KIHA80-82 detailing

[al camino]

On Sunday I found some time to do a kind of "mass production" detailing on my KIHAs.

The images show the last phase of attaching all remaining air reservoirs on coupler loops.

I noticed quite some tolerances - from perfect "Kato style" fit to breaking the loop after scraping to fit.

Lucky me! The KIH81s do have couplers with out the air tanks to mount - so I had a spare part.

 

Next time the air hoses of about 8 or 9 cars are to be mounted.

 

Doing it in a mass prodruction style makes the first 2 to be "dangerous" but the remaining ones can be done with knowledge.

 

(I afraid of the lettering sessions to come)

 

Edited August 21, 2019 by al camino
Removed a dozen typos and changed words for better reading.

[Kiha66]

How did you get the air tanks to fit?  I was unable to get mine to fit no matter how hard I tried.  I just gave up and assumed there was a mistake somehow.

[Kamome]

I also found I had greater success once I removed the couplers. I first push fitted the tanks on, some actually went on easily as I could fully see where the pegs of the tank and the holding loop were much easier.

 

With the ones that required some encouragement, I used a flat sided screwdriver to help push the holding loop into the space around the pegs on the water tank. Once they were passed the initial positioning, they seemed to slide in reasonably easily.

 

Tanks were fitted to all my 13 cars. In my frustration of the initial installs, one tank of the Kishi was glued on.

Edited August 21, 2019 by Kamome

[al camino]

Now I am back from office and be able to answer.

 

I found out that some times the tolerances of the loop and the tanks/pegs meet to a perfect fit (KATO style) or make it impossible to attach the tank without force.

One pairing was impossible to mount --> leading to broken loop and using the KIHA81 coupler.

 

First as a must is to remove the coupler from the chassis.

Then test fit with some pairings to find the perfect match.

By testing you start to feel how worse the tolerances are.

Next step was to scrape some material from the loop.

My experience was that in most cases scraping the top edge of the loop was enough.

This is the bottom when mounted on chassis.

I removed only a little material to have a champfer that allows the tank to slide onto the loop.

Then test fit the tank by attaching in an angle.

First try to insert the peg on couplers end - the peg nearer to tank end.

It is good if the loop slips into the tank with a little force.

Having long finger nails (guitar playing) help to lead some force to the necessary point.

I press the loop with my nail into the tank and tilt the tank to it's end position.

- finished -

Some tanks refused to be inserted like this.

Then I scraped some material from the edge of loop opening.

This worked well for all except one.

This one received some additional scraping on the tank to get a little champher there also.

I always pushed the loop into the tank with my finger nail.

This helped to have a good feeling of the insertion force and also did not harm the surface of the plastic.

 

Would a sketch be necessary to clarify this better?

 

Hope this description helps.

Any questions left? Don't hesitate to contact me ( as I finish my letters in office...)

Edited August 21, 2019 by al camino
typos as usual

[al camino]

Now I have a question also:

 

It's about the illuminated train name plates:

 

My consists shall be:

train #1   *キハ81, キハ80(M),* キハ82-900, キロ80, キシ80, キハ80(T), キハ81*

train #2   *キハ81, キロ80, キシ80, キハ80(M), キハ82-900*

train #3   EF71 , *キハ82, キハ82*,* キハ82, キロ80, キハ82*

The "*" stands for cab-side.

I noticed the KIHA81plates have different train names as the KIHA82 have.

Also the shape is different.

 

Train #1: The leading and trailing KIHA81 will receive the same name plates.

I think it might be o.k.when using a plain plate for the KIHA82-900 in between.

 

Train #3: This one can receive up to 4 times the same name plate.

 

But -

Train #2 has a leading KIHA81 and a trailing KIHA82.

Different shapes and names. What shall I do?

Maybe someone of you has a good idea.

 

Edited August 21, 2019 by al camino
Typos, typos, typos and some amened words, new pic.

[Kamome]

Kato do an extra  Kiha 82 headmark set, (7-102) but the only name that would be the same as the 81s is Kuroshio.

 

As you’re creating fictional consists, I’d say it doesn’t really matter what name is at the end of each.

 

Alternatively, you could use the blank plates and try and create something yourself. Kato have a formation guide to give an idea of the consists so you could base your ideas around those.

https://www.katomodels.com/product/ho/kiha82

 

 

Edited August 21, 2019 by Kamome

[Kiha66]

I've seen photos of the kiha 82 and 81 cars with running with blank headboards before, I suspect if they were mid train they probably didnt bother to change the headmarks out.  Probably using another headmark from the same area would work fine, as if they had just left it when attaching it to the larger train.

[al camino]

17 hours ago, Kamome said:

Kato do an extra  Kiha 82 headmark set, (7-102) but the only name that would be the same as the 81s is Kuroshio. 

 

Hi Kamome

 

Thank you for this hint! I did not notice this item.

So my KIHA81---KIHA82 train will become Kuroshio. I like the nameplates to be the same.

And I like the colored ones which will go into train #3.

Now I need another KIHA80(M) to be more flexible.

 

[al camino]

17 hours ago, Kiha66 said:

I've seen photos of the kiha 82 and 81 cars with running with blank headboards before, I suspect if they were mid train they probably didnt bother to change the headmarks out.  Probably using another headmark from the same area would work fine, as if they had just left it when attaching it to the larger train.

The blank headboards do not attact me much exept in mid train.

The "same area headmark" is a good thought. THanks to you.