Bandai B-Train Shorty

[EF57]

A while back there were some photoshopped photos of „real life shorties“.  There are also such among models in other scales, e.g. the bachmann O.16.5 railbus:

 

o

 

or the Regner tank car:

 

[Cat]

On 7/2/2018 at 10:48 AM, defor said:

I was considering the Digitrax DZ126T as, although it's a little larger, also supports transponding which I've been investing in pretty heavily recently.

either way, there's so very little room in the DE10 shell, this is going to be rather challenging- at present I've lined the inside of the front and back 'hood' covers with lead to increase weight, so this leaves the driver's cab as the most likely location to put a decoder, although the roof mounting pins will need to be removed in part or whole.

How has chipping the Shorties been going?

We'll be wanting to do this too, and with Digitrax, so that we can play with the New England T-Trak folks.

[defor]

On 1/28/2020 at 10:56 PM, Cat said:

How has chipping the Shorties been going?

It hasn’t- been busy trying to work out possible logistics (before I invest) in dcc upgrading my entire kiha 100 fleet (38 at present). 

[Cat]

3 minutes ago, defor said:

It hasn’t- been busy trying to work out possible logistics (before I invest) in dcc upgrading my entire kiha 100 fleet (38 at present). 

 

That's a lot of KiHa!

We'll have to dive into chipping our [much smaller] fleet right off so we can play with the local T-Trakkers.

Last time we checked some years ago, Lenz made the tiniest chips for fitting into small locos.  We certainly don't need a lot of functions for operating Shorties.

[roadstar_na6]

I have always wondered what‘s the deal with these models but after looking a bit through this thread and seeing some photos they have really grown on me and they‘d be a fun thing to have. I‘d like to get one in the future, probably a loco and some passenger cars. I‘ve seen that the kits come unpowered and that I‘d need to put a power unit into the loco to get it running. What are the options for this and would I also need different chassis for passenger cars to have them running?

 

Thanks for any advices! 🙂

[cteno4]

Road star,

 

you can power them with the Kato mini power mechs. The bandai power meds have been out of production for a while now and not sure they are going to do them again. For non powered cars you can use the Simple bandai or Kato truck sets (again the Bandai trucks which came with a chasis as well are oop currently) popped onto the Btrain chasis instead of the fixed Btrain trucks.

 

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/list/579/0/3

 

you can also pop in the inexpensive Kato knuckle or sharfenberger couplers instead of the rapidos to get a bit closer and positive coupling. The rapidos can uncouple with some twists and turns and also the btrains can get into some slinky action with the springs that can cause the rapidos to uncouple now and then.

 

check out this article, nice overview and small layout for btrains.

 

http://japanrailmodelers.org/pages/modelingjapan/btrainshorty-pt1.html

 

jeff

[roadstar_na6]

The Kato power unit seems to have become quite pricy, too, at least a quick search on YAJ showed them at prices of around $75. But some sellers on eBay in the US seem to have them for cheaper, I have to check that 😄

The bogies are reasonably priced I guess.

Thank you!

 

Regards,

Jan

[cteno4]

Jan,

 

you should check out some of the hobby shops that export, a lot cheaper than yaj fees you will pay to export. The suppliers forum has lots of threads on export sources

 

 main ones are HobbySearch, Modeltrains plus, amiami and amazon.co.jp. There are a few others as well. Most are at least 5-10% below list and at times some things can be 30% below list. Hobby search and amiami are larger hobby shops, modeltrainplus is a small trains only shop with a lot of more personal interaction. Amazon jp is primarly them selling stuff directly as few of the Japanese hobby shops on amazon jp will do export thru amazon, so it’s an odd selection you will find but sometimes really low price. Some sellers on amazon in other countries as well, but spotty.

 

cheers

 

jeff

[roadstar_na6]

I‘ve been shopping with HobbySearch before, got my E851 from them 5 years ago 😄

 

I think for a B Train Loco I‘d need the Kato 11-109 unit, which is a replacement for 11-103 which is used for those according to HS.

I‘ll check the other stores and see if I can find it there for less than 2000¥ 😄

 

Thank you again!

[Morcs]

On 2/22/2020 at 10:17 AM, roadstar_na6 said:

I‘ve been shopping with HobbySearch before, got my E851 from them 5 years ago 😄

 

I think for a B Train Loco I‘d need the Kato 11-109 unit, which is a replacement for 11-103 which is used for those according to HS.

I‘ll check the other stores and see if I can find it there for less than 2000¥ 😄

 

Thank you again!

 

I just came here to ask what Kato chassis I will need for my EF65 and DD51 so thankyou if that's correct 🙂

 

Maybe we need a sticky list, it's probably pretty straight forward for the experienced but not to some of us shorty newbies!

[Morcs]

Hi b-train team. Need some help.

 

Got my first lot of shorties today and have assembled an ef65 (without power) and started on my e233.

The power car was easy to pop in an 11-107 chassis, but I just can't see how I'm supposed to fit the Kato trucks to unpowered cars? With or without the standard plastic chassis I just can't see it, and ive never come across a video either. Please help 🙂

[cteno4]

All the btrains I have have the hole there at the bogie centers where the little flanges on top of the Kato trucks just pop into.

