Looking for help building a tram Layout

[brill27mcb]

14 hours ago, Model_rockets said:

Totally fair. I was just thinking that it would be a good starting place for possibly adding my own paint scheme to. Would it possibly be good for that? and thanks for the recommendations on the other trams I will make sure to check them out.

 

 

The 2 Kato "My Tram" articulateds that I provided links for earlier both have a plain generic paint scheme - plain red and plain blue. Or the Portram you mentioned, too.

 

Rich K.

[Beaver]

Note that Tomix tram track in it's roadway sections fits together with Tomytec Moving Bus road sections. So you can create wider streets with a matching style of roadway and have moving road traffic as well as the trams.

[Model_rockets]

6 hours ago, Beaver said:

Note that Tomix tram track in it's roadway sections fits together with Tomytec Moving Bus road sections. So you can create wider streets with a matching style of roadway and have moving road traffic as well as the trams.

Good to know.

 

[Model_rockets]

8 hours ago, brill27mcb said:

 

The 2 Kato "My Tram" articulateds that I provided links for earlier both have a plain generic paint scheme - plain red and plain blue. Or the Portram you mentioned, too.

 

Rich K.

Cool. thanks a ton for all your help.

[KateM]

To give you some idea about the Tomix WideTram & Tomytec Bus Moving System working together, here's a photo of an oval I use at model exhibitions to showcase it. Four different surface types, three main radii, tram turnouts, combination with FineTrack etc.

 

[Model_rockets]

Thoughts on my final cart?

[bill937ca]

Fun stuff.  Looks like you need at least one 5538 D.C. Feeder N for Wide Rail and Slab Rail , which connects the power pack to the track. It's a small item and I usually have more than one on hand and if you are using 5812 Branching Cord you will want more than one, at least two.

 

The 3079 also has a tram station kit in the box.

[Model_rockets]

1 hour ago, bill937ca said:

Fun stuff.  Looks like you need at least one 5538 D.C. Feeder N for Wide Rail and Slab Rail , which connects the power pack to the track. It's a small item and I usually have more than one on hand and if you are using 5812 Branching Cord you will want more than one, at least two.

 

The 3079 also has a tram station kit in the box.

ok thanks for the help.

[MeTheSwede]

No buildings?

[brill27mcb]

That will get you running, and you can start to have fun and learn more.

 

Rich K.

[Model_rockets]

On 9/9/2024 at 10:44 AM, MeTheSwede said:

No buildings?

Not sure what to get. any recommendations?

[Model_rockets]

On 9/3/2024 at 3:45 PM, brill27mcb said:

 

The choice is yours, but I find the that Portram model to be pretty plain (mostly black and white). Compare it with these:

Kato Hiroshima Green Mover LEX  https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10707592

Kato MyTram Red (generic basic paint scheme)  https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10780451

Kato MyTram Blue (generic basic paint scheme)  https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10780450

 

Part of the attraction of trams is their colorfulness.

 

Rich K.

Just to double check there isn't anything wrong with the portram? considering getting it and the kato mytram

[cteno4]

The Kato portram is a very nice model with the tiny motors built into the trucks so it’s about the only tram where you have a realistic interior w.o motor/chasis poking up into the car body. But with this comes a bit of fragility. Two club members have had issues with a portram and they are very very delicate to pull apart to try to fix if an issue. But I have 4 of them and they have all been fine. 
 

the Tomytec portrams are much less expensive, but not quite as nice detail and the mech fills the car shell half way up. They run well, not super fine but good. The mech is very sturdy and easy to fiddle with if ever needed. I have a pile of old Tomytec portrams and they have been troopers,

 

cheers

 

jeff

[Model_rockets]

1 hour ago, cteno4 said:

The Kato portram is a very nice model with the tiny motors built into the trucks so it’s about the only tram where you have a realistic interior w.o motor/chasis poking up into the car body. But with this comes a bit of fragility. Two club members have had issues with a portram and they are very very delicate to pull apart to try to fix if an issue. But I have 4 of them and they have all been fine. 
 

the Tomytec portrams are much less expensive, but not quite as nice detail and the mech fills the car shell half way up. They run well, not super fine but good. The mech is very sturdy and easy to fiddle with if ever needed. I have a pile of old Tomytec portrams and they have been troopers,

 

cheers

 

jeff

Thanks for the info. think I may get both as they sound like they would both be good trams to have on the layout. with the kato one's any tips on handling them to prevent breaking? Also is the MyTram and the portarm the same interms of motor layout?

Edited September 15 by Model_rockets

[cteno4]

I don’t have a mytram, but I suspect it’s a similar mechs in the two trucks and just 3 sections instead of 2 in the portram. Bill and Rich can answer this.

 

just be gentle with them. They also have extra circuitry in them to reduce the voltage from the usual 0-12v to 0-3v as the motors are 3v motors. So best not to run them really fast. It’s one of the few mechs out there with circuitry like this.

 

jeff

[brill27mcb]

The Kato Hiroshima LEX-based trams have a newer, smaller power mechanism than the older Kato Portram trams. There is a lot of internal difference in the power truck designs.

