Bandai B-Train Shorty

[kvp]

I have just two shorties (a tram and a 113), but it seems to me that the 113 is newly issued, so for most emu-s this wiper idea would work. For the thick frame variant, i would just extend the wipers with a few small pieces of brass, so you don't have to solder anything when you take one apart. Also, I don't see any frame parts to get around, so in the 113 you can see through the whole train in any direction (maybe i left out something during assembly). For the headlights, drilling through the front panel is all that is needed, since there is nothing behind them. Maybe the shinkansens are different, but the 113/115 series kit is clearly an easier problem. I'll do a comparision with another kits when they arrive.

[cteno4]

actually its not just emus with thin plates, as the e231, 381 and series 3000 romance are all emus with the thicker plates. it seems to be an odd assortment of what uses the thin or thick base plate. does not seem to be time dependent as well as i have btrains from over 3 years back with both thin and thick and some from releases in the last 4 months with thin and thick. ill look later to see about the size/shape if that might have something to do with it. it really looks like many of the internal parts are very standardized to help make life easier on them. on the next few builds ill pull out and see how much thing are the same/differ on these parts but from all the ones ive put together so far many seem to be exactly the same.

 

some of the kits dont have the internal frames and the side and ends and top hook together with just those two little end internal sections that holds the top, end and end of the sides. most all the larger trains like the shinkansens and express dmu and emus use a large internal shell that pops together down the middle. then the sides, top and ends connect to this internal shell and the bottom chassis clip to this. ill snap some picts of them later. ill look and see if there is a correlation between the thick bottom chassis plate and the internal shell. That could be it and would make sense that the could be fitted to the thin plates used on trains where there is not internal frame that would block internal lighting.

 

still thinking direct wire will be very simple and in this case no issues of tweaking to get just right to get a good positive connection. simple solution to start much fewer parts to fiddle with. only down side might be the wires binding the turning a little, but i think with like 28 or 30g magnet wire it will flex enough for the tiny bit of movement it would need. i will give it a nice 180 arc up vertically to give it easy play in and out the 3-4mm of total travel max. otherwise on the thick chassis bottoms either crescent shaped wipes will be needed to fit down into the curved slots (issues there getting them to float in there well), tabs extended (very fiddly there rebuilding the trucks), or the chassis area around the slots ground down thin enough for the tabs to stick up (not easy in that space to so cleanly and repeatedly.) so i think opting for the simple solution for the first try will be the cleanest, even for the thin shells if it works well. the bandai side frames and the plastic bogie axle clips all make the float of the bandai bogies a bit random, so i also think that wipes will be tougher to keep well mated and well running.

 

yeah if doing wipes i would just do tabs that would probably just have a small screw to hold a plate in the center down to hold them in place and some solder point near the center for the leads, but this would only need to be done once before assembly.

 

challenge is still there to figure out how to light the windows well with the ones with internal shells, that will need some experimenting as well.

 

cheers

 

jeff

[cteno4]

so i checked thru all the shorties i have and it is only the shinkansens that seem to have the internal chassis block. But with models with out them i have a mix of those with the thick and thin bottom plates, not sure why the shinkansen get these. really not very different from other shells. end cars are a tad different but dont see why the non shinkansen system could be used there as well.

 

some picts.

 

jeff

[kvp]

Do you have a picture of the thick plates too? I'm wondering what are the differences between the two and if they can be swapped in normal (non shinkansen) trains?

 

On the other hand, i assmembled my 113 series emu. Relatively simple and easy to do. You could build 3 different 115 series and a 113 series from the kit. From the packaging i think it was a 115 kit that got a 113 front as an extra. Each box contains an end car and a middle car, the latter could be built as a motor car with or without a pantograph. I built the same set i have from tomix, so two driving trailers one motor car with pantograph and one without. Now i have as extra 6 115 series ends, two middle car ends and two roofs. The train looks good, without any noticable gaps. I used the bandai trucks and motor so the whole set has rapido couplers everywhere. Runs really nice and quiet. The shorties are 50% compressed in length, but contain 2/3 of the doors/windows. The front ends are very similar, the only major difference with the tomix version is the position of the headlights/horns to each other, but since even real production sets differed slightly between runs, this seems ok. The only thing i have to change in the future is to get a nice movable pantograph that matches the size of the cars. I'm still wondering what type would look good on this shorty?

[Krackel Hopper]

Getting the chance to meet Nick last week, I've been inspired to build a few more shorties that have been sitting around.

 

Currently only two of my shorty sets are motorized - Nankai Rapit (4 car) and a 0 Series in Fresh Green (6 car)

 

Anyway - here are some pictures of what I've been working on lately. Sorry for the poor photos.. warm lamp light kinda washes out the color.

 

Looking forward to getting my Hokutosei, Cassiopeia & Twilight Express running soon.. followed by the bullets.. because who doesn't like a Shorty Shinkansen?!

[Keikyu]

Paid for these just now, eagerly awaiting them.

 

Edited January 4, 2014 by Keikyu

[nickhp]

Paid for these just now, eagerly awaiting them.

 

Yep, got an 8 car train of the 2100's in red and cream and also 4 or 6 cars of the blue 2100.

 

Cheers!

 

Nick

[onthelam]

Hi All,

 

Newly bitten by the B-Train Shorty bug.  I'm ordering the Hokutosei A+B+C sets and had a question about motorizing them.  The website shows the icon for the 1 and 3 power unit for this set.  Does that mean I can use either of them or do I need both power units?  I imagine, it's either/or but any clarification would help.  Thanks!

[kvp]

The type 1 goes into the locomotive and the type 3 into one of the cars, typically the first behind the locomotive. Considering the power of a single motor, a longer train might really need two. But on flat track, without sharp curves a single motor might be able to move the train.

