Greetings from Albany, NY

[DanielMackay]

Thankful to have found this forum and the deep experience and wild enthusiasm here. I've been a naval ship modeler for several decades, primarily working in 1:700 scale and with a number of Imperial Japanese Navy ships at the core of my built and unbuilt collection (Cold War US and USSR also a focus). As such, I'm familiar with the Japanese online hobby market (what a plunge down the rabbit hole that is).

 

Realizing my modeling skills may have peaked (at least in 1:700 scale), and finally with space for a meaningful train layout, I'm thinking about taking the plunge into JNR modeling in N-scale. I've spent $0 dollars to date - just making lists, sketching track plans, trying to learn the nomenclature, brands, and train sets of interest to me. 

 

Anyone else active on the forum from Upstate NY?

 

Looking forward to the ride.

 

Daniel

Edited November 26, 2019 by DanielMackay
typo

[martin67]

Hi Daniel,

 

not Upstate NY but down south Bavaria on the other side of the pond.Welcome anyway and good luck finding your way through Japanese (model)trains.

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

[cteno4]

Welcome Daniel! 

 

Glad you found us. Fun thing about the forum here is you can make Japanese train friends all over the world when there may not be many locally. There are a few folks on the forum in the nyc metro area. Maybe someone will pop up! If you get something going with the trains you can take out to events you may find more in your area. If there is a local n scale club with Ttrak or Ntrak it’s a great way to make a Japanese scene and get it out to find others. Also a way to to get going without having to get a whole layout done. Also good for practice before a layout and just to be around other train folks in person. Usually us train modelers will accept Japanese stuff, at first they may be a little skeptical but they usually come around, especially the younger generations.

 

cheers

 

jeff

[DanielMackay]

On 10/23/2018 at 3:17 PM, martin67 said:

 

[DanielMackay]

Purchases to date:

• Tomix J. R. Series 0-7000 Sanyo Shinkansen (honoring the train set that cued me in on Japan's railroads many years ago);
• Kato EF210 Container Train Starter Set (freight engine, 3 container cars, simple oval of track and transformer);
• Tomix JR Limited Express Series 485 Hatsukari 10-car set (love the colors and cabs of this evolution of EMUs).

Clearly enough to get rolling with here while I consider layout concepts and design. 

Edited December 28, 2018 by DanielMackay
typo

[DanielMackay]

On 11/10/2018 at 12:46 PM, DanielMackay said:

Purchases to date:

• Tomix J. R. Series 0-7000 Sanyo Shinkansen (honoring the train set that cued me in on Japan railroads many years ago).

 

This kit arrived today, slip-covered and pristine, in the plastic library box that reminds me of some long-ago video tape format. Flick go the locking tabs and inside, impossibly tidy and perfect, my first N-scale train and first Shinkensen. Just lovely. Suddenly so much easier to imagine how this scale will work, the room it will occupy, the fit of the geometry. I am entranced.

[DanielMackay]

Kato V15 Unitrak set arrived today, purchased via EBay.

[DanielMackay]

Updated purchases to date:

• Tomix #98648: J.R. Series 0-7000 Sanyo Shinkansen (honoring the train set that cued me in on Japan's railroads many years ago);
• Kato EF210 Container Train Starter Set:  (EF210-3 freight engine, 3 container cars, simple oval of track and transformer);
• Tomix #98981: J.R. Limited Express Series 485 Hatsukari 10-car set  (love the colors and cabs of this evolution of EMUs).
• Kato #10-484-683: Blunt-nosed high cab is intriguingly distinctive. 6 car set.
• Kato #10-320-787: 787 Series "Tsubame." 6 car set.

[DanielMackay]

A cold January in Upstate New York has me immersed in track planning and acquiring needed Kato track at reasonable prices. It seems that every room I enter these days - while at work or on family rounds - I am immediately assessing for layout configuration potential. 

