The Introduction Thread...

[SL-san]

3 hours ago, AzusaE353 said:

Hi all,

Just joined as the forum looks very interesting. I am in Australia, long-time modeller and retired rail engineer last involved in bogie design.(ie trucks for our US buddies)

Had a great rail trip to Japan in 2017 and am building a small JR based layout to fit a retirement residence. Hope to get it set up with computer control eventually but am only as far as the woodwork at present. I look forward to some interesting discussions.

 

Arigato folks!

Hi AzusaE353...welcome!  It's good to have another Sydneysider (I live in Gordon) on the forum.

I am also a long term modeller, previously specialising in New South Wales N scale. 

My interest now is in Japanese steam locomotive models (yes it's a niche area of the hobby) but after checking out SLs at the Umikoji Steam Locomotive Museum (now Kyoto Railway Museum) and travelling on SL Yamaguchi, I was hooked!!  Subsequent visits to Ome Railway Park, The Railway Museum in Tokyo, Meiji Mura, the Kyoto Railway Museum, Wakasa Railway and riding the Moka Railway behind C11 325 helped to keep the dream alive!!!

The SL models now available are amazingly detailed and, equiped with cordless motors in the boiler, run smoothly at low speed...too many SLs are never enough.

Cheers,

Graeme

[AzusaE353]

Hi

Thanks for the warm welcome guys!

 

17 hours ago, SL-san said:

Hi AzusaE353...welcome!  It's good to have another Sydneysider (I live in Gordon) on the forum.

I am also a long term modeller, previously specialising in New South Wales N scale. 

My interest now is in Japanese steam locomotive models (yes it's a niche area of the hobby) but after checking out SLs at the Umikoji Steam Locomotive Museum (now Kyoto Railway Museum) and travelling on SL Yamaguchi, I was hooked!!  Subsequent visits to Ome Railway Park, The Railway Museum in Tokyo, Meiji Mura, the Kyoto Railway Museum, Wakasa Railway and riding the Moka Railway behind C11 325 helped to keep the dream alive!!!

The SL models now available are amazingly detailed and, equiped with cordless motors in the boiler, run smoothly at low speed...too many SLs are never enough.

Cheers,

Graeme

I had some time in NSW HO, then freelancing in N then a NSW flavoured On30 based on Dorrigo.

With lots less space when downsizing I am moving back to N.

I can understand the appeal of steam for nostalgia and spectacle but I guess I enjoy the modern developments too.

Missed out on Kyoto Railway Museum but have been to the Saitama Museum and the SCMaglev Railway park at Nagoya.

I enjoyed riding around on the variety of services from subways to Shinkansen and hope to get back again for more train rides!

Certainly going to Japan has given me enough to start a modest layout based on my own experience
 

 

 

21 hours ago, cteno4 said:

Welcome AzusaE353, glad you found us! Great to have a rail engineer onboard here. There are several others that work on various bit of rail around the world on the forum here. Looking forward to see your layout as it progresses. Please feel free to start a topic on it in the layout forum. Always great to learn from what others are doing.

 

enjoy any yell of you have questions.

 

cheers,

 

jeff

 

ps funny you mention the bogies/trucks as I’ve often wondered where each term came from. I’ve always used both interchangeably here in the us and don’t recall specifically folks in the us not knowing bogie.

 

 

Re: Bogies/Trucks and USA - I noticed it most in the model railway press like Model Railroader and Trains. 

Even Wikipedia labels it that way so not sure why the difference.

 

I will put a bit about my layout ideas in the layout forum as soon as I get a spare minute.

I read a lot of other posts there and it is very encouraging to see the skills and range of ideas that are in practice.

 

cheers

Brian

 

[MeTheSwede]

Welcome to the forum Brian!

 

I just want to say that I'm looking forward to when you've got a spare minute. 😄

[miyakoji]

Hi @AzusaE353 and @SL-sanwelcome to the forum!

[marknewton]

On 1/12/2023 at 3:20 PM, cteno4 said:

ps funny you mention the bogies/trucks as I’ve often wondered where each term came from. I’ve always used both interchangeably here in the us and don’t recall specifically folks in the us not knowing bogie.

Jeff, I've also wondered about that. When I'm at work we call them bogies, but when I'm at the tramway museum we call them trucks. To confuse the issue, four-wheel trams are referred to as "single-truck" cars, but cars with two trucks are called "bogie cars"! 🤔

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[marknewton]

On 1/12/2023 at 6:37 PM, SL-san said:

My interest now is in Japanese steam locomotive models (yes it's a niche area of the hobby) but after checking out SLs at the Umikoji Steam Locomotive Museum (now Kyoto Railway Museum) and travelling on SL Yamaguchi, I was hooked!!

