Bandai B-Train Shorty

[railsquid]

Do you guys ever run your b train stock with the included plastic wheels vs the metal trucks you can get from bandai or kato?

 

I've been replacing the trucks on all the ones I build, but then I noticed my son's Thomas has plastic wheels on the brown carriages (sorry don't remember the lady's names) and seems to roll fine

 

 

 

Plastic wheels will leave behind residue on your track. Anything I run seriously gets its wheels converted.

[bill937ca]

Bandai has announced on Facebook a B Train Shorty "Sagami Railway 9000 series renewal vehicle 2-Car Set.

 

http://www.sotetsu.co.jp/train/info/340.html

 

https://www.facebook.com/Btrainshorty/?hc_ref=NEWSFEED

[railsquid]

Limited to 3200 sets.

 

Looks like they captured a Seibu 6000 series and painted it black :P

[SirYamanote]

Hmm, hard to tell if I really like it from the image. I'll have to check from a computer, but I'm always a sucker for limited items [emoji23]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

*edit*  If I'm reading this right, there was a purchase limit of 20 per person and only 2,000 available last sunday (March 12th) and 1,200 available this weekend (3/18-3/19).

 

However, this is just a prerelease sale and there will be another 2,800 kits available for general purchase on April 1st and available via mail order starting April 8th. 20 per person in-store, 8 per person via mail order.

Edited March 14, 2017 by SirYamanote

[Rmsinsd]

Just got my first box 'o Shorty's today, the 381's. What cuties! I'd welcome any advice on running them. For instance, should I add any weight to the dummy cars? Any suggestions to improve the wheels on the Bandai running wheel sets? They seem to track through points fine, but the axles do fall out of the bogies occasionally, not while running though.

 

One specific question, about the Odakyu Romance Express. Since it's an articulated set, how has anyone gone about motorizing them? Thanks in advance, guys.

[nickhp]

Do not add weight to dummy cars - B train motor units are not exactly powerhouses.  Keep the rest of the train as light as possible and only weight the car with motor unit installed.

 

Bandai trailing wheels are not the best, only way to stop the axles from falling out would be to glue the plastic tube into the bogie (carefully!).

 

The romance train and other articulated sets use standard motor chassis and trailing trucks.  Again, be sure to weigh the motor car only and keep the rest of the train as light as possible.

 

Nick

[EF57]

i must say i don't see the point of using the scharfenbergs on shorties; the cars (i tried it on the 683 thunderbird) were not noticeably closer than with rapidos.

[EF57]

the plastic tube on the bandai wheels only serves to hold the axle halves together and it rotates with them. the axles are held in place only by snapping them in, hence the frequent fallings out.

[cteno4]

I've found the sharfenbergers give better running. I was getting frustrated by the slinky effect you get with shorties and longer trains and the rapidos (all the give in the rapidos and the spring) that would cause the rapidos to uncouple at times. Also was a cheap alternative when I was fiddling to see if I could Frankenstein bogies, but that's too much work I've decided, I'll just slowly wheel up and power the pile of unfinished btrains I have. I do plan to mess with the couplers of the ones that slinky and maybe more they do look a bit nicer than the rapidos.

 

Jeff

[kvp]

Also, some trains can't use the rapidos as the bogies are too far in from the ends of the cars. (mostly the trams and some emus) In this case adding the imitation couplers to the fronts and using the single piece coupled ones for multiple running is the only way to go. It's important to use the right mounting piece during assembly as it's very hard to change it later.

[EF57]

thank you, jeff and kvp!!

Edited March 20, 2017 by EF57

[EF57]

i find the "fallout rate" even higher with the tomytec ersatz-wheels than with the admittedly crappy bandai trucks.

[kami_illy]

I've also changed (almost) all couplers to the Scharfenberg ones. Not for running quality but for the looks. they just look better, more prototypical. 

And you can get closer to the original since you can choose between different couplers and colors. 

