Tomytec Utsunomiya Light Rail

[bill937ca]

Well, Tomytec has announced the Utsunomiya Light Rail.  There is an LRV set and a Light Rail Operation set

 

LRV set-- the LRV comes with a center platform and the LRV.  It's $33 US versus $17 for the most recent Tomytec traditional four -axle tram . https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10966524  There is no LRV only option.  It requires the TM-LRT04 power chassis.

 

LRV  https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10966524

TM-LRT04 https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10421171

 

But I am sure these will get broken up in store by some Tokyo train stores just like the old Tomytec Railway Collection box sets, the Tomytec Town Collections sets and the early Bandai B Train Shorty box sets.  I have 75=80 trams. Do I need 75-80 platforms? No. 

 

Light Rail Operation set--the light rail operation set comes with the LRV, TM-LRT04 drive, the 3 car center platform, the Tomix 90099 beginners set including a Tomix FD17 power pack, (of limited capacity--probably 9 volts) with an R140 oval of Wide Tram Track and  four pieces of 1792 S70 track. It's $99.37 US versus $38.46 for the 90099   Tram Operation Set  with track and power pack only.

 

Light Rail Operation Set  https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10966526

Tomix 90099 https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10531136

 

Because it includes the TM-LRT04 power chassis, the LRT and the track set this package seems to be a reasonable deal.

 

The Prototype

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/宇都宮ライトレール宇都宮芳賀ライトレール線

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/宇都宮ライトレール

 

Utsunomiya Light Rail is a third sector railway company. That means tax payers will cover deficits unlike many other Japanese rail lines and gadgetbahn.  It has been under construction since 2018 and the line  might open in August 2023.  Vehicle delivery stared in 2021.  These LRVs are of the JTRAM variety as used on the Okayama Tramway, Manyo line and various lines at Toyama.

 

There are 19 HU300  trams built by Niigata Transys. Due to the track law these LRVs are restricted to 30m in length. This line has a minimum radius of 25m (Yikes!!!) and there was a derailment on the 25m curve during a test run November 19, 2022 (Yikes!!). A legacy tram line can have a minimum radius of 11m  as on the Toyohashi Railway or 14m for the Little Dancer low floor tram.

 

https://response.jp/article/2022/11/22/364416.html#:~:text=脱線現場のカーブは,感じ、非常ブレーキ後に停止。

 

This is common flaw of trams using independent wheels (with no axle) and heavy motors attached to the wheel.  These LRVs are very sensitive to track conditions and if maintenance is lax vibration will be severe and in the worse case it will derail.  Wear on the track is greatly increased over that of a traditional legacy tram line.  The Manyo line learned this the hard way and sued Niigata Transys after numerous derailments.

 

https://207hd.com/post-15551/

 

But this won't effect the model.

 

A test run on March 7, 2023.  Video by Roku Jii

 

 

 

Here it is today. March 9, 2023.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[katem]

3 hours ago, bill937ca said:

Light Rail Operation set--the light rail operation set comes with the LRV, TM-LRT04 drive, the 3 car center platform, the Tomix 90099 beginners set including a Tomix FD17 power pack, (of limited capacity--probably 9 volts) with an R140 oval of Wide Tram Track and  four pieces of 1792 S70 track. It's $99.37 US versus $38.46 for the 90099   Tram Operation Set  with track and power pack only.

 

The FG17 power pack output is rated as 0-8V DC (non-PWM) at 300mA max.

 

Edited March 9, 2023 by katem

[bill937ca]

The Railway Collection Utsunomiya Light Rail Basic Set is now available. Everything you need in one package.

 

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10966526?utm_source=nsl&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20230825_104_news&utm_content=10966526_en

[Tony Galiani]

Great - make it easy to get started - just what I need - a new temptation.

 

And from the Asahi Shimbun:  https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14990277

 

Ciao,

Tony Galiani

[bill937ca]

Video by Dingshiden Railways 叮市電 鐵路模型

 

 

[Tony Galiani]

A couple of questions if I might.  Please feel free to be as discouraging as possible and save me from myself ....

 

Can that FG17 power pack be used in the US?

 

Has anyone tried paint tram (or DMU or EMU) window with a transparent black paint?  Something so that the window still have some transparency but that helps hide the interior motor or lack of detail/passengers?

 

Just curious.  Really.

Tony

[bill937ca]

Well these items were just released last week. So I don't think anyone has painted  the windows over at this point.

 

Maybe Rich or Jeff can speak better on the FG17.

[Tony Galiani]

Thanks.  I was thinking in a more general sense about the windows.  I have a Kato Pocket Line tram I have disassembled to do some work on and it struck me that some means to hide the interior would be nice.  Sort of searching for ideas at this point.  

 

Ditto for a Tomytec DMU I have.  On that particular unit, I put in window shades but am not really liking how they look.

 

Tony

[cteno4]

Tony,

 

The FG17 takes 12v in from a wall wart transformer. It’s good for us if it’s a 100-240v 50/60hz universal transformer. These days most all wall warts are moving to universal like this. If it’s a 100v 50/60 Japanese one it will work, it will just spit out more like 9v max. It may get warm, but usually things like this are built to handle 50% overload. I would not keep it plugged in when not using though. Maybe @katem can look at his wall wart to see if universal. My guess is it will be universal.

 

jeff

[katem]

On 8/30/2023 at 6:21 AM, cteno4 said:

The FG17 takes 12v in from a wall wart transformer. It’s good for us if it’s a 100-240v 50/60hz universal transformer. These days most all wall warts are moving to universal like this. If it’s a 100v 50/60 Japanese one it will work, it will just spit out more like 9v max. It may get warm, but usually things like this are built to handle 50% overload. I would not keep it plugged in when not using though. Maybe @katem can look at her wall wart to see if universal. My guess is it will be universal.

 

The FG17 wall brick takes anything between 100V and 240V 50Hz or 60Hz and outputs 12V in every case, can't be more universal then 🙂 Works just fine here in EU too, been using it for whole days at model fairs without any overheating problem.

Edited September 1, 2023 by katem

[brill27mcb]

Just noticed on Yahoo Japan Auction  that there is a special issue of the Tomytec Utsunomiya tram from the opening day ceremony. The regular model has number HU-301, while the commemorative one bears number HU-317, and its box has the black and yellow artwork reversed. Here's a (short-term) link to the item:

https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/w1110286657

 

Rich K.