 

jeff

[Morcs]

Thanks Jeff, see link for image of what I have, the fake bogies are built into the base only allowing provision for axles.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/VcdD3Jr83ANpjrEU6

 

Edit. Found on page 32 some info regarding the frames being changed at some point, with the bandai bogies needing the bandai frame they come with, correct?

Edited February 27, 2020 by Morcs

[Welshbloke]

Yes, at some point Bandai changed them so the floor/bogies build as a solid lump. Earlier models could use Kato bogies with the kit floors, later ones need Bandai.

[cteno4]

Mia culpa! I guess I have all older ones I’ve built! I wondered why they were selling the whole frames and truck units now...

 

ugh I need to go thru my unbuilt Btrain kits and see if i have any of the newer version to evaluate what to do. Has anyone looked at hacking off the truck side frames on the bandai to then make a small mount for the Kato truck to pop into? This would be an uber simple 3d print! Or a couple of right sized washers stacked up and glued together might do the trick.

 

jeff

 

morcs, it’s cool to upload pictures you’ve taken yourself like this here. It’s good so they never go poof later if moved on an external server or links change or account goes away.

[Morcs]

This derails my entire layout plan as the power chassis from bandai or Kato were difficult already to find for certain trains, as were the trains themselves, factor in having to find frames aswell it's looking very grim to go with shorties...

 

Are these items any easier to find domestically in Japan? Ie. Non exporters?

 

Might have to salvage my layout and use things like kiha 120s and shorter locos like ed79s and hope I can make it look OK. Gutted.

[cteno4]

Morcs,

 

I wouldn’t give up here yet. While the bandai mechs seem oop right now (doesn’t mean they will always be), Kato mechs and trucks are usually pretty available thru most sources at good prices.

 

this should be the mech for the 233

 

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10030554

 

I’ve used Kato mechs in just about all of mine and I think only one loco took a little grinding on the inside of the shell to make it fit right. 

 

i don’t think the trucks will be a huge issue to get around. I went thru one box of my unbuilt btrains and none are of the new kind yet, I’ll drag out my other boxes to see if I can find one of the newer style to mess with.

 

i think it Will just require cutting off the bandai truck side frame from the chassis plate and then probably gluing a couple of small washers to make the proper little seat for the bogie to snap into.

 

jeff

[Cat]

We haven't begun assembly on our fleet yet.  But testing the freight cars showed that the TaKi 4300 chasses sits well on the Bandai fright trucks, but that there are some nubs on the bottom of the KoKi chasses that will have to be removed before it will ride flat on the trucks.

[cteno4]

The bandai freight trucks look pretty much exactly the same as the Kato trucks in shape.

 

jeff

[Cat]

11 minutes ago, cteno4 said:

The bandai freight trucks look pretty much exactly the same as the Kato trucks in shape.

 

jeff

There's just a bonus pair of nubs on the bottom of the kokis that are the trouble makers.  Easy enough to snip off.

 

[Morcs]

Thanks Jeff, I've got a Kato power unit for the 233, but then can't run the other 3 cars of it!

 

I've also got a ef65 and DD51 and the power units for those don't seem available either - which is a shame as I can run the tomix komu1 container cars with these and would still look good.

[cteno4]

I think it will be pretty easy to make a holder for the trucks on the other cars with some washers glued on. I just have to finish rooting thru all my unbuilt btrains to see if I have any of these to experiment on. Should be a pretty simple mod to make either the Kato or Bandai trucks pop in.

 

i guess the bulk of my Btrain collecting was in the earlier days and probably later ones I got on sale were older models as well.

 

the Kato 2 axle units should work in the locos.

 

jeff

[Morcs]

4 hours ago, cteno4 said:

I think it will be pretty easy to make a holder for the trucks on the other cars with some washers glued on. I just have to finish rooting thru all my unbuilt btrains to see if I have any of these to experiment on. Should be a pretty simple mod to make either the Kato or Bandai trucks pop in.

 

i guess the bulk of my Btrain collecting was in the earlier days and probably later ones I got on sale were older models as well.

 

the Kato 2 axle units should work in the locos.

 

jeff

 

The base frame of the newer cars has a tonne of plastic built up on the bottom for the axle holders and reliefs that would need a bit of work with a Dremel to grind back to make the frame flat. Then a couple of correct sized holes and the Kato bogies would pop on.

[roadstar_na6]

8 hours ago, Morcs said:

power units for those don't seem available either

Search for Kato 11-709, they‘re widely available.

Another question regarding the locomotives. Are there any 4 wheel chassis for them or are they actually limited to the 2 wheeled ones?

[cteno4]

I think some of the locos can do the 4 axel mechs with some mods. I remembering looking at this with I think it was the dd51. Spotty I sort of set aside my btrains there for a while with too many little projects going on.

 

May just need to knock off the side frames and then I’m thinking a small washer over a new hole in the bottom will give the bearing disc that’s there in the old one that the top of the truck frame pivots on. Side frames probably can come off with a small razor saw or Dremel. If we can find a simple solution then doing a bunch should go quick. I’ll try to go thru my remaining unbuilt boxes tonight to look for some of the new designs.

 

jeff