The Introduction Thread...

[miyakoji]

Hi @GameTime welcome to the forum!

[Vossibear]

On 5/10/2023 at 10:27 PM, disturbman said:

Ask them do downsize the package by removing shipping boxes and/or unnecessary packaging material. They do it for free and it brings shipping cost a lot. You just have to contact them via the 'inquiry' button at the bottom of the Contact Us/FAQ page. You need to request this after consolidating several packages. Simply select 'Other' and provide the new package number. This option is easier to use if you select the 'Lite plan' when bidding. Have fun hunting.

Hello Disturbman,

 

after thinking about your advice I got one more question: Did you use the option to choose a protective packaging oder did you just choose the "normal" packaging for consolidated/combined shipment? I have also tried to use the "ship directly" function and I am a bit excited how this turns out. The day before yesterday the first "main package" arrived and everything was packed quite well and was in great shape. I certainly had to pay the Einfuhrumsatzsteuer (importation VAT) but it turned out the rate the german customs uses is better than the one from buyee. I now wait for the official Dokumentation from Deutsche Post/customs so I will be able to see how and if the different product groups are charged with customs; for model trains customs costs do not apply, but i hat a lorry, figures and laser cut kits and a book in the package so this will be quite interresting...

 

Cheers

 

Gerhard.

 

 

[disturbman]

26 minutes ago, Vossibear said:

Did you use the option to choose a protective packaging oder did you just choose the "normal" packaging for consolidated/combined shipment?

I only ever choose "normal" packaging when consolidating packages. But that's because I only buy trains on YJA and sellers will always bubble wrap the item. At least, almost always. In 14 years, I had one set sent only wrapped in brown paper. It was shipped e-packet and arrived without a scratch or bump. Depending what shipping solution I use, I even ask them to sometimes "remove unnecessary packing material". But I do only this when using "Buyee air shipping" as it's FedEx. It usually take a few days for the package to arrive and they have never been roughed up. Or, apparently, DHL too.

Edited May 17, 2023 by disturbman

[Wolf]

10 hours ago, Vossibear said:

model trains customs costs do not apply, but i hat a lorry, figures and laser cut kits and a book in the package

 

They all not taxated. You pay vat and whatever fee Post, DHL, FedEx or whoever delivers it charges for taking care of the customs process.

[cteno4]

Does germany use the Harmonized Tariff System? If so I would expect model trains, vehicles, building kits would all fall under the “scale models”

 

9503.00.00 Tricycles, scooters, pedal cars and similar wheeled toys; dollsʼ carriages; dolls, other toys; reduced-scale (“scaleˮ) models and similar recreational models, working or not; puzzles of all kinds; parts and accessories thereof

 

I’ve used this hs code for a number of years sending model trains stuff all over from the us and never an odd duty issue. A long time back I think there were some sub codes for electric trains but I think they all got folded back into the parent 9503 code. Every time I look at this stuff it makes my head hurt…

 

jeff

[Matthew Brown]

I'm Matthew Brown, from London UK but resident in the US since 1997. Been obsessed with model trains from childhood but never got around to doing anything, either space or time always being lacking. 

 

But now I'm disabled on permanent disability; little space in a small apartment and not tons of money but plenty of time.

 

I've liked Japanese trains for as long time and just recently found that they're affordable! So Japanese N scale is doable on a shelf layout. I'm thinking linear to fiddle yard bc I don't think I can fit more than 2' width but 5' length with about 3' of fiddle yard at 90°. Sound sane?

[cteno4]

Hey, welcome Matthew! Glad you found us.

 

japanese n scale is a great place for size efficiency and cost efficiency! Take a look at this idea of a way to do small layouts on a budget.

 

https://jnsforum.com/community/topic/19484-mini-onetrak/#comment-244121

 

cheers,

 

jeff

[miyakoji]

Hi @Matthew Brown welcome to the forum!

[Matthew Brown]

22 hours ago, miyakoji said:

Hi @Matthew Brown welcome to the forum!

Thank you so much!

[tossedman]

Welcome Matthew. Lots of great shelf layouts around. Be sure to post pictures when you get going.

 

Cheers,

 

Todd

Edited October 3, 2023 by tossedman

[Tsubameau]

Hello everyone, great to be aboard. I’m in Brisbane, Australia and while I model Australian railways (South Australian Railways - the SAR and Victorian Railways - the VR), I have always had an interest in Japanese Railways - model and prototype. I dabbled in modelling JR Kyushu a few years ago, and have recently had a renewed interest ahead of an upcoming trip to Japan. Looking forward to being inspired, and learning lots.

