Bandai B-Train Shorty

[Rmsinsd]

Hey guys.  I'm thinking of getting the B-Train Enoshima 303 articulated tram.  Hobby Search lists both the #3 and #4 power chassis as options.  Any advice on whether one chassis is more compatible?  Thanks in advance.

 

Edited September 6, 2017 by Densha
Removed copyrighted image

[kvp]

Mechanically both are the same, the difference is that the #3 has couplers, which have to be unclipped as the Enoden units can't use them, while the #4 doesn't have them. However the #3 is black and the passenger bogies are black, while the #4 is gray. Since i had to use one passenger bogie to build a 6 axle car, i got a #3 and modded it by removing the couplers. You'll also have to remove the coupler from the trailer bogie. The Enoden trains can be best coupled with a real coupler imitating clip on drawbar and could use imitation couplers when not coupled.

[kami_illy]

i found it very helpful to also put some weight on the motor and the trailing part as well! This counteracts the whole unit being jumpy / shaky due to its lightness.

[SirYamanote]

I've seen the new lovelive trains discussed all over, but haven't seen them go up on Bandai's site or preorders anywhere. Will these be a store exclusive?

 

 

 

[bill937ca]

Likely railway store exclusive for the Day of the Railway.

[EF57]

I used to keep my shorties in storage boxes, but now that I got some UV-protective display shelves, I enjoy them a lot more:

 

[EF57]

And next to that ...

[EF57]

And then ...

[cteno4]

Nice, I need to think about doing that, the b trains display well and take up only 40% of the wall space of regular trains!

 

jeff

[defor]

Just ordered my first DE10 Shorty and some Koki 107 Shorties to hopefully build a basic layout on the shelf above my desk so as to annoy my coworkers!

Can anyone confirm the tightest radii that the different motor and replacement bogie options can traverse without derailing is?

I'd LOVE to use some of the "compact" curves, and it seems like they SHOULD work, but I also see notes that R216 is the minimum passable.

I can't imagine R117 through R183 are restricted to trams only?

[bill937ca]

They should run on R103.

[nickhp]

On 4/25/2018 at 7:11 PM, defor said:

Can anyone confirm the tightest radii that the different motor and replacement bogie options can traverse without derailing is?

 

103mm radius is not an issue for B trains.

[defor]

Thanks for the confirmations everyone!

Wow- I was unaware that anything that small was safe to use on anything smaller than trams, but just got the R117 and R150 tracks in today, and had zero issues running a TOMIX DE10 around a quick double loop with crossover!

 

Haven't shipped the B-Trains from Japan yet, but really excited now that I know how small this really can be!

 

[nickhp]

So I have been flamed for this before but I will ask again anyway. 

 

Does anyone know what is happening with the B-Train Shorty line?  I know there was a reorganization at Bandai recently, but I also know that if you look at Hobby Search web site there has been only 1 private rail line and 1 JR repaint released in 2018 and NO new general release announcements in 2018.  Yes, there have been a couple of private repaints for Keikyu, but B-Trains are definitely not hitting the stores like they used to.  There haven't even been any restocks in the past few months. 

 

I would like to know if this is a lull due to the reorg or if this line is quietly being dropped for some reason?  If anyone has any insight or information it would certainly be appreciated if you could share it.

 

Thanks,

 

Nick

[cteno4]

Wow I thought trains had gotten quieter lately but didn’t realize it was that quiet! I wonder if the market got oversaturated. That’s my best Hess as to have happened with the tomytec vehicle sets. New sets in each collection are like once a year not every month or two like the good old days... (except the busses seem to be more frequent that the rest but always was the case.)

 

im always curious to major changes like this but it seems the info is rarely directly shared as I think they feel this is proprietary business/marketing info.

 

cheers

 

jeff

[nickhp]

I agree, but wondered if there was information shared as part of the reorganization discussions that I can't read.  Sometimes that kind of announcement includes information about where the company intends to put its priorities, what their go forward plans are and similar information.  This can provides clues as to what to expect in the future.

