Hello from the Norhern part of the Netherlands

[mp44_tom]

Hello everyone here..

 

my name is Tom and i live in the Northern part of the Netherlands…. My job is co–pilot on a medical helicopter, and my hobbys are : Modelling and collecting stuff from world war 2.

 

I allways have been interested in train modelling and have very recently bought a M1 set from Kato in N-scale and a DD51 Lok. So as you can imagine i am an absolute newcommer to the hobby.

 

my plan is to switch to DCC (my DD51 already has a decoder ☺️) and i have been looking into a DCC-EX system to control them…

 

And I plan on making a Japanese layout with some JGSDF vehicles / helicopters …

 

Hope to learn a lot here and to show the (slow) progress of my layout

 

Regards

Tom

www.mp44.nl

 

[miyakoji]

Hi Tom, welcome to the forum!

[cteno4]

Welcome Tom, glad you found us!

 

there is a lot of 1/144 JGSDF models out there that are close enough to Japanese n scale 1/144. @Kamome has done a number of flats with various JGSDF equipment lashed down on them.

 

Cheers,

 

jeff

[Kamome]

Welcome Tom,

Thanks for the mention @cteno4

 

Please humour me while I do a data dump to help you on your way.

 

As you have probably seen from the above thread, I have used the YSK models resin loads on Tomix Chiki 7000 wagons. The loads are somewhat difficult to find, even  in Japan, although I have found some at Joshin Super Kids land in Osaka. The other stockist I have purchased them from is WakiYaku Kuro-chan which is a smallish shop that specialises in scenic supplies amongst other things. They do have a website, have a small offering on an Amazon store and had a stand at JAM 2024 model railway conference in Tokyo. A model manufacturer called Pit Road produce 1/144 kits of a good number of JGSDF vehicles. These are a little too wide for the choice of flat wagons in my experience but you could make a fictional train. 

 

The YSK resin models are very good, but do require a good amount of clean up before painting. I have bought the Type 87 recon vehicles, gun barrel removed(No. 332), Type 73 APC(No. 173), FH70 155mm Howitzer (No. 331) and some of the material carrier vehicles(No. 175). The latter were by far the worst in terms of detail clarity and need some significant clean up and details painting back in. 

 

Pit Road 1/144 are nicely modelled with a good amount of detail. You get 3 models in each kit box. I have the Type 16 MCVs and the Type 99 155mm Howitzer, which are simple kits, but nicely detailed for the scale.

 

Other options, Aoshima produce a model of the C2 transport planes in 1/144,

https://www.aoshima-bk.co.jp/en/product/4905083055083/?srsltid=AfmBOorQJAI-dntAzrbPMlAB4QhGU7yDMYH-cPMRGFzYR7dCntqqCkRl

 

Platz produce a number of fighter aircraft and "helis" in 1/144

https://www.platz-hobby.com/categories/1_10_60.html

 

Your DD51 is a perfect locomotive for Hokkaido, other locos have been freight EF66, EF65, DF200 and EH500 dependant on the base transporting.

 

Here are some links to help you find some info

 

YSK Models loads

http://ysk-models.com/150index.html

 

Pit Road 1/144 Models

https://pit-road.jp/plastic_afv_model_72_144/

 

Waki Yaku Kuro-chan

https://wakiyaku.jp/

 

List of JGSDF Vehicles and equipment

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_equipment_of_the_Japan_Ground_Self-Defense_Force

 

Here’s an images of a Type 96, 8 wheeled vehicles traveling by rail on a loading rig for container flats, none of which is available commercially.

https://trafficnews.jp/photo/136072

 

The other hole in the range is for the Komatsu LAVs which are not commercially produced in 1/150 or 1/144 as I write this.

 

Some video links.

 

 

 

 

[mp44_tom]

Hi guys and especially Kamome-san,

 

Thank you very much for the warm welcome and the wealth of information ! Domo arrigato gozaimasu ! 🙏

 

The models will be difficult to get here in Europe but i already ordered some Chiki 7000 wagons and the Pit-road type 16 (which will probably to wide but i wanted them anyway….

 

Also I’m trying to get a few HMV’s (High Mobility Vehicles) but they are almost impossible to find 😫

 

I’ll keep you informed of my progress!

 

cheers

Tom

[Kamome]

  On 1/28/2025 at 5:42 PM, mp44_tom said:

i already ordered some Chiki 7000 wagons and the Pit-road type 16

Expand  

You may find the wheel width slightly too wide for the Chikis but you could fashion some loading rigs from plasti-card and plastic beams (Evergreen or Tamiya)

The Type 16s are a feasible size to make train loads, as they're also not very tall.(minus aerial wire)

Hopefully this image illustrates the size difference alongside Kato n scale figure. You can see they are a reasonable compromise on scale together.

 

Just will need to check clearances on platforms as the YSK loads are the full width of the Chiki.

 

 

and why not

 

 

Edited January 29 by Kamome

[mp44_tom]

Here my first Type 16 on a Chiki

 

it is a little wider, but it still fits within the Kato tracks so no problems with platforms…..

 

Does anybody know what width the Tomix tracks are ?.

 

 

[chadbag]

What is the 3D printing seen like for military vehicles like the JGSDF stuff?   That’d be the ideal thing as you could scale it before printing. 

[Kamome]

Definitely haven’t come across a great amount of choice in terms of train loads. I was looking for Komatsu LAVs some time ago but files were either poorly modelled or print samples looked a bit ropey. 

 

The majority of files that are available are options largely produced by model manufacturers already,  be it in 1/144 in the case of Pit Road models. 

 

European and North American options seem well catered for but Japan isn’t. There’s definitely an increase in 3D printing but still at a relatively small and inaccessible level. A local hobby shop to me  is now selling resin printed parts designed by a local guy. Mainly Kyushu upgrade parts for Kato/Tomix steam engines. He also has some nice 3D printed coupler designs. 

[cteno4]

A number of years back there was a chap on Shapeways that had a large number of JDSDF vehicle models up on shapeways in 1/144. They looked like they were very detailed. But he did not have them up for sale for print! Always meant to ping him to ask. It was funny they could be up on the marketplace but not for print sale.

 

jeff

[Kamome]

The adoption of 3D printing has been relatively slow apart from personal use. Interesting to see the team behind Cityscape Studio have started marketing some of the items they designed for their own dioramas such as air con units and platform stairwells.

 

The addition of military vehicle loads has been done relatively well by the likes of YSK models although only really available to the domestic market and not in great numbers. There are a few gaps but the offering is pretty good for what’s been seen on the rail. Here’s my variety courtesy of YSK. 

 

Assumedly there just no enough interest as there are a number of unusual freight types still not being taken up by anyone. 

 

Not sure there’s either enough interest or the general domestic market really don’t have time for modelling which is why “collecting of trains” is more prevalent. Seen many HO models at rental layouts without any detail parts applied and a lot of N the same.