Kato Mini Diorama Kit

[tossedman]

2 hours ago, Welshbloke said:

I have seen laser cut baseboard kits designed to fit Ikea "Billy" bookcases, which might be a solution if you can spare a shelf.

 

Sounds interesting. Any links to those laser cut baseboard kits designed to fit Ikea "Billy" bookcases? I like the Ghibli idea as well.

[Welshbloke]

Annoyingly I can't find the link now. I believe they were being offered by a chap named Tim Horn in the UK, he's still trading but his website is out of action awaiting an update. They were conventional laser-cut plywood baseboard kits (the sort you simply glue together with a few clamps to hold the joints square as they dry) but made to fit the standard Billy shelves.

 

My tunnels are from Busch, but they seem to be the devil to find any details from. I think two of them are the 8003 "Single tunnel with lake", but the sharper curved one appears to have disappeared without trace. I haven't seen another since buying mine and it doesn't appear in searches. It too is a single track tunnel with a lake, but more sharply curved which may be why it's NLA (as 150mm is a bit tight for mainstream N).

 

Porco is rescaled from this Thingiverse file: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3835254

 

I had to guess how tall he needed to be and may have slightly overdone it, he looks short and stocky in the anime. I think he and his HO brother came out ok though:

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/B73FxKJBMct/?utm_medium=copy_link

[tossedman]

Cool! Thanks. I found a bunch of Tim Horn's stuff online but not the Billy bookcase baseboards. I'll keep looking though.

 

Cheers eh,

 

Todd

[arkh]

I actually completed one of these mini dioramas a few months ago but only just got around to adding in some scale figures to complete the effect. I have to say that Kato has done an awesome job with this kit and I hope it or similar ones catch on. There's a lot you can do with these outside of what the kit gives you instructions and materials for. It's also very fun to do considering you can bang one of these out very quickly or just take your time over a week doing it little by little - it doesn't feel like a huger undertaking. I got one of these for my younger cousins along with one of Kato's STEAM train kits and hope this encourages them to do more than just stare at a screen all day, haha.
 

 

 

 

 

A few more photos and little blog detailing the build here: https://ameblo.jp/howlingoh/entry-12718186504.html

Edited December 28, 2021 by arkh

[Andrew G]

Hello Folks,

 

I've been interested in the concept of the Kato Mini-dioramas but do not want to go to the point of purchasing and importing them to Australia. Therefore I am experimenting with home made modules that will be compatible and have a bit more real estate. 5mm foam-core on 20mm high timber frames appears to to do the job. Other options are being investigated.

 

This Kato website and its associated pages expands the knowledge of the concept, https://www.kato-dioramakit.com/?fbclid=IwAR1R_p-5HhnjweyjgRSVfzRacc5PhM3i-qs9ViGPa_Uif7UOqvtyLfQwNaQ.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers, Andrew G

Edited May 22, 2023 by disturbman
post formatting

[cteno4]

Andrew,

 

been doing the same thing here using small wooden canvases you can purchase cheaply. First started with trying to do the same creating slightly larger modules to fit track, but then decided I liked the idea of having gaps between the module scene and doing a wide variety of modules shapes and sizes. Additionally I wanted to get away from constructing modules (I’ve built way too many modules in the last 18 or so years) myself and also coming up with a simple solution anyone could buy retail without any construction (real hurtle for many newbies even doing laser cut kits) and reducing costs.

 

cheers,

 

jeff

[cteno4]

I had looked at trying to import a pile of the mini diorama but they would have been $20-25 by the time I shipped them to anyone here in the states, just not worth it. I made a template and was easy to make them out of 5mm ply using the router table but a pain again manufacturing and like you I wanted a bit more space for buildings. Then hit on the little wooden canvases as I really got into the idea of dreaming up a scene and choosing the size and shape base needed for the scene and where you wanted the track to go through the module. It’s made thinking about scenes much more fun for me from Ttrak. 
 

Jeff

[Andrew G]

Here is the first of my (nearly) fully sceniced Kato Minidiorama compatible module.

[cteno4]

Nice Andrew! So much more fun to dream up a scene and decide the size and shape the modules needs to be and where the track needs to be and not let the modular format rule the scene.

 

jeff

[Meccano 2049]

Hi 

 

I have been looking at this post and have drawn up based on the size of the track two diorama shapes that i have lasercut into basswood .

Attached are the rendered key-shot files based on my lasercut files, that I used to understand the design and its potential

[PaulMmn]

On 5/22/2023 at 5:41 AM, Andrew G said:

Hello Folks,

 

I've been interested in the concept of the Kato Mini-dioramas but do not want to go to the point of purchasing and importing them to Australia. Therefore I am experimenting with home made modules that will be compatible and have a bit more real estate. 5mm foam-core on 20mm high timber frames appears to to do the job. Other options are being investigated.

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers, Andrew G

Andrew--

I'm interested in these modules as an introduction to modeling.

I'd like permission to re-publish your module outlines as part of the NRail group's exploration of the Micro Modules.

--Paul E Musselman

 

[Andrew G]

Paul, At present I am working on what I think is a better rendition of the micromodule concept that is still compatible with the Kato mini diorama by having a track base height of 25mm,  but closer to a more mainstream concept of modules. Still keeping the 183mm curve but opting for 186mm straights if the 124mm is a bit short of the planned scene. The 186mm length also allows a loco or piece of rolling stock to properly enter into the module and be contained by it. The basic U.S.A 40ft box car or switcher is about 80mm long and the Kato Minidiorama is only 124mm, so it alomst `flashes in and out' of the module. The Dimensions of the pentagonal 45 degree curve modules still needs a bit of fine tuning. The curve module in the photos is totally 5mm foamcore and the straight module is a 5mm foamcore module top with 25mm high 3mm thick balsa wood sides. I glue in small blocks of wood to provide a solid material to nail the Unitrack into.

We should probably discuss the concepts a bit more and have some other modellers do some `beta testing' of the concept before widely publishing anything. Thank-you for the interest.

Edited September 13, 2023 by Andrew G

[Andrew G]

23 hours ago, PaulMmn said:

Andrew--

I'm interested in these modules as an introduction to modeling.

I'd like permission to re-publish your module outlines as part of the NRail group's exploration of the Micro Modules.

--Paul E Musselman

 

Paul, please see the post above ...

[brill27mcb]

Kato Mini-Dioramas receive love in Britain:

 

 

... as part of a discussion on how to get younger people interested in model railways. (See 4:40 into the video.)

 

Rich K.