Painted or Wrapped Trains in Special Liveries

[JR 500系]

@ Martijn - YES! I didnt know about the train until i saw the train going on sale on Popondetta! I goggled more info on this train and man i'm so going to board this train on my next Japan trip to Kyushu!  More info here: http://jprail.com/destinations/limited-express-hayato-no-kaze.html 

Look at the interior photos! Very nice and traditional feeling to it! Smashing!

 

@ Densha - Yes i check Popondetta website every now and then, and miss good train deals every now and then too. Blame it on my limited knowledge of all the N scale train models to date, esp Micro Ace models. I have very limited knowledge on MA models probably due to the fact that i have none of them (but ordered the Kiha-40 Squid-Fox-Crab set and the Kiha-185 I-Love-Shimanto set recently) and they have a vast range of trains from shinkansen to DMUs... But i'm learning the hard way ~~

[Densha]

I spent way to much time browsing Japanese N scale websites since I was introduced to the hobby, but there's still a lot of stuff I don't know. I have had email contact with Popondetta recently for the first time, and am making my payment soon. It's only non-painted trains though.

I have one MicroAce model, the JR Shikoku 8000 series renewal 5-car set. The quality is really good, the motor is very quiet as well. The problem is that, as with every product and manufacturer, it doesn't mean that every single model will be this good. But that is the case with Kato and Tomix too. I always keep comparing between models.

But I'm sure you're gonna love your MA models either way.

[Martijn Meerts]

I have quite a few MicroAce models, ranging from single car trains to 16-car shinkansen, and about everything in between. They're pretty consistently high to very high quality. Every once in a while I get a set where a bogie has come off, but that might also have been because of shipping. Easy enough to reattach those anyway. The MicroAce 25th anniversary 200-1500 Tohoku shinkansen for example is a stunning train with great details.

 

My main issue with MicroAce is that they give very little info with their models. Figuring out which couplers are interior lighting to use isn't always easy. And of course, they don't seem that much into spare parts at all ;)

 

They used to hardly ever re-release models, but fairly recently I've seen them doing a lot of re-releases. I think that's a good thing, but of course collectors don't quite agree. Some MicroAce models could get really expensive really quick on the 2nd hand market because of their limited numbers and little change of a re-release.

[Densha]

Figuring out which couplers are interior lighting to use isn't always easy.

As I told you before (at least the last part of my post), if you take a look on the Micro Ace website you can find what couplers and interior lights you need: http://www.microace-arii.co.jp/products/itemlist/index.html

This means interior lightning: "幅広室内灯" and this Micro Ace coupler: "マイクロカプラー".

Then you can also take a look over here at Don's website: http://akihabara.artificial-science.org/tag/tn-coupler/ (but note that some item numbers changed and they are also available as sets)

[Martijn Meerts]

Densha, true enough, as long as you have the more recent models.. The older ones have a nice little 'x' in both the coupler and lighting fields ;)

[Densha]

Sigh... but if there is any sign of the pins that Tomix and MicroAce use for their body-mount couplers then I don't think it will be too difficult. I guess every Tomix and MA train that has truck-mounted couplers can have TN couplers attached if you following Don's guide.

[disturbman]

They do, Tomix TN couplers are much nicer than the MA equivalents. It's not really hard to make conversions and to know which type of couplers you need. MA always give you the number of the needed item on their fact sheets (couplers and interior lighting), you just then to cross-compare with Tomix products to know which one is the grey sharfenberg you might need for that train set.

[Densha]

http://ngi.blog.eonet.jp/n_gauge/2012/12/post-12e9.html

I don't know about availability, it seems to be a specific item for that store.

[hectorton]

Wow, Lupin on a train.  Been a fan forever and will have to acquire.

[Krackel Hopper]

Looks like HobbySearch posted a pre-order.

 

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10210646

 

$107 for a single DMU is quite the price..

[Densha]

It's as expensive as the 2-car set from Greenmax. Even though the Lupin train uses it as the base.

[Densha]

Snow Miku on Sapporo tram:

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10212039

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10212043

I don't really understand what the difference is, but probably the painting. It will be interesting to see if you can motorize these. Visually I like the first one the best.

[dabsan]

Always exciting to see new kits being released. I will pre-order these I think. I still haven't built my Fujimi Tokyo Monorail Type 1000 yet 

[JR 500系]

A beautiful addition to my painted trains recently:

 

The Keifuku Dentetsu Mobo Series Yuko-go Tram! It's really beautifully coloured and painted! I love it, though i have no tram line in my town to actually run it, and it looks wierd running alongside the express and local line trains....  

 

[cteno4]

ha jr you be bitten!

 

jeff

[bill937ca]

Hiroshima Carp baseball painted train.

 

 

Edited March 26, 2013 by bill937ca

[bill937ca]

Not sure what this painted train represents, but it is on Meitetsu.

 

 

[miyakoji]

16th Pokemon movie, apparently: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ExtremeSpeed_Genesect:_Mewtwo_Awakens

[bill937ca]

16th Pokemon movie, apparently: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ExtremeSpeed_Genesect:_Mewtwo_Awakens

 

Thanks miyakoji!

[Densha]

It is definitely Pokemon (or Pocket Monsters as the Japanese say). Off-topic, but that red monster is as ugly as it can get.

[The Next Station Is...]

I posted this a little while ago on my blog but I'd still like to see a model of this Evangelion-themed train to tie-in with Fuji-Q Highland's Evangelion rollercoaster ride... (source)

 

[cteno4]

oooh that would be nice. very bold colors! that would really be an eye catcher! lets hope! sooo many cool painted trains in japan, i guess we are lucky they are all not done as it would bankrupt me!

 

thanks

 

jeff

[ToniBabelony]

I posted this a little while ago on my blog but I'd still like to see a model of this Evangelion-themed train to tie-in with Fuji-Q Highland's Evangelion rollercoaster ride... (source)

Indeed, but the licences. Oh the licences...

 

Edited March 28, 2013 by Toni Babelony

[ToniBabelony]

double post, sorry...

Edited March 28, 2013 by Toni Babelony

[cteno4]

But bandai got the license for the transformer car, so there is hope!

 

Jeff