[cteno4]

Welcome Tsubameau, glad you found us!

 

lots of interesting stuff here for your Japanese train fix. Lost lots Australians here as well.

 

cheers

 

jeff

[pinmann]

Hello everyone, this is Victor Pinamonti living in the far north Texas area.

I model/collect Japanese, Swiss, Mexican/US Old West, just about any Express/High Speed (for it's era) passenger train as well as other countries and have been accused of being a "Will Rogers" of model trains - "I never met a model train I didn't like". 

Look forward to being part of the forum and have an interest in DCC, especially DCC sound for Japanese Models but have not found a wide variety of sound files for them, which makes me ask am I looking in the right place?

Have both HO and N Scale Japanese trains but prefer HO. Working on a Kato Hayabusa set, Kato EF510 then will work on my Tomix EF81 and then a Tomix JNR Tank car kit all HO.  I have a straight shelf to test trains and will run a pair of N scale EF56's on a reversing loop occasionally.

Do not have a layout of my own, but am a member of two clubs.  Love to run my HO Tenshodo 500 at train show exhibits and amaze the crowd.  Have it set to run a slightly higher voltage to the motor to get that Shinkansen experience.  When my Kato Hayabusa is complete then I will start adding that into the mix.

[cteno4]

Welcome Victor, glad you found us! Sounds like you will fit right in here.

 

Dcc is not big in Japan. might check this topic out on Japanese dcc sound.

 

cheers

 

jeff

[Oxbox]

Hi all, long-time lurker here. Figured it was about time to actually join and get involved now that I am starting to build up a collection and plan a couple small layouts. Currently my fascination is primarily with the Kansai and Chubu regions with my main plan for a layout being based around a fictional station on the Chuo line along the Kiso river (a kind of hybrid between Ochiaigawa and Okuwa stations).

[cteno4]

Welcome out of the shadows @Oxbox! We look forward to your layout adventures. Please start layout threads on them, it’s always super informative to everyone to learn from!

 

cheers,

 

jeff

[miyakoji]

Hi @Oxbox welcome to the forum!

[22-141]

Hi, just joined ^^

 

As you might be able to deduce from my username, I'm from the UK. I've had an interest in the Shinkansen system since I was young, with a fond memory of watching a tape of 22-141's delivery to the NRM at York so much that i actually broke it.

 

Give or take two decades later, and having being a OO gauge modern image / heritage modeller for those two decades, I have finally bought my first Shinkansen. It was actually looking for recommendations of which 0 Series model to buy that made me aware of this site ^^

 

Now, I know very little about the formations, timescales, routes etc, but what I have bought is the Tomix six car 0 Series set cat no. 98648. 

 

I plan initially to create an elevated double track diorama which will sit above my main OO layout, with the 0 Series 'passing' another set (possibly even an out-of-timescale modern set such as an E5) 

 

Cheers,

 22-141 

 

Edit: Removed planned car no's as I realised the set I've bought has small windows, whereas my planned set no's had large windows 

 

Edited January 25 by 22-141

[miyakoji]

Hi @22-141 welcome to the forum!

[22-141]

Thanks ^^ I'll add a profile pic when I get home. I saw 22-141 last at the end of October and have a nice shot of it from then ^^

[cteno4]

Welcome 22-141, glad you found us! 0 series really is something that is quite timeless in design.

 

keep us posted on your layout progress.

 

cheers

 

jeff

[22-141]

14 hours ago, cteno4 said:

Welcome 22-141, glad you found us! 0 series really is something that is quite timeless in design.

 

keep us posted on your layout progress.

 

cheers

 

jeff

 

Hi Jeff, my apologies for missing this - I will make sure to ^^

 

Best regards,

  22-141

[Mutro]

Hi, I found this site very helpful and joined recently.  I live in California, born in Kurashiki back in the day when steam locos were transitioning out, and becoming replaced by electric trains.  I fondly remember taking an SL from Kurashiki to Yokosuka in the late 50's. So my staring an N gage collection of SL's and early electric trains is a nostalgic look back to those days.

[cteno4]

Metro,

 

welcome glad you found us! Love to hear more stores of riding original sl services in japan and early electric. Must have been very interesting times.

 

jeff

[miyakoji]

Hi @Mutro welcome to the forum!  Okayama is a great place.  Over 20 years ago, I lived in Soja.  I remember visiting the Bikan area of Kurashiki.  It was very nice.