 

In the same measure, I am constantly forgetting how tiny N-scale is... that a twelve to fifteen foot linear run of mainline straight track shows off the trains so very nicely.

 

Eager to settle on a test plan and set something up that will allow me to test a design for operational interest.

[Sheffie]

I'm happy you got the EF210 set. It was the one I was going to get before I saw the Banetsu Monogatari. I hope it works out well with your layout!

[DanielMackay]

It's a handsome consist. But in desperate need of more cars!

[Sheffie]

Yeah, luckily that seems to be something where you get a good choice, between the Koki 106 and 107, with or without containers. I saw on HobbySearch that they're taking pre-orders for some special sets with Seino containers. It looked a little pricey for me, and I don't have the space on my layout for a big freight train, but it might be up your street.

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10574364

Edited January 26, 2019 by Sheffie
correction +link

[katoftw]

Slighly over the normal cost of per single koki. But said set comes with a 12 car case.

[DanielMackay]

On 1/25/2019 at 9:19 PM, katoftw said:

Slighly over the normal cost of per single koki. But said set comes with a 12 car case.

 

Thank you both for the leads and comments here regarding expanded freight service. I've not yet spent much time poking on HobbySearch or HLJ for freight items yet.

 

My current vision for a track plan is double track Shinkansen route with a single track freight line weaving under and over and side-by-side.

 

Set up my M2 loop and ran all my trains for the first time, in succession. Of each, the Hatsukari 10-car set so impressively long. 

 

Coupling and uncoupling each set in succession took more time than I expected. It underscored the need to plan for large yards and long passing sidings or a large staging area. 

[DanielMackay]

Updated purchases to date:

Tomix #98648: J.R. Series 0-7000 Sanyo Shinkansen. 8 car set (honoring the train set that cued me in on Japan's railroads many years ago);

Kato EF210 Container Train Starter Set:  (EF210-3 freight engine, 3 container cars, simple oval of track and transformer);

Tomix #98981: J.R. Limited Express Series 485 Hatsukari 10-car set  (love the colors and cabs of this evolution of EMUs).

Kato #10-484-683: Blunt-nosed high cab is intriguingly distinctive. 6 car set.

Kato #10-320-787: 787 Series "Tsubame." 6 car set.

Kato #106-8011: Amfleet 1 Amtrak Phase 1 Paint 4 car set and Kato 176-6031 GE P42 Genesis engine. Early paint scheme of the train I ride most frequently, Albany to NYC.

Kato #10-482 683: 683 Series "Thunderbird." 6 car set.

Kato #10-397 700: 700 Series Shinkansen "Nozomi" 8 car set. 

Edited February 12, 2019 by DanielMackay
added detail

[JR 500系]

Wow that's quite a fleet you have amassed in about 4 -5 months since you started! (Oct 2018) Kudos! 

[DanielMackay]

10 hours ago, JR 500系 said:

Wow that's quite a fleet you have amassed in about 4 -5 months since you started! (Oct 2018) Kudos! 

 

Yes, and reflective of no rhyme nor reason other than I like the look and colors of each. Some imported from Japanese online stores, some via domestic eBay, some via local hobby shop, some via train show. All at decent prices. 

 

Not reported here is a deepening stash of single and double-line Kato track.

[ChapterPeter]

I agree. That's definitely a big haul. 😲

[DanielMackay]

Updated purchases to date (6/5/2019):

 

Tomix #98648: J.R. Series 0-7000 Sanyo Shinkansen. 8 car set (honoring the train set that cued me in on Japan's railroads many years ago);

Kato EF210 Container Train Starter Set:  (EF210-3 freight engine, 3 container cars, simple oval of track and transformer);

Tomix #98981: J.R. Limited Express Series 485 Hatsukari 10-car set  (love the colors and cabs of this evolution of EMUs);

Kato #10-484-683: Blunt-nosed high cab is intriguingly distinctive. 6 car set;

Kato #10-320-787: 787 Series "Tsubame." 6 car set;

