How did you improve your rolling stock?

[gavino200]

Finally, I installed a motor unit into the dummy EMU of Hyabusa - my oldest and perhaps favorite Japanese train. That's her, climbing the incline with zero difficulty.

 

[katoftw]

On 12/10/2017 at 2:52 AM, Coromant said:

I have the Kato and Tomix kokis also. Earlier replaced on Kato EF-64 arnold coupler to knuckle. When I ordered the Tomix kokis I forgot the fact Tomix coupler isn't compatible with Kato. So firts I'm thinking about what can i do the Tomix Kokis. I don't want to use the arnold coupler because it's disgusting and the Takis train already use the knuckle couplers. I do a try with Tomix boogie and my surprise it's fit well so I changed all of the Tomix kokis coupler to Kato Knucle Coupler and now they can roll together :)

The Tomix boogie and the Kato coupler:

What is the grey coupler product number please?

[Das Steinkopf]

10 hours ago, katoftw said:

What is the grey coupler product number please?

 

 

11-707, I have fitted all of my Kato freight fleet with them, I didn't fit them to my Tomix Koki's as I much prefer the look of the TN's, also the TN's will not uncouple when the train is moving, I have experienced this a few times when testing the Kato stock.

Edited December 13, 2017 by Das Steinkopf

[kvp]

Actually the Tomix couplers have a nice feature, namely that they can be equipped with a rapido converter. This allows any Tomix equipped car to be made into a coupler converter car for rapido equipped stock.

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10075582

[katoftw]

7 hours ago, kvp said:

Actually the Tomix couplers have a nice feature, namely that they can be equipped with a rapido converter. This allows any Tomix equipped car to be made into a coupler converter car for rapido equipped stock.

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10075582

Except that they are black. The problem I'm having is alot of modern freight is grey chassis and grey trucks. But the coupler stuff is all black.

[kvp]

5 hours ago, katoftw said:

Except that they are black. The problem I'm having is alot of modern freight is grey chassis and grey trucks. But the coupler stuff is all black.

I often end up using black couplers for gray underframe Tomytec cars. For me a black rapido is somewhat less noticeable than a light bluish gray one. Water clear would be even better.

[JR 500系]

So I had some fun installing more lights... and I must say the 787 looks really great with its light up grey body!

 

 

[JR 500系]

And had a little more fun with the Kiha-85.... With the newer Nanki coming in together with spare parts such as gangway and extra decal sheet, I could finally detail both the older Kiha-85 model and the newer Nanki!

 

Can't get enough of Kiha-85 with their multiple variations!

 

*Glad the new gangway piece looks great on the older model! The newer model had holes for the tabs on the gangway parts, but the older model didn't... I had to cut off those tabs on the gangway pieces and directly glue them onto the body shell of the older model...

 

 

[Kiha66]

I painted the cab interrior of my DD16.  The little touch of color really improves the look of the model.  I've also ordered some extra fine tiped paint pens to do the throttle and brake levers. 

 

[katoftw]

What did you use to paint the olive green? It does look good.

[Kiha66]

Thanks!   I've found tamiya's cockpit green is a good match for the industrial green used by the railroad.  Now I'm just looking for the dark green JNR used for cab accents.

[JR 500系]

that really made a vast difference! well done!

[Khaul]

I finally got to test the canary yellow 103 I bought in Japan. This is my very first Tomix train and it is a high grade one. I replaced the wonky photographer by a better looking one I also got in Japan so I feel better now. Also, I installed the Tomix 0733 interior lights. After watching a Shigemon video now I know what to do with the white sticker. Lights will look better soon. 

 

The trains runs very well, detail is excellent and it is relatively easy to open when compared to Kato.

 

A not so good picture:

[Khaul]

A bit more work done in the 103.

 

I wrapped the LED as recommended in the instructions so the light is now more evenly spread.

 

Also added destination boards. The train has now a driver...

 

...and a conductor.

Edited February 14, 2018 by Khaul

[Kiha66]

Nice work!  Where did you get the driver figures?

[Khaul]

They are from the Tomytec Human Collection Vol 102 http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10362798. I had to cut the figures from the belly down. 

[Kiha66]

Thanks!  I'll have to pick some up with my next order.

