Hi all!

[Ivo]

Hello all,

 

I've signed up to this forum after seeing it countless times on google after typing in questions. A bit about myself: I'm a train enthusiastic since I was little, going to the local station or even road crossing just to see trains. Now, I've grown up, just settled down with my girlfriend and finally found some time to get back into model trains. I'm a big fan of Kato products, and although I'm not really Japanese orientated, I do think this forum might be the best for Kato related topics.

 

If anyone wants to help already, I'm going to write a topic in the DCC section, since I already have a question, but let's keep things nice and tidy and I'll follow up there.

[cteno4]

Welcome Ivo, glad you found us!

 

while we are primarily a Japanese train forum we have a lot of folks with worldwide train interests and a lot of Kato users. But do be careful as many come here not interested in Japanese trains and get infected, and sadly no cure…

 

cheers,

 

jeff

[Kingmeow]

12 minutes ago, cteno4 said:

Welcome Ivo, glad you found us!

 

But do be careful as many come here not interested in Japanese trains and get infected, and sadly no cure…

 

cheers,

 

jeff

 

Oh Jeff, stop scaring the little ones!  🤣  There is certainly a cure...frequent orders to Plaza Japan, Hobby Search, etc.  😃

[cteno4]

It’s not a cure really, more like feeding a habit! You try to warn, but as the borg say, resistance is futile!

 

jeff

[RS18U]

I think the infection is starting on me too.  Just started with 1 as a souvenir from Japan, and now looking at getting more.  Looks odd against the CP and logging stuff though.

[cteno4]

Hey your fantasy layout, Canada went in for high speed rail big time! 
 

but that’s how the infection starts… kind of like your first few sneezes or a bit of a sore throat, next moves to your wallet, then it’s full on.

 

jeff

[RS18U]

I wish we had any kind of decent passenger service.  Where I live it stopped in 2011 and the even the freight is down to less than 20 kms from a total of 289 kms.  Rather sad but given the population differences between Vancouver Island of 864,000 people and that of the areas served by the various JR lines its not surprising.  We just don't have the population to support a decent railway.

[RS18U]

@Ivo Welcome!  Sorry for sort of hijacking your post 😳 I too am a new member here and am finding lots of useful info just digging into older posts.  Looking forward to reading more about your exploits.

[E_Fredrick]

I feel your "pain."

 

A dozen or so boxes like this one from Green Max were my "gateway." Those line drawings showed just how much action could be squeezed into a seven inch by seven foot-four shelf. (200 mm x 2267 mm, though a little cheating -- why it even sounded bigger in "Japanese!") I slowly traded portraits of US Presidents and a shoe box of jewel cases filled with Atlas, Rivarossi, Roco, and Model Power rolling stock and motive power for more.

 

My first KATO trainset, an older 117 series, worked flawlessly on Unitrack -- even before I snipped off the Rapido couplers and body mounted very short Kadees. Then, with a few Tomix diaphragms it looked perfect on my R718 (#6) curves. More Kato trainsets followed . . . The shelf grew out 50 mm from the wall, then another 50 mm in front. A sizable security deposit was the only thing that prevented tunneling through drywall into the closet. Finally, I had to quit goofing-off in college and take a real job to support my addiction.

Edited April 4 by E_Fredrick