Even more niche is having a fleet of JNR steam locos in HO, like me.  I blame a couple of footplate trips at Umekoji and Oigawa for that. 😉

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[marknewton]

Welcome to forum Brian, from another member also in Sydney. The On30 layout based on Dorrigo sounds fascinating. I've had a few visits there to collect various bits and pieces for restoration projects. Do have any photos you'd like to share? 
 

All the best,

 

Mark.

[patrick]

Hello gang,

 

I am Patrick, french born, but living in Canada. I am modeling N scale (I have several french TGV). But I also play with electronics and micro controllers.

 

I invite you to read my first thread where I describe my current electronic project...

 

Patrick

[miyakoji]

hi @patrickwelcome to the forum!

[AzusaE353]

On 1/14/2023 at 12:30 PM, marknewton said:

Welcome to forum Brian, from another member also in Sydney. The On30 layout based on Dorrigo sounds fascinating. I've had a few visits there to collect various bits and pieces for restoration projects. Do have any photos you'd like to share? 
 

All the best,

 

Mark.

Hi Mark

Well I have moved the On30 layout on now but it was a fictitious realisation of one of the original plans for a Dorrigo railway. There was a narrow gauge option that was considered and I just went with the idea. A lot of the trains were Bachmann On30 reworked to have an Oz flavour. A mixture of scratchbuild and kitbuilt structures. Peco track excepting the hand-laid code 70 on the logging branch. A slow transition to Command Control was going on amidst scenery building and other ideas. It was fun in the making but I will have much less space in the future so a downsize to N again!

[Raicho485]

Hello!

Living in Canada, I actively enjoy Japanese and Swiss trains, HO(m)/N scale. I love Tomix and Kato!! I know they do good job more than decades ago. 

N scale, reserved Shinano 383 series and Hamakaze 189 series by popondetta this year. Luckily I found train store provides items with duty free price. 

 

HO scale, just got pre-owned Sunrise express last month. Tomix does reproduce with more function this summer but I am fine with previous model. Planning to take this train as well as Yakumo 381 series on my next trip to Japan this spring. 
 

Edited February 14, 2023 by disturbman
missing line jump before picture

[cteno4]

Welcome Raicho, glad you found us. Quite a few HO modelers on the forum.

 

so you are doing both HO and N scale? Ambitious!

 

keep us posted.

 

cheers,

 

jeff

[Raicho485]

Hello Jeff,
Thanks for your reply, yes I do both HO and N. 
I used to live in Kansai/Hokuriku area years ago.

Mainly collecting model trains from those area (plus Hokkaido).  

Can't wait to visit there this spring! Planning to post soon.    

 

cheers,

raicho 485

[cteno4]

Great! Please do a topic on your trip, it’s always fun for the rest of us to have a vicarious trip to japan!

 

jeff

[chadbag]

11 hours ago, Raicho485 said:

Hello!

Living in Canada, I actively enjoy Japanese and Swiss trains, HO(m)/N scale. I love Tomix and Kato!! I know they do good job more than decades ago. 

N scale, reserved Shinano 383 series and Hamakaze 189 series by popondetta this year. Luckily I found train store provides items with duty free price. 

 

HO scale, just got pre-owned Sunrise express last month. Tomix does reproduce with more function this summer but I am fine with previous model. Planning to take this train as well as Yakumo 381 series on my next trip to Japan this spring. 
 

 

Welcome to JNS!  Note we have a Worldwide rail where we Euro bugs hang out as well

 

Edited February 14, 2023 by disturbman

[miyakoji]

Hi @Raicho485welcome to the forum!

[MilgeekAchoo]

Hello all! I am VERY new to the hobby. I got interested while recovering from a stroke I had last year, prior to this I was an ardent military modeller but had to give that up due to my issues with my hands. In the meantime I saw several Japanese YouTube channels featuring N gauge Japanese layouts and got quite excited as it seemed to offer me a way to continue scale modelling, within a interesting theme while seeming to be 'do-able' given my limitations. 

 

I'm fascinated by Japan and it's architecture so thought this would be a great way to explore it in more detail in miniature, run some wonderful trains AND see if I could rehabilitate my coordination to possibly - and eventually - get back into scratch modelling (wishful thinking). It also looks like a very relaxing hobby which is also important for me.

 

Anyway, I have only just bought my first pieces of track - have no idea how this will develop BUT am already having fun... I even made a couple of videos documenting my progress so I could see if my coordination improves with time: Beginner's KATO N-Gauge Railway - My First Turnout

 

Best wishes to everyone in the group, hope I get to 'speak' to all of you!

 

MilgeekAchoo - (Beaty)

[Yavianice]

Welcome @MilgeekAchoo, enjoy your time here. Nice vids too btw

[JR East]

1 hour ago, MilgeekAchoo said:

Hello all! I am VERY new to the hobby. I got interested while recovering from a stroke I had last year, prior to this I was an ardent military modeller but had to give that up due to my issues with my hands. In the meantime I saw several Japanese YouTube channels featuring N gauge Japanese layouts and got quite excited as it seemed to offer me a way to continue scale modelling, within a interesting theme while seeming to be 'do-able' given my limitations. 

