RM Models No.294 Tram Showcase

[Cat]

Earlier this year we picked up a copy of RM Models No.294 just to see what it was like, and this one came with a 2020 calendar.

This week, I pulled it out again, and have really been enjoying studying all the photos in a big 15-page spread they did on 1:80 tram modules.

I am envious that Japan has tram modules going strong, where T-Trak here has gone to running full size trains instead of small ones that fit well into small modules.

 

Tram fans may want to hunt down a copy of this issue, there is a lot of very stunning work on display:

 

http://www.rm-models.jp/rmm/rmm294/index.html
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● Showa Model Workshop Special
　modeler, special edition of the popular serialization section sent by Mr. Yoichi Miyashita. In the summer of 2019, we will pay attention to the "Tetsuken Mohamoha Competition" booth at the JAM International Model Railway Convention held at Tokyo Big Sight and graphically introduce the various scene module layouts exhibited at the venue.
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[bill937ca]

T-Trak Network dates back to 2003 and was one of the first Japanese model tram sites I discovered after hearing bout the old Tomix 3076 tram track covers. Lots of photos of modular layouts at JAM and various other shows.

 

http://white.zero.jp/t-trak/

[cteno4]

Ttrak all started with trams with Lee Monaco visiting japan for jam and seeing A4 page tram dioramas a magazine editor was presenting and encouraging. She and her husband were at the core of NTrak (why they were at jam as ntrak was trying to start in japan) and she realized that you could just do a mini ntrak for trams and tiny scenes, thus Ttrak was borne. 
 

after she launched Ttrak it kind of split with japan sticking to trams of small interurban and a lot of tram scenes at 25mm and the us going to alternate 33mm and big trains doing basically ntrak but not having to build as big of modules or scenes. Tram has stayed alive in japan but in the last few years there has been some movement in japan to do more 33mm and bigger trains stuff and mega setups like the us likes to do. I think the small scenes and tram scenes will stay alive well though in japan as dioramas are still a big hobby and space is still a limiting factor for many.

 

sadly many of the early japanese Ttrak websites are no more. There were some amazing modules and even some huge street scenes along with many single track variations as well.

 

jeff

[bill937ca]

Another T-trak website:

http://www.kouchans-factory.sakura.ne.jp/module-db.htm