How did you improve your rolling stock?

[Pauljag900]

That looks superb mate,well worth the effort👍👍😀

[Khaul]

Glad you like it Paul.

[Kiha66]

Nice work Khaul!  I've been afraid to touch those decals as well, I need to be brave one of these days.  The little details really make the model stand out!

 

[Khaul]

I am ordering a new decal sheet first thing next week. The lack of one JR logo is really bugging me. I also got a new pants because the one in the train was slightly wonky. 

Actually the whole decal thing was easier than I though but I would prefer the trains came fully decalled from the shop. By the way, the train runs like a dream with the pwmTomix power pack.

Edited March 16, 2018 by Khaul

[railsquid]

One day I will get around adding decals/transfers to my Tomix fleet...

 

40 minutes ago, Khaul said:

The other side of the train. JR logos are fine. The train got a bit dirty with the decals, see the black line under the door. I have cleaned it, but somehow like the effect. I am thinking about painting black the seam between the sliding doors.

 

 

 

I came across this pen which was advertised as suitable for lining doors; this was a very quick test on an old Kato 103.

 

door-lining-1 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

door-lining-2 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

[Pauljag900]

All the decals,wether it’s Tomix or Kato,buildings or trains ,are a pain in the backside to do,I just think,considering the prices of some of the stuff,that they d include a few spare decals for those of us who are a bit “clumsy” with them 😂😂👍

[cteno4]

Great squid, I’ve often thought of using those joint pens on some doors like that, but never built up the nerve and got to it! Which pen did you use? seen a bunch for gundam seams.

 

jeff

[Densha]

Today I started converting my recently acquired Tomix JR Shikoku KiHa 58/65 Express Yoshinogawa set into a set based at Matsuyama Depot, which is from where JR Shikoku's KiHa 58 series spent their final years in local train services on unelectrified lines in and around Ehime prefecture.

 

For now I have mostly removed various roof and underfloor equipment, such as ventilation shafts and toilet tanks (JR Shikoku likes them local trains without toilets). I also installed blank destination boards, as the only other included destination boards said 'Express'.

 

 

Some relatively easily applicable changes that I will have to make are finding a solution for the destination boards, applying running number decals, and buying a 0.5 mm drill to make holes in the roof to be able to install the included antenna parts. Another necessary change is painting the bogies and couplers grey, although I would prefer to just replace them with parts that are already in the correct colour. Then finally comes the part I look the least forward to, which is getting rid of any unevenness and holes in the roof that were caused by removing various roof equipment.

 

I am also planning on creating the Matsuyama-based KiHa58-393 + KiHa65-34 in revival livery by using the JNR version as a base.

Edited March 17, 2018 by Densha

[Pashina12]

Finally I've now got Microtrains couplers on all my stock! Looks so much better I think. As the second pic shows they are larger than scale but still much better than the Rapidos. Had to compromise a bit though and remove the trip pins due to clearance but I can live with having to manually uncouple them in exchange for the superior look.

[Kiha66]

Nice work Pashina, did you convert any tomix cars?  I have a few I've been wanting to convert to knuckles but I couldn't find a way to do so.  I think the microtrains look much better without the trip pins.

[Pauljag900]

They look superb,much better and well worth th effort,well done buddy👍👍😀

[Khaul]

2 hours ago, Pashina12 said:

Finally I've now got Microtrains couplers on all my stock! Looks so much better I think. As the second pic shows they are larger than scale but still much better than the Rapidos. Had to compromise a bit though and remove the trip pins due to clearance but I can live with having to manually uncouple them in exchange for the superior look.

 

I get you left the dummy coupler at the front of the C11, right? Also, I suppose the coupler at the back of the loco is the Kato knuckle that comes with it. Those are compatible with Microtrains and a lot less of a pain.

[Martijn Meerts]

I generally improve my rolling stock by buying more of it :D

 

[Pashina12]

Thanks for the compliments! I'm super pleased with them, too. Full disclosure, I didn't do the work myself, a friend of mine did. He said the C11 especially took a bit of thinking to solve. He said most of the cars were pretty straightforward to convert, but some needed some extra work

 

3 hours ago, Kiha66 said:

Nice work Pashina, did you convert any tomix cars?  I have a few I've been wanting to convert to knuckles but I couldn't find a way to do so.  I think the microtrains look much better without the trip pins.

 

I did - actually the boxcar in the bottom picture next to the C11 is a Tomix Wara 1. Actually seven were Tomix cars, two Kato, and four Popondetta. I'm pretty sure the Kato Tora 90000s did not need anything extra done.

