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Bandai B-Train Shorty

Welshbloke

By Welshbloke
in Rolling Stock

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Keikyu

Keikyu

Posted
Posted

Well I noticed this.

 

This picture is from the 1999.co page for the green tanks.

 

ixyXzwR.jpg

 

See the red clips towards the right? I saw my b-train container cars had similar ones.

 

55zuRDy.jpg

 

So I am wondering if the tanks would clip straight onto the B-Train flatcars, just for a bit of variation?

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Blevins18

Blevins18

Posted
Posted

Maybe with a bit of modification that might work. I'm interested in seeing this happen!

 

I'm also interested in reserving the 485. I'm working on a T Trak layout using B trains.

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Mudkip Orange

Mudkip Orange

Posted
Posted
Been a while since any posts here. I was bored earlier, and decided I'd capture my entire collection. Until now I've only really taken photos of a few at a time.

 

I think we need to see some layout videos! Somethin' like this guy...

 

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Blevins18

Blevins18

Posted
Posted

I'm working on a B Train layout right now actually. Work is kind of inconsistent because I have a two week old baby boy but I'll have an overview and updates in the next couple weeks in the projects section.

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Keikyu

Keikyu

Posted
Posted

 

I was messing around with my phone earlier, I was hoping the quality would be better but that is exactly what I am trying to fix it by fiddling around with the settings.

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Keikyu

Keikyu

Posted
Posted

Alright, so does anyone use this power unit for their trains?

 

I ask because I have been running my trains around using it, but because alot of my B-Trains have skirts on the front and rear, the couplers tend to not quite fit into the skirts, and it interferes with how easily the bogey will turn.

 

I'm wondering if I can trim the front coupler down somehow to make it slide easier around in the hole, or if removing the skirt is the easiest way to do it but less realistic.

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cteno4

cteno4

Posted
Posted

tomo,

 

this is a classic issue with rapido couplers. best to pull them out and make sure the housing opening and the coupler ends are all smooth and clear of flashing. sometimes just a little nub or ridge of flashing can make the couplers not want to rotate side to side or up and down (for coupling) cleanly. just a little resistance can make a big difference. I would experiment with just a tad of filing down on the top and bottom of the coupler shank/cross piece that fits in the housing. go at it a little at a time though. mostly ive found issues to be just a little flashing or warping causing the major hangup issues.

 

some of the housings are very minimal and have a lot of openings that the corners of the coupler cross piece can catch on easily, so sometimes just rounding all the edges and corners of the coupler cross piece (the piece that sits at the end of the coupler shank inside the housing) a tiny bit can help them not get hung up on an opening edge on the housing.

 

fine tuning rapidos is tough, they were designed to be a robust solution that was cheap and easy, its not a super high fidelity system though!

 

cheers

 

jeff

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tossedman

tossedman

Posted
Posted (edited)
Alright, so does anyone use this power unit for their trains?

 

I ask because I have been running my trains around using it, but because alot of my B-Trains have skirts on the front and rear, the couplers tend to not quite fit into the skirts, and it interferes with how easily the bogey will turn.

 

I'm wondering if I can trim the front coupler down somehow to make it slide easier around in the hole, or if removing the skirt is the easiest way to do it but less realistic.

 

Hi Tomo,

 

I use that power unit but I don't put it in the car that has the skirt. It works fine in the second car. I use the Kato bogeys and swap out the Rapido coupler for one of these http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10003622. With the hoses cut off it fits in the skirt and allows for more movement than the Rapido. It's a bit thinner. You have to assemble the two pieces, slot it in and then twist the coupler to seat it. Easy peasy.

 

They look like the Shibata coupler found on JR EMUs. If you fit them on all the cars they sit a bit closer together as well. I got the idea from here: http://www.tts.tw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=19995. Well, I saw the picture in Google and followed it back to that link.

 

Cheers eh,

 

Todd

 

PS they come in grey as well.

Edited by tossedman
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JR 500系

JR 500系

Posted
Posted

Hi Todd!

 

Nice video! I like the moving bus system in the background!

