriously long armed knuckle couplers, may hunt around for some shorter ones.

 

Was gonna do my SL Yamaguchi team also, but the Tomix C571 would've had to stay rapido.  Kato D51-200 and coaches would've been find.  But I stuck a DE10 coupler in there and it worked.  But it look more like a D51 coupler.  So I might try to get a 2 pk as I have the Tomix C61-20 coming soon also.

 

Stil to do:-

Yo 8000
EH500

EH200

DE10

ED76-0 JRK

EF81-400 JRK

EF510

EF210

18x kokis

[Khaul]

Welcome to the society of coupler righteousness, カプラー正義の関連