Bandai B-Train Shorty

[Mark]

This is my small B-train roster. I don't have a permanent layout for them yet, but they are fun to run on temporary sets using Kato track. The Hitachi Express and the 12200 Series are motorized. I haven't put a motor or running trucks on the older 165 Series yet. I also have a D51 steam loco that I dressed up with a little paint for static display.

[JR 500系]

This is my small B-train roster. I don't have a permanent layout for them yet, but they are fun to run on temporary sets using Kato track. The Hitachi Express and the 12200 Series are motorized. I haven't put a motor or running trucks on the older 165 Series yet. I also have a D51 steam loco that I dressed up with a little paint for static display.

 

That's cute, especially the Super Hitachi! And Goki makes a guest appearance. ~

[dabsan]

This is a really nice B-Train which has been released for Keikyu railway.

Updated photographs of Deto 11.12 with motor fitted and with replacement Tomix pantograph.

[tossedman]

Those look great! Are they a current release from Bandai? Any where can I get some if they are?

[dabsan]

The Deto 11.12 B-Train Shorty was released by the Keikyū Railway Company, and sold at the Keikyu railway Family Festa 2014, and also in their Railway shop.

[kvp]

Anyone there who can source them and willing to sell them to us?

[tossedman]

Rats! Missed them.

Edited August 3, 2014 by tossedman

[cteno4]

Contact nariichi San at MTP, he does personal shopping.

 

Jeff

[Keikyu]

Some Tobu trains have been put up for pre-order on 1999.co (And assumedly elsewhere.)

 

The 8000 in the late paint is one. I am definitely excited for that, especially since people on Yahoo auctions would charge enormously for even a 2 car set.

Edited August 10, 2014 by Keikyu

[chinbeard]

I am just starting to collect a few items for my grandson and have a question regarding the motorised chassis, I know the Kato 105 model has only one driven bogie, does the Bandai T3 chassis have drive to both bogies ?

TIA John

[nickhp]

Yes, the Bandai Power 3 has 8 wheel drive and a single traction tyre.

[chinbeard]

Another question if I may, I have ordered packs of flat container trucks, now I saw here that the 12ft containers for normal N scale will fit the B-Train flat trucks but has anyone fitted a caboose section from the Kato truck to a B-Train flat truck ? I'd like a caboose to finish my freight train but they are no longer available so thought this might be a possibility .

[nickhp]

Not sure I understand the question.  The container flat cars can use either the bandai trucks (Truck F (grey) NOT Truck T (black)) or you can use the kato B train trucks.  Is that what you were asking?

 

Regards,

 

Nick

[nickhp]

I use a Kato caboose on the end of my freight trains, I think it is a "YO8000" type which looks like a shorty even though it isn't!

[dabsan]

I use a Kato caboose on the end of my freight trains, I think it is a "YO8000" type which looks like a shorty even though it isn't!

Yes I use a YO8000 on my shorty freight trains, the Tomix one has working red tail lights, looks very cool!

[chinbeard]

Thanx guys, I had seen the small caboose you suggest and indeed it would suit fine, just wondered if the caboose on normal N gauge container car could be removed/unclipped and installed on a B-Train container car ?

 

I just got my DD51's and they are dinky, I love'em, can't wait for my E653 Fresh Hitachi to arrive, I've been using Amazon so far but will try Rakuten for my next batch.

 

I will probably be back with more questions as I am new to this.

[chinbeard]

Found a site with a ton of interesting stuff, the 'Exhibition' section has some nice dioramas, enjoy.

http://tokkou-b-team.net/exhibition.html

[Keikyu]

Found a site with a ton of interesting stuff, the 'Exhibition' section has some nice dioramas, enjoy.

http://tokkou-b-team.net/exhibition.html

 

This is excellent for ideas for layouts.

[chinbeard]

Surprisingly enough the normal B-Train knuckle couplers fit in there and they work alright with the Kato couplers I use on everything else. I guess that works, but thanks.

Any recommendations regarding 'close coupling' ? I have Bandai F bogies for my freight cars, they will not need operating couplers as they will be run as a 'unit', I've no plan to use curves under 12" rad so I reckon 'close couple' should be OK.

[Keikyu]

Some new trains up for pre-order.

 

Kintetsu Series 15200 [Revival Color]

Kintetsu Series 15200 [Aozora II]

Kintetsu Series 15400 [Kagirohi]

Hisatsu Orange Railway <- No real idea of what this is. I like it though, it might be worthwhile looking into.

[kvp]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hisatsu_Orange_Railway

[kami_illy]

hey guys.

 

i am currently waiting for some shorty commuters and i thought of installing head lights or even tail lights. Has anybody done this and wants to share some of that knowledge? 

Especially interesting for me would be the kind of LED and additional electrical stuff used. The mechanical part would be another topic then since it differs with each model..

What do you think, would it be worth with the work?

[kvp]

I only have a few shorties, but it's easy to add lights to single railcars or locos where you have the transparent light routers already installed, since you can take the power from the motor and no modding is required. It's also possible to make small power pickup strips for some of the emus, that already have grooves on their baseboards for them. For leds, i would suggest small low current ones, since they don't generate too much heat. For head and tail lights, i would suggest to calculate the resistors in a way that getting maximal voltage won't damage the circuit. That means for analog N scale, they should survive at least 16V DC (better would be 24V DC). Connecting two leds (for example one white and one red) in reverse would decrease the number of components needed and also the starting voltage. Each white led could have a red led pair next to it. For leds that doesn't have a reverse direction pair, you can add a normal diode in place of the pair. This results in a lower turn on voltage than adding a series protection diode. Also, if your unit has one white led on each side, you can connect them as a pair too. (for a small electric loco with 2 tail lamps and 1 front light per side, that would mean 2 red pairs and 1 white pair with 3 resistors) The idea is that depending on the direction (polarity), only one of the leds in a pair will light up and it will protect the other one from getting voltages above its reverse breakdown voltage. For internal lights, it might worth to use diode pairs too, since they will have a lower turn on voltage and don't need a rectifier bridge. For such bipolar lights, polarity free capacitors have to be used to make them flicker free.

 

[kami_illy]

Thanks for the detailed infos. :)

Sounds not too complicated. I think i'll give it a try. 

But now another noob-question (i am just starting to get hooked by b-trains); do you guys have any recommendations for trucks/chassis that couple pretty close? and maybe not with rapidos.. somehow i cannot imagine such short cars with this huge couplers. 

[kami_illy]

And by chance; anybody giving/selling single middle cars for the 233-keihin and 231-yamanote. I am also looking for a 205 yokohama line. i could trade in a 205 saikyo line or a tokyu 5000 den-en-toshi.