The Introduction Thread...

[Densha]

Hi Warren,

Your photos are really great! They have such a nice feeling to them you don't see captured often. Very good angles and humanly, rather than perfectionist stuff. Even so I think your photos are amazingly sharp, how did you do that at exposure times like 1/60?

[wazzd]

Thank you for the feedback, I've been taking photos for a long time and it has been a major pursuit for all those years, I suppose it's just practice although I did have some help from good equipment, particularly Olympus OM's from about 1977 until I bought a digital camera in 07.

When I think about it I certainly have been inspired by the Japanese rail magazines and the style of photography, not just  photos of  trains but  photographs that have trains in them,when I first bought some during my stay on Kyushu in '99 I was blown away by the images and the difference between the Japanese mags and the Australian rail publications my inability to read the text is more than made up for by the quality of the photos, also the book I mentioned by Naotaka Hirota.... Steam Locomotives of Japan is still one of my favourites and a source of photographic inspiration for me as it has been for nearly 40 years....geez am I that old??

Edited March 7, 2013 by wazzd

[miyakoji]

Japanese rail magazines and the style of photography

Yeah, I think you have an important point here. The magazines have the articles with specifics on the cars, but there's a lot of information about peripheral things also. I don't know about Australian railway magazines, and I don't know about US railway magazines either, but I think the way they're photographed in Tetsudo Fan, Journal, etc reflects how the Japanese think of trains. They're an element, a central one of course, in a larger system: the trains, the station, the passengers, the railway employees, the shops in and in front of the station, etc. Although I like the rolling stock itself, it wouldn't be the same without all the other parts.

[bikkuri bahn]

Yeah, I think you have an important point here. The magazines have the articles with specifics on the cars, but there's a lot of information about peripheral things also. I don't know about Australian railway magazines, and I don't know about US railway magazines either, but I think the way they're photographed in Tetsudo Fan, Journal, etc reflects how the Japanese think of trains. They're an element, a central one of course, in a larger system: the trains, the station, the passengers, the railway employees, the shops in and in front of the station, etc. Although I like the rolling stock itself, it wouldn't be the same without all the other parts.

 

Discussion about railway literature and magazines is one of my favorite sub-categories.  Within just the range of Japanese railway mags there is variety.  Simplistic, but here is a summary of the main ones:

 

Tetsudo Fan (JRF): emphasis on rolling stock (this started back in the early 80's), recently they have had features on quirky aspects of railway infrastructure as well as historical structures.  Most otaku favor this magazine.

 

Tetsudo Journal (Railway Journal): emphasis on the operational and economic aspects of the railways, weak on rolling stock coverage, you tend to find back issues of this magazine the most in second-hand shops

 

Rail Magazine: big format with large color pictures, emphasis on last runs and endangered rolling stock, also some vintage coverage, the most railfan photographer oriented magazine

 

Tetsudo Daiya Johou: covers timetables and special runs, also has one big feature on a railway or certain rolling stock of a railway per issue

 

Railway Pictorial: venerable publication, tends to focus on one subject in depth, with articles by various authors.  Perhaps the most academic of the magazines

 

*I can't comment about railway mags in other countries, except the old Trains magazines from the 50's and 60's are IMO superior in writing quality and depth than the more recent issues.

Edited March 8, 2013 by bikkuri bahn

[wazzd]

 I have managed to acquire some copies Japan Railfan Magazine and Rail Magazine and love the photo quality and subject matter. Australia really only has 2 mainstream railfan mags one is bi-monthly and focuses mainly on Diesel Locomotives, the photography is quite good , but  Australian fans seem to go more for the 3/4 view on a sunny day.... or what you might call a roster shot over anything that could be termed creative or as some have said "arty". Many Japanese photos I've seen feature flowers or  the terrain and the rail environment as well as specific train shots, but with so many trains ....and railfans with cameras, the variety of expression is natural and helped me to look at other ways of doing it.

My recent trip was the first time I've been in a snowy environment and as such I learnt some photographic truths, the chance to photograph railways in the snow doesn't happen here very often and not at all within a few hundred miles of where I live.

[beakaboy]

Hi, I am John from The Bay of Plenty in New Zealand. I have been modelling in N scale since i was 17 ,almost 40yrs ago. Mostly modelled American Railways until a trip to Japan in 1985 and 2 trips on Shinkansen and various other trains. Unfortunately we were on an organised tour most of the time which restricted my photo opportunities of the railway kind. I have several layouts at present  and all at different stages. My city layout (New Havana)is 3.2m long by 1.2 wide and uses an architects model of  a district in beijing,China as its core area with clip-ons made for each end to enable continuous running. I built all the track work to fit around and through the city. The city module was fully lit when i purchased it and came in its own plywood shipping crate. The layout is DC operated, but can be changed quickly to DCC.I have video and photos posted at     http://s708.photobucket.com/user/beaka50/library/

At some stage i intend making more clip on end units so i can add interesting scenes to the layout when i wish. Presently i am working on a modular layout in NZ120 scale which represents the New Zealand narrow gauge. I love the variety of Japanese railways and am looking forward to gaining more knowledge.