 

Considering that the 3 sets have 2 locomotives and they never pull the train together, then you might motorize both locomotives and one of the end cars (the generator car) or two cars with dummy locomotives or one locomotive and one car and swap the motor every time you swap locomotives.

Edited January 15, 2014 by kvp

[onthelam]

Ah, makes sense.  Thanks!

[onthelam]

One question about the DD51 Hokutosei B-Train Shorty.  Is it only available directly from Bandai's Hobby shop?  Looks like it was available in the 10th Anniversary B-Train Shorty Book as well.  Any idea if they'll ever release the model to stores instead of as direct order only item?  Thanks!

[Krackel Hopper]

One question about the DD51 Hokutosei B-Train Shorty.  Is it only available directly from Bandai's Hobby shop?  Looks like it was available in the 10th Anniversary B-Train Shorty Book as well.  Any idea if they'll ever release the model to stores instead of as direct order only item?  Thanks!

 

It is difficult to say what Bandai will do. For several years they had Wakayama Electric Railway (Tama & Ichigo) but they were only available from the Wakayama stations.. until earlier this year when they released them to hobby stores.. so who knows.. maybe the DD51 Hokutosei will.. but maybe not..

 

Yahoo Auctions Japan is a good place to find a set on the 2nd hand market..

[onthelam]

Ah thanks for the heads up. I'll wait a while to see if the DD51 in Hokutosei colors gets made widely available. In the meantime, I'll just collect it in fullsize N-gauge :p

[Keikyu]

 

This came today. Very happy with it, the roof was exceptionally tight to push on though.

[kvp]

I just assmebled my first bandai b train normy or i don't know how to call a shorty with the correct length. (we might need a new term for this) The deki locomotives are a very nice construction, have a very good level of detail and even clear headlight lenses, so they can be retrofitted with lights. I only have two problems with them: I just couldn't find a place to put the weights and they really need them, since they struggle when double heading an 8 car 2 axle freight train and i even removed some of the weights from the cars. My other problem is finding nice working pantographs that match them and could be fitted to the roofs without much drilling or gluing. Tomytec ones fit, but they are the same non moving plastic type.

[onthelam]

I just assmebled my first bandai b train normy or i don't know how to call a shorty with the correct length. (we might need a new term for this) The deki locomotives are a very nice construction, have a very good level of detail and even clear headlight lenses, so they can be retrofitted with lights. I only have two problems with them: I just couldn't find a place to put the weights and they really need them, since they struggle when double heading an 8 car 2 axle freight train and i even removed some of the weights from the cars. My other problem is finding nice working pantographs that match them and could be fitted to the roofs without much drilling or gluing. Tomytec ones fit, but they are the same non moving plastic type.

 

 

Funny enough, N Scale World Magazine just did an article about repainting these trains.  In regards to the pantograph, they recommend GreenMax PT42 (http://www.1999.co.jp/10007728).

 

[onthelam]

Can anyone here recommend a good case for holding B-Train Shortys?  I'm looking at cases like those from Caseco or the ones that Kato trains come in.  Thanks!

[kvp]

In regards to the pantograph, they recommend GreenMax PT42.

Thanks, i'll have to buy two. Not to mention something to store my b trains, currently i just put them back into their boxes, but those are a little too large for them.

[Krackel Hopper]

Can anyone here recommend a good case for holding B-Train Shortys?  I'm looking at cases like those from Caseco or the ones that Kato trains come in.  Thanks!

 

I use Casco cases with the Casco B-Train Shorty inserts.  The replacement insert allows room for 20 shorty cars.

 

Currently sold out at HobbySearch, but may be available somewhere else.

 

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10078087

[tossedman]

I have the same thing. Just be careful with your pantographs.

[onthelam]

Awesome!  I found something similar in Light Gray on AmiAmi:

 

http://www.amiami.com/top/detail/detail?gcode=RAIL-06977&page=top%2Fsearch%2Flist%3Fs_keywords%3Dcasco+tora%24pagemax%3D20%24getcnt%3D0%24pagecnt%3D1

 

Thanks for the help guys, much appreciated!

[Keikyu]

[Krackel Hopper]

Surprised nobody beat me to posting the painted B-Trains that went up for pre-order today.

 

E231 Yamanote Rilakkuma (2 car set)

 

Type 5000 Kumamoto Electric RR - Sgt. Frog (2 car set)

 

Series 115 Shinano - Waiting in the Summer (2 car set)

 

Does anybody know if you can build a "prototypical" 11 car E231 Yamanote set from purchasing the 2 car sets?  I assume they come with appropriate parts to allow this..?

[kvp]

 

Does anybody know if you can build a "prototypical" 11 car E231 Yamanote set from purchasing the 2 car sets? I assume they come with appropriate parts to allow this..?

Almost. You can build the end cars, one type of middle car with pantograph and one without. You can't build the cattle cars (now removed) and the new platform door compatibility middle car. So mostly yes, you need 10 boxes and would only have 1 car that looks slightly off. (but you can cut and paste that car too by cutting up the sides of 2 end cars, which you would have quite a few as leftovers and using these special sides with a normal middle car roof and ends, the mod requires replacing the cab doors with the small windows from the other end) The whole train would cost 170 usd + shipping + wheels and at least 3 motors. :)

[Krackel Hopper]

Well shoot.. some Shorty sets provide enough parts to make an end/cab or middle car.. if that were the case I'd only need 6 sets, not 10 sets.. having to buy 10 sets, I may as well get the Kato E231.. they'd cost the same..

 

That's a bummer.. I'd love a Shorty E231 Rilakkuma.. but not for that price..