 

The other thing is that if there was over-saturation of the market, that would typically only impact re-releases.  New models are selling out, it seems re-releases of previously offered paint schemes and/or different paint schemes of the same base model would be more likely to be affected.  If you look at Hobby Search, the in-stock items are quite limited.  Not sure how good a gauge of stock across Japan that is.

 

Nick

[cteno4]

Yeah, no one has peeped on this that I’ve seen on any of the lists and forums. Bandai was out there in the media talking about btrain sat their height which was kind of odd, kind of like rock star popularity in the press for a bit. But that was not the business norm in japan. 

 

Rereleases and repaints are much cheaper for them and if they see a demand it’s a fast way to make a buck for a few particular models. New releases of course are all new design, licensing and tooling.

 

hobby search seems to be a pretty good rule of the overall market stock, stuff not there is usually out about the same time in other big shops or chains it seems, some smaller shops retain stock longer w.o the big web exposure and audience. The Japanese low inventory smaller run and not keeping stuff in stock for ever except for the staple stuff also affects stock and over all production and saturation.

 

will he interesting to see if anyone has heard anything as all the above is a lot of speculation! 

 

Jeff

[bill937ca]

Jeff-- there is a lot of competition for Tomytec vehicle sets outside model railroading.  and 1/150 may not be the auto enthusiasts preferred scale.

[defor]

Just bought my first shorties (DE10 + Koki 104/106/107s), some F type bogies, and a Kato 11-106 power unit.

 

Perhaps I missed something, but the 11-106 does not seem to fit AT ALL!

I am aware that it's normally for ?Express trains? but my assumption was that it should fit any of the B-Train shorty locomotive designs, and that only the axle decorations were difference between models.

 

Is there a Kato power unit that will work with DE10's, or will only Bandai power units fir the DE10?

also, is the Type3 power unit out of print? I'm having issues finding it for reasonable prices or in stock.

 

Thanks!

 

[bill937ca]

The power chassis for diesel locomotives is the Power Unit 1.  But it is sold out.

 

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10138173

[defor]

13 minutes ago, bill937ca said:

The power chassis for diesel locomotives is the Power Unit 1.  But it is sold out.

 

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10138173

Isn't that only for like the EF200/210 with skirt style covers? I was just looking and the Power Unit 5 seems to show a picture of a DE10 as well as mentioning it on the box...

 

Question still stands though, no Kato versions?

Edited June 25, 2018 by defor

[defor]

Also on a different but related topic- Weight & Traction

 

I've got 'bounce' issues when my short Koki hit #4 turnout frogs. I've adjusted the wheel spacing of the bogies, but any track joiner imperfections or frog height differences are magnified causing instant derails... are there any good solutions to add weight other than possibly hiding it under the containers?

Likewise, the Kato Power Unit is too light to get any traction, and the weight of the DE10 body placed on top isn't sufficient to prevent a massive amount of wheel slippage. I expect the Bandai Power units have the same issues- are there premade weights designed to be hidden in the chassis easily, or am i just better off fitting lead weight strips wherever i can fit them?

[Welshbloke]

I have a feeling the Kato unit doesn't fit the bogie diesels. The Bandai ones run fine in my experience, I have a couple of the DD51s which will pull four of the matching coaches on the flat. Did add a few bits of lead sheet wherever I could in the bodyshell to give it a fighting chance though.

[kvp]

Only the Bandai diesel power units (#5) support the new bogie diesel shells. They are a bit lighter than the standard Bandai ones, but are much better than the Kato units as both bogies are powered and they also have weight pieces included.

[Welshbloke]

Interesting, I didn't realise that the Kato chassis are only powered at one end. All of the bogie Bandai mechanisms have 8wd. Even the four wheel ones aren't bad within their limits and will cruise around happily with a few coaches or wagons on the back.