 

Kato Portram (top) and Greenmover LEX/MyTram (bottom) [edited/corrected caption]

 

I recall some people on this forum having an issue with the Portram trams sagging slightly in the middle and bottoming out on the rails; I think the solution was just to fiddle with the model to align it better. So really you can choose either.

 

If you get a Portram to run with your Kato MyTram and are only using one power pack to run both, then get a Kato Portram for sure and not a Tomytec Portram, since the Tomytec will run like a rocket compared to the MyTram at the same voltage.

 

Rich K.

Edited September 16 by brill27mcb

[Model_rockets]

1 hour ago, brill27mcb said:

The Kato Hiroshima LEX-based trams have a newer, smaller power mechanism than the older Kato Portram trams. There is a lot of internal difference in the power truck designs.

 

Kato Centram (top) and Portram (bottom)

 

I recall some people on this forum having an issue with the Portram trams sagging slightly in the middle and bottoming out on the rails; I think the solution was just to fiddle with the model to align it better. So really you can choose either.

 

If you get a Portram to run with your Kato MyTram and are only using one power pack to run both, then get a Kato Portram for sure and not a Tomytec Portram, since the Tomytec will run like a rocket compared to the MyTram at the same voltage.

 

Rich K.

Thanks for all the info and help. also any thoughts on the best place to buy the kato portram? they seem to be out of stock in most places and the used market is crazy.

[cteno4]

Looks like the Kato portram is out of production right now. May pop up in another production run later, but there’s no schedule on these things usually. There is yahoo.jp, but you’ll pay 25-40% surcharge to use an agent to buy there.

 

you might look at making your own little pwm power supply for the trams. Simple little board you can buy for a few bucks and use a wall wart 12v dc power supply on. Just have to strip and screw in some wires. And the mount is some sort of small plastic box. Best to run each loop/tram on their own controllers.
 

jeff

[MeTheSwede]

On 9/15/2024 at 4:40 AM, Model_rockets said:

Not sure what to get. any recommendations?

 

I could tell you which buildings I like, but I think you should get buildings you like instead. 😊

 

 

Well, I'll tell you about some I like anyway, that could be suitable for a small urban layout:

 

This is a lot of family homes for that price tag:
https://1999.co.jp/eng/10950754
 

I like the "shops in front of the station series:
https://1999.co.jp/eng/11069001

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/11069005

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/11069007

You could probably also find older versions (other paint schemes and signage) of these still available at some sellers.

 

If you don't mind cutting out some pieces and gluing them together on you own, these easy kits from Greenmax

https://1999.co.jp/eng/10667160 (there's atleast one other paint scheme available) are very versatile for small layouts. There's also an unpainted product version.

 

Edited September 16 by MeTheSwede

[brill27mcb]

The Kato Portram/Centram models were last offered 13-15 years ago, according to the listings on Hobby Search Japan:

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/list/1700/6/1?Make=Kato

 

My guess is they will not be produced again, so you are chasing old history. The "Now on Sale" trams at the top of the above list are the Kato trams that you can hope to get new today. Someday they won't be available anymore, either. That's the way model railroading manufacturing has gone these days, worldwide - you have to get things when they are offered.

 

There is always the second-hand market for older models. I don't know where you looked there, but if it was ebay the prices will be all over the map, including some people pricing things as if to fully fund their retirement. There is no requirement for asking prices to be reasonable, so you have to shop around and be patient.

 

Another option that many people here use is buyee.jp, a broker service that you can use to bid and buy on Yahoo Japan Auctions.

Actual Yahoo Japan Auctions site (in Japanese):  https://auctions.yahoo.co.jp/#

buyee.jp version (select English of other language translation at top right):  https://buyee.jp/yahoo/auction

buyee.jp "Streetcars" category:  https://buyee.jp/item/search/category/2084259609?sort=end&order=d

 

I have been watching these auctions for years to see things in the second-hand market in Japan, but only recently signed up with buyee.jp to be able to bid - it was easier than I thought. For any item you win, you pay the winning price plus the international shipping to wherever you are, just as you would with any purchase from Japan. They now offer many types of shipping at different price points. On top of that, you pay buyee's fees of 800 yen (US$5.65 now) for each successful purchase and they will hold and consolidate for international shipping to you all multiple purchases within a month of the first purchase for free. Another "extra" cost is that you pay the internal Japan shipping from the seller to the Buyee holding/shipping facility. I have used this sparingly to buy items that I first passed up but later regretted now getting. Some I have won for lass than original retail price (Tomytec Railway Collection with installed motorized chassis) and some for an acceptable extra amount. A few days ago I looked for Kato Centram and Portram trams and there were two for sale: one for $127 and one starting at a low initial price that was attracting a good number of bids and probably sold for a lot less than the first, so again you have to shop around and be patient.

 

Using Buyee or another intermediary broker is getting pretty far out there for a beginner. There is also RG-Rokko, a shop catering to international buyers that will look around in Japan for an item for you. The best bet, though, in my opinion, is to buy trams that are available now through normal retail outlets.

 

Rich K.

Edited September 17 by brill27mcb