Edited March 20, 2013 by beakaboy

[CaptOblivious]

Hi, I am John from The Bay of Plenty in New Zealand. I have been modelling in N scale since i was 17 ,almost 40yrs ago. Mostly modelled American Railways until a trip to Japan in 1985 and 2 trips on Shinkansen and various other trains. Unfortunately we were on an organised tour most of the time which restricted my photo opportunities of the railway kind. I have several layouts at present  and all at different stages. My city layout (New Havana)is 3.2m long by 1.2 wide and uses an architects model of  a district in beijing,China as its core area with clip-ons made for each end to enable continuous running. I built all the track work to fit around and through the city. The city module was fully lit when i purchased it and came in its own plywood shipping crate. The layout is DC operated, but can be changed quickly to DCC.I have video and photos posted at     http://s708.photobucket.com/user/beaka50/library/

At some stage i intend making more clip on end units so i can add interesting scenes to the layout when i wish. Presently i am working on a modular layout in NZ120 scale which represents the New Zealand narrow gauge. I love the variety of Japanese railways and am looking forward to gaining more knowledge.

Welcome John! Would love to see this layout, but unfortunately, the Photobucket page reports that there is "No Media"?

[Bernard]

John - Welcome to the forum, and nice layout!

 

Don - on the Photobucket album, click on "hide Albums and Stories" then you'll see Edendale N gauge, etc.

[beakaboy]

thanks for the welcome. There is so much information on here.wish i had come across this forum earlier. I must unpack my city layout at some stage and do an updated video of it. My last short clip was taken in 2010 at a local show.hopefully this link will work  

[Bernard]

Beakaboy - really nice work on how you lighted the skyscraper...impressive!

[cteno4]

Beadaboy,

 

welcome, nice high rises, tell us more about them!

 

jeff

[beakaboy]

Hi guys.thanks, but i can't take the credit for the high rise buildings as they were already fitted when i purchased the model city.The lighting for the high rises and gardens,etc was installed as well with a timer unit fitted so as not to overheat the bulbs.I paid  NZ$60 for the table mounted city complete with buildings,roads,gardens and other details. It had been used as a display model for selling apartments in Beijing, China and several people have mentioned that it would have easily cost around NZ$3000-4000 to make it here. I could see the potential for a railway layout and made up the clip on units at each end to complete the circuit I had built on the edge of the table ,as well as fitting a custom made timer/reversing unit for the overhead track. The overhead track was a mission to fit and glue as well as supplying feeders for power. The high rises are made up of several layers with the initial layer being clear plastic,etched with the window surrounds,etc and then the other coloured layers glued on top. all the vehicles on the roads are mine with the exception of the cars with lights. The city is probably not true N scale, but is close enough for me.In the future i plan to add a working railway crossing with lights and bells and of course alot more people. When i get time away from my other projects , i want to make another couple of clip on units and have one operating my motorised tomytec bus and tram around and through some buildings. Found a photo of how the city unit looked when i first purchased it

http://s708.photobucket.com/user/beaka50/media/DSCN0445.jpg.html

 

I have got another exhibition piece as well which is twice the size of this unit. I paid NZ$70 for it. It came as 2 units which fit together and is another scene from China depicting a small Las Vegas type town with a man made lake based at the foot of  some hills. This is more like Z scale and the LED lighting is impressive with 50 chase sequences for it. Extremely bright colours. I had intentions of building a Z scale line around the edge of the town and up through cuttings and tunnels in the hills. One day!!!

[Bernard]

Are you kidding me, NZ$60 - 70 for those layouts with the skyscrapers!!?? That rivals some of the deals Jeff has found in the past! I'm counting over 10 buildings on the link to the layout you posted. Is that correct?  Incredible!

[beakaboy]

all shots are of the same layout at different stages. can't find any shots of the Z scale one at present. I must admit to feeling apprehensive when bidding at auction as the pickup was Auckland , about 2 and a half hours drive, and i had only viewed a few photos with limited knowledge from seller. I think this helped with other bidders not committing and also they had placed the model under the wrong category. The model had its own shipping crate at 2metres in length by 1metre high and by removing the centre seats from our Honda Odyssey wagon, it fitted beautifully. I was completely awestruck when the seller turned on the lights as i had not realised it was lit and was fired up all the way home on my good fortune. I got a real buzz from exhibiting it at shows especially waiting till kids were watching and flicking on the lights.

[cteno4]

Beakaboy,

 

Wow that's a great steal! Yes architectural models like that are VERY expensive, I have a friend that makes them. Well worth that drive.