 

Does the B-train comes with front and rear lightings? From the video, i could only see the lights on the 500, but not on the rest... They look really cute & nice, and they travel on N scale tracks! Fun!

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tossedman

tossedman

Posted
Posted (edited)

Hi JR500,

 

Thanks. That layout's on the floor and my son took one of the transformers for his trams. That's why everything's flying around on one track. The bus is cool. I'm going to try making my own roads with a wire underneath. The Tomytec ones are pretty expensive and limited in what you can build. Well actually a bigger problem is that we have to wait for them to get here from Japan. 

 

Actually there are no lights on any of the B Train Shorties. What you see on the 500 is a reflection off of the wind shield. 

 

My son loves the B Train Shorties. He's just turned 7. I like them too because they come as a kit and it gets him building something, not just taking them out of the box and running them. You can run them on smaller radius curves without them overhanging the inside of the corners. An 8 car train fits nicely on a small platform and they are quite durable for small hands. We now have 4 Shinkansensn (we're just building a 700 series one now) and a couple of E321 series EMUs. And, there's more on the way...

Edited by tossedman
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JR 500系

JR 500系

Posted
Posted

Hi Todd!

 

Actually, there are many varients to the E231. The ones i know off are the E231-0 (Sobu/ Joban line), E231-500 (Yamanote Line), E231-800 (Tozai Line) and the E231-1000 (Tokaido/ Shonan Shinjuku Line). Here's a website that has good infromation about them and their 'buddies':

 

http://railf.jp/car/jr/east/e231-500.html

E231-500 Yamanote Line

 

http://railf.jp/car/jr/east/e231-kozu.html

E231-1000 Tokaido/ Shonan Shinjuku Line

 

http://railf.jp/car/jr/east/e231-800.html

E231-800 Tozai Line

 

That's why i love Japan, because there are just too many trains to fall in love with!

 

 

Regarding the bus system roads, please let me know your results. I've tried making roads myself, but i failed so badly. It's either the steel wire being too strong or too near to the magnet of the bus, causing the bus to not move at all... Or the steel wire being too far away from the magnet, too weak and thus the bus moves off track. I eventually gave up the idea and bought the original roads that made the bus moved exactly where the road went...

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Densha

Densha

Posted
Posted

I meant that you (accidentally) wrote E321 series instead of E231, the E321 series is a completely different train and the guy who made that youtube video mixed up the numbers too. :P ;)

 

@JR500

Wikipedia shows all E231 types. So far I know the E231 series is based off the 209 series so has a lot of similarities with. Heck, the 209-500 series is visually a E231. The E217 series were the through development of the 209 series, then the E231 series were built with its many types, the E531 (DC+AC version of E231), and finally the E233 which is still in production. Visually the main difference you will see are the different fronts, I'm sure there are technical differences. I think that's most of the modern JR East commuter trains in the Tokyo area.

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tossedman

tossedman

Posted
Posted (edited)

Yup, you're right. I did mean E231 but I'm lazy and 321 is easier to type. Or, maybe I've been dyslexic all my life and didn't know it. But most likely I just haven't got a clue.

 

We've got three kinds of E231s now, the Joban line, Sobu line and a Yamanote set we haven't built yet. They seem to be overshadowed by the 4 Shinkansens he has though.

 

You can see some of them here.

 

 

Thanks for the heads up guys. Got lots to learn about these Japanese trains. I didn't pay nearly as much attention when I lived there 23 years ago.

 

Cheers eh,

 

Todd

Edited by tossedman
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Blevins18

Blevins18

Posted
Posted

I ordered the baggage train, a DD51, and the Hitachi Express the other day. My roster is growing!

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Blevins18

Blevins18

Posted
Posted

Yes, thats the baggage train. I went ahead and put the Hitachi Express on order with HLJ even though its sold out. Last time I ordered a sold out item from them I had it in a couple weeks, and they just recently had them in stock and I see other hobby shops in Japan with them in stock, so it shouldn't be long hopefully.

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Keikyu

Keikyu

Posted
Posted

Took another video

 

 

It still focuses and unfocuses but I'm not entirely sure why, but I think it's to do with the auto-focus my phone uses.

 

And my hands shake. Alot.

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