 

Would be nice though to have a close coupling variant. Even on R150 curves there is some space between the cars. Did anybody try to put the body mount tn couplers or other close coupling system? 

[kvp]

It's possible to use the Tomix bogie mounted TN couplers instead of the rapido ones.

[cteno4]

Do the btrains have enough weight to make the tin close couplers swing out well?

 

Jeff

[kvp]

Do the btrains have enough weight to make the tin close couplers swing out well

If you keep the bandai bogies and springs, they will work. I did't try the body mount variant. They also come handy when you want to mix bandai and other trains but don't like using rapidos. (there are a few scale correct bandai trains i jokingly call b train normy)

[Rmsinsd]

It's me again with another question about the B-Trains. This time, I'm curious about trains with more than four cars or so. On a flat grade, five or six are feasible with one Bandai power unit, but anything more spins wheels. Has anyone "double-headed" longer trains with two power units?

[kvp]

Yes. You'll need one power unit for every 4 cars. It's best to use the same type and preferably same age, so their speed matches more or less. Never mix 2 and 4 axle motors.

 

The easiest way is to use them in groups, so they are next to each other and can't push off the light cars between them.

[kami_illy]

The easiest way is to use them in groups, so they are next to each other and can't push off the light cars between them.

 

Made the same configuration. Used 2 motors in the middle to power an 8-car shinkansen. Runs pretty smooth, even in low speed. 

Other than that i use also just one motor on 5 car trains. Works fine too. The bandai motors seem stronger than the Kato ones. 

 

And to top it off, i run the loco hauled passenger trains with just the loco motorized. One loco (unit 3 or 5) with a lot of extra weight pulling 7 cars of Cassiopeia or Hokkutosei trains. It is a bit slow when starting to move and slows down on tight curves and grades, but so far it works on my test track. Have to test it on the layout (once the tracks are fixed there). I would recommend to motorize one of the coaches though. Just to be safe. ;)

Edited March 31, 2017 by kami_illy

[cteno4]

We have run 16 car 700 Shinkansen with 3 motor cars on the club's level double viaduct. The big issue was the slinky effect with all the rapido springs and play with any small change in speed due to track, that ends up fighting the power cars and then usually causing an uncoupling or derailment.

 

Todd has good luck with his 16 car 0 series, but can't remeber how many power cars he uses in it.

 

For my smaller the 1 power car for up to 4 works well and then 2 for 6 or 8 car works great. I still have not outfitted my 16 car 0 series yet...

 

Jeff

[nickhp]

I run 10 car trains on flat and level with a single power chassis for 8 hours without issue. I use weighting in the power car, 4 pieces of revell weights. I have used the standard n scale couplers, Kato knuckle couplers, etc. No problems with either and no slinky effect ever.

 

Nick

[nickhp]

Also, I should have stated that this is with both Kato and Bandai power chassis' and Kato trailing bogies. If you use bandai trailing trucks, you're unlikely to get the same results.

[nickhp]

The time has come for me to thin out my collection of B-Trains.  That is somewhat misleading since I will still have a huge collection, but I have a stockpile of unopened kits that I have decided to part with, so for the next few weeks I will be posting a lot of stuff on the buy/sell forum.  Hopefully this will help people that don't want to deal with auctions services/fees.  I will be listing "packages" since it doesn't make sense to sell individually given the amount of items I will be getting rid of.  I will ship overseas, but that will be subject to a $200 minimum purchase due to the headache of dealing with USPS for international shipments.

 

Apologies in advance if this post breaks forum rules, please delete if that is the case!

 

Nick

[cteno4]

That's fine nick.

 

His sale thread is here

 

http://www.jnsforum.com/community/topic/12840-b-train-shorties-nankai-electric-railway/?do=findComment&comment=153914

 

Jeff

[nickhp]

Series 883 Sonic train announced today!

 

Nice to see an all new model. Colour looks nice too!