 

I'm fascinated by Japan and it's architecture so thought this would be a great way to explore it in more detail in miniature, run some wonderful trains AND see if I could rehabilitate my coordination to possibly - and eventually - get back into scratch modelling (wishful thinking). It also looks like a very relaxing hobby which is also important for me.

 

Anyway, I have only just bought my first pieces of track - have no idea how this will develop BUT am already having fun... I even made a couple of videos documenting my progress so I could see if my coordination improves with time: Beginner's KATO N-Gauge Railway - My First Turnout

 

Best wishes to everyone in the group, hope I get to 'speak' to all of you!

 

MilgeekAchoo - (Beaty)

 

 

Welcome aboard !

[cteno4]

Welcome Beaty ( @MilgeekAchoo)

 

Glad you found us and Japanese model trains. I think this may fit the bill well for what you need right now. As you’ve found Kato Unitrak is a great way to start and is very robust and not fiddly. Structures and scenery can start simple and small and grow with time as skills build and you recover your hand coordination. Start with Tomytec and Outland buildings that just pop together then move to greenmax plastic glue together kits and sankei lasercut kits and tons of interesting stuff to scratch build as just about anything you can imagine is trackside somewhere in japan.

 

might also look at modular systems like Ttrak in addition if you like playing with others. It’s a simple modular format with 12”x12” basic modules (or multiples in length of 12”) with 2 pieces of track on it. You do a scene on the module and then take it to train shows or other meetups of Ttrakers and create a layout with them to run trains. Doesn’t mean you have to do all your model railroading in Ttrak, just an option to play with others and hone scenery skills in a small space. I’ve started to explore a smaller version of Ttrak with only a single track that utilized very inexpensive wooden canvases as module bases to create smaller scenes and cut time and money investments down per module. 
 

enjoy the hobby and the forum, lots of great folks here for questions and such and keep us up on your progress. Start a topic on your adventure in the layout forum (a layout starts with the loop of track and grows from there like adding your first point!) as it may be a nice inspiration to others totally new to the hobby. Your video is very nice presentation of this! We all love to see modelers evolve here.

 

cheers

 

jeff

 

ps you might find these article interesting as approached to next steps

https://www.japanrailmodelers.org/pages/modelingjapan/minimodules.html
https://www.japanrailmodelers.org/pages/modelingjapan/tempoary.html

 

[miyakoji]

Hi @MilgeekAchoowelcome to the forum!

[Jordi]

Hi everyone! I just joined the Forum. I am very interested in Kato's Unitram system and currently building a very simple Unitram L-shaped layout in an unused bedroom. It incorporates a Unitram Hiroden set with the LEX green mover in an extended city complex using the included V50 in the set, V52 extension and parts of V53. I also have a second LEX, a Portram, a Centram and a Modemo tram. On order and due to arrive next week is the Kato 10-1604 Hiroshima Railway 1000 Type (PICCOLO/PICCOLA) set of two trams. The three car trams run so much smoother, quieter and faster than the Portram/Centram trams, which tend to be whiny and fairly slow.

 

Due to Kato's production issues and the current dearth of Unitram LH turnouts (I think RH ones in very short supply now too if even still available), I had to adapt using a second RH turnout and V52 to enable double looped tracks out of the city, into the countryside using Peco flexitrack and then return to the other side of the city. The alternative was to use a reverse loop and that really was not something I wanted to entertain. There are two other end to end tracks from the edge of the city and back and I may set up one or two automatic shuttle tram services on these with stops with manual override switches. I just like watching trams run and the layout is for my young grandchildren to enjoy looking at too so at the moment, sidings and storage tracks not there but may in future as there is room to extend. 

 

The Unitram city was so easy to set up but the countryside section will take much longer. Track laying nearly done but landscaping only commencing.

I will post more when in a state to show!

 

Jordi

[cteno4]

Welcome Jodi! Glad you found us. Lots of tram folks here on the forums

 

start a topic in the layout forum on your layout.

 

cheers

 

jeff

[Jordi]

Thank you all for the welcome! So many helpful topics and advice here. I'll post more details in the layout forum in the near future. 

 

Jordi

[tripel7]

Hello, 

I'm fairly new here, I'm 33, live in the Netherlands, I work in the medical field. 

I collect die cast models from mainly Hong Kong, and prefer those in 1/43 scale. 

As a child I used to have h0 and G scale trains, and since last November I've gotten back into to hobby with a Kato Shinkansen startset, and I want to focus my collection on HST trains from all over the world, but currently both the Chinese and Japanese HSTs are the most interesting to me.