nscaler711 Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 (edited) Ok so I had asked in the DCC forum about the EF81 and different versions, heres why. https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61yDdGx+bGL._SL1000_.jpg ( I linked to image and it embedded it?) This anime (shamefully?) got me interested in modeling Japan... I know this thing does not exist in real life, but in the minute or so it was shown I fell "in love" with it. I mean who doesn't like a train with gimmicky flashy lights on it? *cough* GE 2010. *cough* Since watching this anime a few years ago, I have watched a fair amount of railfanning videos in Japan, and its just so beautiful... So what I want to do is model this train. I have a Tomix set ordered with a EF65 and a few passenger cars that look similar to this train, (Japanese National Railway EF65-1000, Ltd Express Type 25 in 24 Series Tomix 92006) though I may ditch the EF65 just because I believe this is the one that uses a spring as a worm gear... that is just too weird... (anyone want partial trade? 😄 ) I want to know which version to order so I can attempt to replicate this in N scale. Preferably which ever one that uses a decoder which has a few more functions so I can have working flashy lights. lol Then theres the decals... I may be in over my head... Edited January 5, 2019 by cteno4 2 Link to comment
Kiha66 Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 Looks like a fun project! I say keep the spring drive one as a "test loco" so you can get some experience with painting and decaling without worrying about messing up your nice locomotive. Be sure to share your progress here, and don't be afraid to go for it! Railwars was a fun watch, I've always been tempted to make the gas turbine DMU from the later episodes. I need to be on the lookout for some cheap kiha 81 sets to modify. 1 Link to comment
katoftw Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 I think any EF81 would work. The hardest bit will be find the correct one arm pantographs to fit the top of the model properly, and some snow protection bars suited for the EF81. Some companies make snow protection bars for other models, but never seen them for EF81s. Link to comment
nscaler711 Posted January 5, 2019 Author Share Posted January 5, 2019 39 minutes ago, katoftw said: I think any EF81 would work. The hardest bit will be find the correct one arm pantographs to fit the top of the model properly, and some snow protection bars suited for the EF81. Some companies make snow protection bars for other models, but never seen them for EF81s. Yeah, haven't got that far yet. I was thinking I could use a couple Bachmann ones from their HHP-8, and modify them some how... But those are designed to operate under NEC catenary height which is much taller than what JR runs under... and they are metal so I could, like the HHP-8 run under live wire!!! Ok I probably won't go that far... But man. Live catenary in N scale? What a dream. As for the grates on the windshield, maybe magnet wire? Or painted/decals on the windshield... Im still trying to figure out the light bar on the roof... Link to comment
chadbag Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 51 minutes ago, nscaler711 said: Live catenary in N scale? What a dream. Most of the Euro models in N-Scale have live catenary. Not all but many or most. No-one actually uses it I am told. All my old Arnold and Fleischmann have little switches or other ways to switch between rail pickup and catenary and a lot of the newer ones do as well. Link to comment
nscaler711 Posted January 5, 2019 Author Share Posted January 5, 2019 Just now, chadbag said: Most of the Euro models in N-Scale have live catenary. Not all but many or most. No-one actually uses it I am told. All my old Arnold and Fleischmann have little switches or other ways to switch between rail pickup and catenary and a lot of the newer ones do as well. Yeah the HHP-8 has a similar set up, but the Acela doesn't, at one time I started to build NEC Catenary for them to run under, but quickly gave up... The old PRR Cat system is really hard to model... No manufactures come close to the look so I was building my own. Kinda glad the ACS-64 has plastic pantos otherwise I'd go down that rabbit hole again. Link to comment
Welshbloke Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 The spring worm locos aren't too bad in some cases. I find coating the spring in lithium grease and then reassembling the loco helps, this reduces the friction between the spring and the guide tube it sits in. Try it before you turn it down. Link to comment
nscaler711 Posted January 5, 2019 Author Share Posted January 5, 2019 1 hour ago, Welshbloke said: The spring worm locos aren't too bad in some cases. I find coating the spring in lithium grease and then reassembling the loco helps, this reduces the friction between the spring and the guide tube it sits in. Try it before you turn it down. Ok I'll try it.... I think there may have been a EF65 in a similar scheme anyway... But I'm not positive. Link to comment
Welshbloke Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 The colour scheme looks like a mashup of Twilight Express and Hokutosei. The former is dark green with yellow pinstriping while the latter (on the EF81 at least) was red and had the comet/meteor graphic on the sides. I came across mentions of the Twilight Express EF65 while researching before buying a Tomix set with the EF81 last year, but have no idea when it was used or where. The set then extended to a pair of DD51s and an ED79 to have all the types used to haul the train on its journey, then a Cassiopeia turned up and most of a Hokutosei. At the same time I finished my ten year project Asakaze and bought about half of the coaches for a combined Fuji/Hayabusa... 1 Link to comment
nscaler711 Posted January 15, 2019 Author Share Posted January 15, 2019 Ok got the set today, still haven't bought a EF81 though... Anyway umm so this EF65 is not the one with spring drive... This is like something Bachmann supplied Tomix! So naturally I do not want it. It has the same metal mech used in Bachmann diesels in the 80s to early 2000s has a Kader light board, no LEDs, talking melt your plastic everything incandescent bulbs. Uses the same white grease they used, and it even smells like one too! Oh did I mention it uses same style coupler boxes that Bachmann still uses on their trainsets? What did I get myself into? Okay okay, I mainly bought the set for the coaches/gen car... But still... Yikes!! I'll take pictures once I get this smell off my fingers... Link to comment
Davo Dentetsu Posted January 15, 2019 Share Posted January 15, 2019 I find the pantographs of an EF510 would suffice, but do involve drilling two holes for pin fitment. That's fine, bit of glue sorts that out. 1 Link to comment
nscaler711 Posted January 15, 2019 Author Share Posted January 15, 2019 (edited) 23 minutes ago, Azumanga Davo said: I find the pantographs of an EF510 would suffice, but do involve drilling two holes for pin fitment. That's fine, bit of glue sorts that out. you wouldnt happen to know the part # would you? also theres a FB page for here? Edited January 15, 2019 by nscaler711 Link to comment
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