How did you improve your rolling stock today? (HO & other scales)

[cteno4]

Very nice work kamome!

 

jeff

[shadowtiger25]

Replaced this connector so that my Tenshodo C62-2 Hokkaido style can run again.

Luckily it was a simple repair, unplug the 2 connectors, desolder one wire, then plug the new one in and solder that wire to the new light board

[Raicho485]

I was working on destination sticker last night. 
Some Tomix passenger car does illuminate well. 

[Raicho485]

Keep fixing Twilight express set.

Sold as junk train set without any warranty, but I try my best to look better. 

[Kamome]

What are people’s view on mixing 1/72 military vehicles with 1/80 flat cars? 

 

I would normally say for 1/87 HO this would be very noticeable but unsure in 1/80. Umming whether to build a short military logistic train using Tramway Chiki 7000s.  Aoshima and Fujimi produce quite a lot of JGSDF equipment in 1/72. Thinking the largest loads would be Type 96 APC from Komatsu along with a few lighter vehicles. Can’t seem to find any FH70 155mm Howitzer models in this scale. Fujimi announced it but trail seems to have gone quiet. The tarps over the Tramway ones look horrific. 

[Beaver]

7 hours ago, Kamome said:

What are people’s view on mixing 1/72 military vehicles with 1/80 flat cars?

 

My view is that 1/72 vehicles are already too obviously large in 1/76 so 1/80 would probably be too much. Using 1/80 vehicles in 1/87 doesn't really work either.

 

That's with the items in different scales in proximity to one another. Placing one directly on the other would really make it obvious. Yes, a light vehicle would physically fit even though oversize but if it is taking up as much space as a heavy vehicle should that will look very weird.

 

That is just my view though. Looking at your workbench thread makes it clear your sense of what is important in a convincing model is quite different from mine. You might be satisfied with the result. Maybe just try one wagon with a vehicle or two and see how it looks?

[cteno4]

Yeah I think the issue with most military vehicles is they are bigger than usual vehicles already so even at scale they look even more oversized to our minds eye as most of our visual memory of vehicles being regular cars and trucks, not oversized military vehicles. Then add on the extra 10% with the 1/72 scale may make it stand out a lot in a 1/80 scene. Perhaps get a couple inexpensive 1/72 models and plop it on a flat to see how it feels to your eyes, that’s what’s important. Many take much more from the meaning of the scene and that pushes aside small differences, others go batty if something is just a tiny tad off. I’ve always enjoyed seeing how much you can play with your own mind’s eye and that of the average viewer of the layout and never bother with trying to satisfy the it must be spot on viewer as I know I will never be able to satisfy them.

 

I expect you will definitely notice the difference if the 1/72 military vehicles are near any regular 1/80 regular vehicles. The eye definitely goes to any 1/160 (6.7% smaller) or 1/144 (4% bigger) vehicles put in amidst some 1/150 vehicles, but if separated you don’t notice it much. Also depends on viewing distance and angle, our eyes stop comparing small changes in sizes as much with more distance and at an angle you can hide odd things, but you can’t always control the viewing angle and/or distance.

 

cheers,

 

jeff

[Kamome]

Thanks for your comments @Beaver @cteno4 I was trying to mock up some rough sizes on a drawing program to get an idea of size but wasn’t convinced. When thinking about literal millimetres of difference, it didn’t seem that much, but across 3 dimensions, I wasn’t sure and your comments have confirmed my reservations.

Shame as the models themselves look nicely detailed. Definitely a big gap in the market for 1/80 anything. 

 

8 hours ago, Beaver said:

Looking at your workbench thread makes it clear your sense of what is important in a convincing model is quite different from mine. You might be satisfied with the result.

No offense taken 😂

I appreciate your comments. I would be interested in your thoughts though. As a relatively inexperienced modeller, I’d be happy to get input on what works and what doesn’t for others. I am open to some honest critique on what to look for or where to improve as long as it isn’t just “your models look like shiitake!”  Not to say I will always agree, but good to take on others views and perceptions and tips and tricks to help me become more accomplished. 

