Ideas for US and Japanese urban?

[VentureForth]

Ok, so I've discussed my plans for a layout finally ever after years of teasing it here. Idea is a 4' x 8' double loop of Tomix fine track. Outer loop is a simple oval. Inner loop is a long over/under mess.

 

Main objective was to have a station long enough for my 8-car Shinkansen. That objective is met.

 

Here's where I'd like some input. I'd like to go half Japan, half US on the scenery. Bring a Tokyo boy, I'm interested mostly in an urban landscape with a little river or small paddies.

 

Walters sells a lot of Tomix (as TomyTec). Expensive, so I can find most on eBay cheaper. What really baffles me is how little I can find in American urban buildings and stations in N. There are a very few - mostly stuff that could pass for a low platform Amtrak station in Cincinnati or Dallas. I LOVE the new lighted Tomix platform and will likely go with that for my Shinkansen station. Maybe American stations are just that pathetic. 

Edited December 1, 2018 by cteno4

[cteno4]

Venture,

 

yep there is practically no urban n us models out there. I think it’s due to the fact so much of us rail is outside urban areas these days, and not much urban near tracks. So us Modelers end up modeling what’s around tracks and usually more industrial, rural, or wild. Folks I see doing some modern us urban have been adapting Kato, Tomix and tomytec for urban buildings. Little out there outside the large old atlas kits that go for a fortune (and practically no detail) for larger building or some resin kits for older high rises. But practically nothing down at more practical sizes for a smaller layout. It’s a two edged sword of trains being around just about every aspect of the Japanese landscape as well and Japanese n scale market is a lot bigger than the us market so more done.

 

stations in American n were most always those older traditional small stations from the turn of the century. If you wanted a more modern and larger station you needed to look at the euro models, but they also had a bit of euro look to them. I’ve not looked recently, but Ive not noticed much in modern us modern stations. I see many adapting kato and Tomix platforms for inter urban and passenger station platforms and even stations.

 

dont buy tomytec thru Walthers unless you want to pay 50-100% more for it to try to support your lhs, but I doubt it will help them a lot as Walthers is sucking up a lot of that profit. I seriously doubt any lhs will make money stocking tomytec stuff with the small market that may be interested at a us lhs, especially with walther’s markup. They are getting it straight from Tomix so should be getting a good deal. Model train plus, hobbysearch, and amiami are all good options outside ebay as well for Japanese stuff. All very reputable and speak English, upfront shipping totals and options before you buy, etc. 

[kvp]

Afaik Kato actually sells a US prototype station that could be modded to be used with finetrack.

[bill937ca]

As noted Kato USA has N North American Suburban Station kit

 

http://www.katousa.com/Zcart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=65_127&products_id=1339

[VentureForth]

Dang thats pricey. I wonder why manufactures think the US is made up of single car length depots from the 50s.

 

Maybe cause we are... Lol

[cteno4]

I think it’s the market for them is just small. Kato’s various station sets are usually not inexpensive, but are nice sets.

 

i seem to remeber seeing a similar style station kit not too long ago that was either resin or lasercut ply at the last train show, but I don’t think it was inexpensive... platforms are easy to scratchbuild and many times needed to fit your track type and layout anyway.

 

jeff

[railsquid]

7 hours ago, VentureForth said:

Here's where I'd like some input. I'd like to go half Japan, half US on the scenery. Bring a Tokyo boy, I'm interested mostly in an urban landscape with a little river or small paddies.

 

 

More typical for the Tokyo area would be vegetable and fruit crops, often with a little stand next to the field with the produce on sale (or more frequently these days a set of coin lockers with transparent doors). The only rice paddies I can think of in the 23-ku area are the historical research ones mentioned in this article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oskar_Kellner

[VentureForth]

1 hour ago, railsquid said:

 

More typical for the Tokyo area would be vegetable and fruit crops, often with a little stand next to the field with the produce on sale (or more frequently these days a set of coin lockers with transparent doors). The only rice paddies I can think of in the 23-ku area are the historical research ones mentioned in this article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oskar_Kellner

Good point. I'm also thinking about an Ochanomizu to fishing area with like a Huck Finn on the other side. I swear this will take years after I nail down the bed. Lol.

[VentureForth]

So, perhaps I could fade past the 23ku and into the suburbia of Tokyo prefecture... Where I grew up in Chofu, there was a tiny creek where on the banks was a tiny barn with a single cow...

[railsquid]

12 minutes ago, VentureForth said:

So, perhaps I could fade past the 23ku and into the suburbia of Tokyo prefecture... Where I grew up in Chofu, there was a tiny creek where on the banks was a tiny barn with a single cow...

 

Hah, a while back I was cycling through the wilds of Nerima-ku, and was suddenly assaulted by the whiff of cow-dung, something which was not entirely unfamiliar due to having spent some childhood years living next to a field where it was liberally produced, anyway it was this place (Google Street View): https://goo.gl/maps/2jEZ4WcmdN32  which is apparently the only remaining dairy farm in the 23-ku: http://www.agriworld.or.jp/agriworld1/tikusan/bokuzyo/

[railsquid]

FWIW, view from my window last week (and this is within the 23-ku, albeit only just):

 

 

(Thems are daikon, being hung out to dry).

 

"Tokyo. More agricultural than you imagine".

Edited December 2, 2018 by railsquid

[VentureForth]

These tiny farms are all over Nerima Ku. My brother's house is right next to one. Got to see it last year. I wonder if that cow is still in Chofu...