 

Cheers,

 

Jeff

 

 

[beakaboy]

have found a few shots and a couple of short videos of the Z scale models. check out a video here

 

http://s708.photobucket.com/user/beaka50/media/Z%20Scale%20Resort/DSCN0863.mp4.html?sort=6&o=1

 

Have also added some more early shots of the city layout here

 

http://s708.photobucket.com/user/beaka50/media/New%20Havana%20%20A%20city%20N%20scale%20Layout/DSCN0797.jpg.html?sort=3&o=17

[tossedman]

Hi, I'm Todd from Calgary, Alberta (that's in western Canada, just east of the Rocky Mountains for those of you not familiar with our geography). My six year old son is a train nut and through him I've become involved in modelling Japanese trains. I lived just outside of Nagoya for a year twenty some odd years ago and have fond memories of train travel throughout Japan. We have a couple of B Train Shorty Shinkansens (and there's another waiting hidden away for his birthday in a few weeks and more in the mail). I find they're not a delicate in his six year old hands and he can build them. We've also picked up some Tomy trams. All this fits in great with his collection of Canadian Pacific passenger and freight cars. I'm thinking we may need two layouts someday though, or settle on one country to model.

 

There's lots to learn here. Looking forward to getting into it.

 

Cheers eh,

 

Todd

[cteno4]

Todd,

 

Welcome! glad your son is enjoying the hobby with you and sucking you in more! You've seen the huge variety of trains and train scenes that are available with japanese rr, so there should be a lot of fun stuff for you guys to do! The btrains are great way to get started and pretty sturdy. keep us posted on what you do, always great to see a young one getting started!

 

cheers

 

jeff

[Mudkip Orange]

Hi, I'm Todd from Calgary, Alberta (that's in western Canada, just east of the Rocky Mountains for those of you not familiar with our geography). My six year old son is a train nut and through him I've become involved in modelling Japanese trains. I lived just outside of Nagoya for a year twenty some odd years ago and have fond memories of train travel throughout Japan. We have a couple of B Train Shorty Shinkansens (and there's another waiting hidden away for his birthday in a few weeks and more in the mail). I find they're not a delicate in his six year old hands and he can build them. We've also picked up some Tomy trams. All this fits in great with his collection of Canadian Pacific passenger and freight cars. I'm thinking we may need two layouts someday though, or settle on one country to model. There's lots to learn here. Looking forward to getting into it. Cheers eh, Todd

 

 

That's pretty cool. The day when Kato releases a Siemens-Duewag U2 in Gen1 C-train livery (blue-blue-purple) will be the day I find myself 200-300 dollars poorer.

[tossedman]

Yeah a C-Train would be cool. I'd be in the same boat financially if my son ever got wind of it. Then he'd want the newer version. It'd never end. A B Train Shorty would end up on his list too I'm sure.

 

Todd

[bobquincy]

Hi, I'm boB or bobquincy.  My main interest is in N scale Southern Railway modeling, particularly Murphy Branch in Western North Carolina, and Disney monorails and railroad.  I got interested in Japanese monorails when a fellow monorail modeler sent me a Fujimi 1000 kit.  Of course I could not leave it as a static model so a newly designed powered chassis is off at the 3D print shop. 

 

In a couple weeks I expect the Fujimi model to be running on its beam, then I can get back to building my Disney monorail station but don't be surprised to see some Japanese models running with the Disney monorails and trains.  :)

 

I have a website at:  http://monorail.suzieandbob.com/

 

boB

Edited April 7, 2013 by bobquincy

[Antrox]

Hi! I'm Antonio from Spain and my main preferences are in N scale RENFE material, Europena TEE models and all kind of High Speed trains and this is because Shinkansen are one of my favourite trains. I only have a complete Kato 500 with all 16 cars but I hope to get bigger my Shinkansen's collection.

Nowday, I'm envolved making a layout with a large station capable to fit the 2,5m of 16 cars Shinkansens. I think someday I will finish or at least I could run some trains on it :D

 

I also belong to a association that has a modular layout, you can have a look at the website http://www.mascarat.com.es I'm sorry because it's only in Spanish though if you want any information don't hesitate to ask me.

 

Cheers.

Antrox.

[beakaboy]

Hi all, I have been unpacking my city layout recently and playing around with the camera. Several videos uploaded to you tube. link below to one of them. John

 

[cteno4]

John,

 

Great stuff! You need a monorail!!! Maybe bob will have a mechanism together soon for the greenmax model. Would look über coll snaking between the high rises.

 

Cheers

 

Jeff

Edited May 4, 2013 by cteno4

[JR 500系]

Wow John!

 

That is good stuff! A really nice layout! Love the high skyscrapers, and the orange roof near the park! The scenry is very neatly done too! Guess the only thing is perhaps a local train would like nicer running about viaducts than a Tram... Still used to seeing trams on the roads...

 

Really cool layout! Love it! Thanks for sharing!