[Kamome]

Storage improvements thanks to Susukuma’s Youtube channel. Ordered these B4 Desk trays to reduce storage space for my HO trains. This solution is robust, a lot more cost effective than buying the Imon boxes and should reduce the headache of opening individual boxes. Also able to keep the stock in accessible cases and in formation order much easier. 

 

Dividers were made with cardboard sheets and packing foam sheets, courtesy of ¥100 store. (They now produce a range of shipping products for online sellers like Mercari)

 

Cost

Box ¥1000 + ¥30 packing material

 

As Susukuma says, you can get 9 coaches in each case which vastly reduces the space required for storage. 

Just need to see whether I can sell the old boxes or just have to recycle them. 

Once I get home, I’ll take a photo of the reduction comparison from original boxes to new storage solution.

 

Update

 

I’d say about 60% of storage space is saved compared with original packaging. 

 

Here is a 15 coach 20 series Fuji formation as well as a 12 coach 24 series Tsurugi formation. 

 

I worked out that although you can get 9 coaches, Koki will get up to 10 as they're slightly narrower. Taki 1000/4300 I can fit 13-14 per box, other wagons like Wamu between 18-20. This actually improves the space saving quite considerably and beats options in terms of size and price from train case manufacturers. I'll keep locos in there original boxes but rolling stock I'm less concerned about. Also the Tomix wagon kits no longer come in useable storage so this will greatly help once I order more.

Edited October 22 by Kamome

[Kamome]

A morning of hobby time allowed my to finally update my Tomix EF64-1000 “milk carton” I bought it used from Book Off some time ago and it did not come with the detail parts that had been omitted by the previous owner. I managed to find the plastic GPS antenna detail previously but have now added the Fuji Model wire grab rails and the dry rub transfers for his shed allocation (Aichi) I also decided to give it a matt dull coat to take away the sheen that a freight loco would lose pretty quickly. The body is easy to remove the glazing although I had to mask the front windscreens. 

 

Quite excited to hear Tomix will release this again in May 2025  to have a pair although the price is creeping up again. 

 

My weekend also suddenly opened up so had additional time to get some other long awaiting projects to near completion. It’s rare at this moment to get enough time to get my airbrush set up. Currently space is a little limited so can’t have my spray booth or airbrush set up anywhere permanently. This means I need to block in a time for set up and clean up. Not a relaxing activity so I need to create myself a job list so that I can complete a few tasks in a painting session. 

 

I had already started weathering a Mani 60 for my Nichinan formation. Haven’t found many useable colour pictures of these to use as reference but mail vans certainly don’t look as well cleaned as passenger stock. The pristine roof needed bringing up to the same level of dirt as the rest of the coach, as well as being behind the loco, also wanted to try out adding some overhead wire and panto crud to one end. 

 

 

In this image background you can also see a Kiha 28. Having found a “eureka” colour for toning back grey roof colours, My Hobby 137 Tire Black is a great grey/black tone. When diluted and sprayed sparingly to build variations in roof colour around vents etc.. I also added some to my 4 Kiha 58/28/65 diesels as the robes looked a little too clean away from the exhaust dirt which I used a sooty flat black. Adds some tone and extra dirt and discolouration around the vents. Also added so Flat earth colour around the bogies and underside to give variation to the rust brown of the wheels and kick up by the bogies.  

 

Finally project is to bring to almost completion a JRF EF510, ex Hokutosei livery. I have been working on this and putting it off for some time but managed to get it to a runnable level I’m 85% happy with. 

Added a lot of dirt and grime to the roof. Luckily there are lots of photos of unit 504 looking pretty worse for wear. I’m not 100% happy with the pantographs, think I need to tone these done a bit.  I also used some light brown enamel with a lot of thinner to try and simulate the unique run off patterns these locos have. The matt too coat tones this down a lot so I made need to go over again to create a second filter layer. 

 

Colour is very subjective but here’s what I used.

 

Roof dirt - Mr Color 137 Tire Black

Pantograph dirt - Mr Color 22 Dark Earth

Frame and roof rust - Tamiya Nato Brown XF-68

Frame dirt - Tamiya Flat Earth XF-52

Edited November 17 by Kamome