 

I just took one of the Tomix cars apart (I'll post a pic shortly), and it looks like he cut out a chunk of both the floor and the weight inside, to make room for the coupler assembly and the screw.

 

2 hours ago, Khaul said:

 

I get you left the dummy coupler at the front of the C11, right? Also, I suppose the coupler at the back of the loco is the Kato knuckle that comes with it. Those are compatible with Microtrains and a lot less of a pain.

 

Actually, the rear coupler on the C11 is also an MT one... I didn't realise that the Kato coupler is compatible with MT! I think I'm not going to mention that to my friend lest he get annoyed at me, he did say it was a fair bit of work to make it happen... but conversely he'll be happy he won't have to do that job on the C11s I buy in the future!

[Pashina12]

Inside a Tomix car...

[Pauljag900]

On 17/03/2018 at 1:26 AM, Densha said:

Today I started converting my recently acquired Tomix JR Shikoku KiHa 58/65 Express Yoshinogawa set into a set based at Matsuyama Depot, which is from where JR Shikoku's KiHa 58 series spent their final years in local train services on unelectrified lines in and around Ehime prefecture.

 

For now I have mostly removed various roof and underfloor equipment, such as ventilation shafts and toilet tanks (JR Shikoku likes them local trains without toilets). I also installed blank destination boards, as the only other included destination boards said 'Express'.

 

 

Some relatively easily applicable changes that I will have to make are finding a solution for the destination boards, applying running number decals, and buying a 0.5 mm drill to make holes in the roof to be able to install the included antenna parts. Another necessary change is painting the bogies and couplers grey, although I would prefer to just replace them with parts that are already in the correct colour. Then finally comes the part I look the least forward to, which is getting rid of any unevenness and holes in the roof that were caused by removing various roof equipment.

 

I am also planning on creating the Matsuyama-based KiHa58-393 + KiHa65-34 in revival livery by using the JNR version as a base.

I love that colour combo buddy👍😀

[Khaul]

1 hour ago, Pashina12 said:

Inside a Tomix car...

 

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but I am pretty sure the Kato 11-702 couplers are compatible with the MTs. They also have a t-shank on the non coupler end so they fit in Arnold coupler pockets. They work with Kato rolling stock, Popondetta and even the Tomix cars compatible with the t-shanks, bogie mounts as far as I know. The 11-702 are out of scale like the normal MTs but a great step from the Rapidos. I am curious about the true scale MTs. Too late for me, but they may be the real deal https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VmFjzp6DHw

[Ultratram]

On 3/16/2018 at 9:31 AM, cteno4 said:

Great squid, I’ve often thought of using those joint pens on some doors like that, but never built up the nerve and got to it! Which pen did you use? seen a bunch for gundam seams.

 

jeff

For my gundams I prefer the felt tip gundam pens and Tamiya panel liner accent color that comes in jar. I don't do much paint on my gundam so haven't tried on painted surfaces. The Tamiya liner suggests to test surfaces since its enamel not good for moving parts and can make parts brittle.

 

I plan on experimenting on one of my B shorties  or tomytec trams before applying to my other trains.

[serotta1972]

Replaced the power unit on my Greenmax Osaka Power Loop Series 103, part number 5176.  I toasted the motor running it on a DCC system, lesson learned.

 

Toasted :(

 

New

 

Edited April 18, 2018 by serotta1972

[Kiha66]

wow, thats some crazy heat to melt the motor casing like that.  Thank goodness for Japanese manufactures providing spare parts!

[Philphil]

On 3/16/2018 at 2:10 AM, railsquid said:

One day I will get around adding decals/transfers to my Tomix fleet...

 

 

I came across this pen which was advertised as suitable for lining doors; this was a very quick test on an old Kato 103.

 

door-lining-1 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

door-lining-2 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

Just the use of that pen makes the train look so much better! Where did you get it from, and would you recommend it/use it again, or would you try a different method?

[railsquid]

1 hour ago, Philphil said:

Just the use of that pen makes the train look so much better! Where did you get it from, and would you recommend it/use it again, or would you try a different method?

 

I got it in the Tenshodo store in Ginza. I intend to use it again, when I get round to it.

[serotta1972]

I spent my afternoon installing number boards and detail parts on my newly acquired locomotives.  I feel pretty accomplished and earning some modeling points. :)

As if it wasn't colorful enough, the EF64-1010 also comes with red number boards.  I like it!

 

 

 

Edited April 30, 2018 by serotta1972

[serotta1972]

Installed number boards and knuckle couplers on my new DD51's and I kinda like the new livery with the black mask.  The number boards seem to be sticking out a bit and not flush but it is on there tight.

 

 

 

[lighthouse]

It was time to install the knuckle couplers