[railsquid]

The slight downside to this very cheaply acquired pointy-nosed Shinkansen:

 

Tomix 500 series shinkansen by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

was that the motor car screeched in a most painful way, which was not improved by a speculative dab of oil on the exposed dry-looking gears (I suspect it's 15 ~ 20 years old), so with no further ado it was dismantled:

 

Tomix 500 series Shinkansen dismantled by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

revealing that the (or a) previous owner had evidently tried to rectify the problem with liberal amounts of oil which had worked itself inside the chassis, bathing the motor in a thin film, though they had neglected to apply any to the motor bearings, which quietened it down a bit. However after cleanup and reassembly the general screechiness was still very present, further investigation revealed that the frames holding the worm gears were a teensy bit loose and a combination of vibration and inconsistent contact with the bogie gears was causing all the noise.  No idea whether that's a design flaw, or if maybe chassis and worm gear frames have malformed slightly over the years. Anyway 3 strips of vinyl tape (two to hold it in place vertically and one lengthwise to stop it bumping up against the chassis - not visible) pretty much solved the problem.

 

Tomix 500 series Shinkansen modification by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

I still need to replace the bogie springs, which are a bit worse for wear, but basically it's gone from unusable to perfectly acceptable. Just need to clean the "grunge traction tyres" off both the wheels end cars and it will be almost as good as new.

[gavino200]

Very nice job. How did you clean the motor itself? Or was the oil film only on the outside?

[Pauljag900]

1 hour ago, railsquid said:

The slight downside to this very cheaply acquired pointy-nosed Shinkansen:

 

Tomix 500 series shinkansen by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

was that the motor car screeched in a most painful way, which was not improved by a speculative dab of oil on the exposed dry-looking gears (I suspect it's 15 ~ 20 years old), so with no further ado it was dismantled:

 

Tomix 500 series Shinkansen dismantled by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

revealing that the (or a) previous owner had evidently tried to rectify the problem with liberal amounts of oil which had worked itself inside the chassis, bathing the motor in a thin film, though they had neglected to apply any to the motor bearings, which quietened it down a bit. However after cleanup and reassembly the general screechiness was still very present, further investigation revealed that the frames holding the worm gears were a teensy bit loose and a combination of vibration and inconsistent contact with the bogie gears was causing all the noise.  No idea whether that's a design flaw, or if maybe chassis and worm gear frames have malformed slightly over the years. Anyway 3 strips of vinyl tape (two to hold it in place vertically and one lengthwise to stop it bumping up against the chassis - not visible) pretty much solved the problem.

 

Tomix 500 series Shinkansen modification by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

I still need to replace the bogie springs, which are a bit worse for wear, but basically it's gone from unusable to perfectly acceptable. Just need to clean the "grunge traction tyres" off both the wheels end cars and it will be almost as good as new.

Nice work squid,you ve got the patience of a saint buddy👍😀

[railsquid]

Dabbed it off with a tissue (as I did with the inside of the chassis block and the jointy bits which connect the motor with the worm gear, I forget the technical name). Motor looks fine otherwise.

 

Ideally I'd give everything a complete stripdown and thorough clean, possibly with one of them fancy ultrasound cleaners, but I'm not made of time and it works well enough while providing that satisfying tingle of a job reasonably well done.

[Pauljag900]

8 minutes ago, gavino200 said:

Very nice job. How did you clean the motor itself? Or was the oil film only on the outside?

Hey gavino,the conduit arrived this morning,covered all the track power cables,looks tidy and they re protected now too.

will use a seperate piece for the point motor cables and power supplies for lights etc.

i used some foamcard to tidy up the front but will replace with timber eventually.

 

[Pauljag900]

Sorry gents,just realised that this is the wrong thread for this,😞

[gavino200]

9 minutes ago, Pauljag900 said:

Hey gavino,the conduit arrived this morning,covered all the track power cables,looks tidy and they re protected now too.

will use a seperate piece for the point motor cables and power supplies for lights etc.

i used some foamcard to tidy up the front but will replace with timber eventually.

 

 

I ordered mine. 1/2 inch diameter. But it has to come all the way from Großbrittanien, so it'll take a while.

Edited February 17, 2018 by gavino200

[Pauljag900]

Well at least you got some and you know it’s on it’s way.

i got 1” diameter as there ll be at least 23 point motors so needed a fairly big one.

i ve brought the cables out central so I can have the desk anywhere I want now.

Edited February 17, 2018 by Pauljag900