Kato #106-8011: Amfleet 1 Amtrak Phase 1 Paint 4 car set and Kato 176-6031 GE P42 Genesis engine. Early paint scheme of the train I ride most frequently, Albany to NYC;

Kato #10-482 683: 683 Series "Thunderbird." 6 car set;

Kato #10-397 700: 700 Series Shinkansen "Nozomi" 8 car set;

Kato #3045 EH200 Class "Blue Thunder";

Kato #3056 EF58 Class

Kato #10-510 500 Series Shinkansen 4 car set;

Tomix #92914 EF63 Class

[DanielMackay]

On 6/5/2019 at 8:48 PM, DanielMackay said:

Updated purchases to date (6/5/2019):

 

Tomix #98648: J.R. Series 0-7000 Sanyo Shinkansen. 8 car set (honoring the train set that cued me in on Japan's railroads many years ago);

Kato EF210 Container Train Starter Set:  (EF210-3 freight engine, 3 container cars, simple oval of track and transformer);

Tomix #98981: J.R. Limited Express Series 485 Hatsukari 10-car set  (love the colors and cabs of this evolution of EMUs);

Kato #10-484-683: Blunt-nosed high cab is intriguingly distinctive. 6 car set;

Kato #10-320-787: 787 Series "Tsubame." 6 car set;

Kato #106-8011: Amfleet 1 Amtrak Phase 1 Paint 4 car set and Kato 176-6031 GE P42 Genesis engine. Early paint scheme of the train I ride most frequently, Albany to NYC;

Kato #10-482 683: 683 Series "Thunderbird." 6 car set;

Kato #10-397 700: 700 Series Shinkansen "Nozomi" 8 car set;

Kato #3045 EH200 Class "Blue Thunder";

Kato #3056 EF58 Class

Kato #10-510 500 Series Shinkansen 4 car set;

Tomix #92914 EF63 Class

 

New additions:

 

Kato #10-431 Seibu cargo freight train Mitsubishi cement 8 car set;

Kato #10-1512 and #10-1513 ICE 4  7+5 car sets;

 

Rapido #520504 Amtrak TurboTrain (late paint scheme) 5 car set - the first Amtrak train I ever rode on, Boston to NYC.

 

Edited November 28, 2019 by DanielMackay
typo

[Scoobster28]

Hey Daniel. I too live in Albany, NY! I joined here a couple of months ago but don't check regularly... just when I have a question. Modeling American trains is my main focus. However, I would love to get in touch with you.

[DanielMackay]

While rolling stock continues to accumulate, I don't have many opportunities to set up even a temporary layout. But this weekend presented a chance to set up an irregular two-track loop on the dining room table, with three leaves inserted for maximum length. A chance to run some recent purchases, including a full consist of the Kato H5, the Kato E6 (just a  snazzy color scheme), the two hooked together (damn long train), a full ICE 4 consist, and my Kato Seibu cement train. Only disappointment was an attempt to run my Fleichmann ICE 1, badged for Amtrak and Bachmann Acela, both recent 2nd-hand purchases. Couplers for those consists are very finicky and I set it aside in favor of all of the above. That frustration stands in contrast with the ease of all the variations of Kato's close-coupling system (H5, E6 and ICE4 all a breeze tp couple, uncouple and look great through curves).

[serotta1972]

Hey Daniel,  I've had similar experiences with other brands - the quality of Japanese brands have spoiled me and now come to expect the same from other brands only to be disappointed.  I continue to buy North American models but now relegate myself to Kato USA although I do have some Atlas locomotives and lots of Micro Trains freight cars.  I've stayed away from European N scale models as they are 2-3x the cost of Japanese models at times and have actually bought HO European models instead because the cost is almost the same.  I been close to purchasing the new Rapido Turbo Train but stories I read and also the cost has prevented me from doing so.  I mainly collect trains and would frequently do temporary setups to run my trains which I need to more often.