Bandai B-Train Shorty

[Dinosbacsi]

By the way, is B Train Shorty usually more focused on JR East stuff than JR West?

 

Just asking because I've been thinking about getting a lineup of Wakayama Line trains, but couldn't find any 103 series or 201 series in Nara green. Nor could I find any 105 series, though I kind of expected that one, it wasn't a that widely used train I suppose?

 

I could only find the sky blue 201 series, but that one didn't run on the Wakayama Line, did it? I think the only Wakayama Line train I found was the blue 117 series. And out of all the 103 shorty series sets I could find, to me it seemed like most are JR East 103s.

[disturbman]

There are a few 105 series on YJA, notably in the older Wakayama livery (cream and read). You also can get some 221 series that are currently running on the Wakayama line. But maybe the Wakayama line is a bit niche and not very appealing. Edit: In case, the Wakayama livery is/used to be blue.

All the B-Trains I have/had are JR West: 381, 681, 223.

JR West 103 Wakayama line: https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/w457389369 or https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/d491657262

Other Jr West 103: https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/o466686822 or https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/c900077272

There are also quite a few Osaka Loop 103s.

Edited April 6, 2021 by disturbman

[Dinosbacsi]

That cream colored 105 series is exactly the one I thinking about! How comes I couldn't find it on FromJapan? Do they not list everything from Yahoo Auctions? Or maybe it's just the fact that I always search for the full "Bトレインショーティー" name, and it looks like this one has it written in a shorter way. I will try that, see if more stuff pops up that way.

 

As for the blue 103 series, I would prefer a Nara green one, will continue to search if I see one. I didn't even know that the blue ones ran on the Wakayama Line as well? I believed only the 105 and 117 series had had the blue paintjobs for Wakayama, but sadly I don't have that much knowledge. Anyway thanks for the info, it's good to see that it's not a totally lost cause. Considering my Chuo-Sobu lineup is almost finished, I might get some Wakayama stuff in the future.

[Dinosbacsi]

But talking about my Chuo-Sobu lineup, as I already posted in the other topic, my 4-car set of the 103 series arrived today! My fleet is starting to become quite lovely, I really like it.

 

It took longer to assemble all the 4 cars than I expected, I think a spent a good 2 hours on them, and I didn't even apply stickers. But the set is really lovely, and it came with a bunch of alternative parts. These in the picture are all leftovers. There are two other sets for different cab ends, and a bunch of roofs. Some leftover pieces for the different cars, and also an entirely other set of non-air conditioned roofs. Then 3 pantographs and a ton of remaining couplers.

It also came with the old style chassis, which I like to see. Interestingly, the build quality seems better at places and worse at other places. For example, the body itself seems to be holding/snapping together much better than the 205 series did, but on the other hand, the bogeys, the couplers and the middle bit thingies that the walls attach to seem to be worse quality. But overall a really nice set, glad that I bought it.

(Sorry for the double posting by the way, but didn't want one too long post about two different topics)

[cteno4]

I think we should have a Frankenstein contest for the best cram together of all the extra btrain parts!

 

jeff

[Dinosbacsi]

Yeah. Such a shame it's all car-end walls and roofs for me. Can't build anything from those without sidewalls. I have leftover chassis from replacing the ones in the 205, but can't build anything without side walls really

Edited April 6, 2021 by Dinosbacsi

[cteno4]

Maybe just glue a bunch of end walls together for the side walls or roofs!

 

jeff

[disturbman]

You should start sourcing the correct Kato pantographs for your B-Trains. They really add to the look, and are dirt cheap. I'm sure you can find a few other items to pack the box, maybe a Casco case or some smaller couplers. I was using Kato 11-702 on mine and eventhough they were not prototypical they looked great.
 

1 hour ago, Dinosbacsi said:

As for the blue 103 series, I would prefer a Nara green one, will continue to search if I see one. I didn't even know that the blue ones ran on the Wakayama Line as well?

IIRC, all Wakayama line rolling-stock were painted blue. The green ones were either extended services from other lines, transfers or temporary trains. I'm sure you can find a 103 in Nara green. These are very iconic.

Can I ask why you chose the Wakayama line?

 

1 hour ago, Dinosbacsi said:

That cream colored 105 series is exactly the one I thinking about! How comes I couldn't find it on FromJapan? Do they not list everything from Yahoo Auctions? Or maybe it's just the fact that I always search for the full "Bトレインショーティー" name, and it looks like this one has it written in a shorter way. I will try that, see if more stuff pops up that way.

 

I don't think FromJapan has the most intuitive structure. It doesn't seem to give you the possibility to browse specific categories without a search such as N Scale or B-Train Shorty on YJA. Unlike Buyee or ZenMarket. 

If you want to stay on FromJapan, use this link: https://www.fromjapan.co.jp/en/yahoo-auctions/search/103/2084259620/ I selected the B-Train Shorty category and the engine will only look for correspondance in that category. No need to search for "Bトレインショーティー", you can simply enter "103", "105" or "JR西日本".

Edited April 6, 2021 by disturbman

[disturbman]

There are currently a few 103 in Nara (Ugusui) color but all built and without spare parts: https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/b525967783 or https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/q429999776

I also haven't seen any with the white band on the front: https://www.1999.co.jp/10095926

If I were you, and if FromJapan gives you that option, I would set an alarm for specific a search so you can be notified when someone puts what you are looking for on sale.

 

[Dinosbacsi]

5 minutes ago, disturbman said:

You should start sourcing the correct Kato pantographs for your B-Trains. They really add to the look, and are dirt cheap.

Yeah, I really plan on doing that soon. Good thing the 103, the 201 and the 205 all use the same pantograph model, as far as I know, so I can just buy two packs and it's done.

 

13 minutes ago, disturbman said:

Can I ask why you chose the Wakayama line?

Pretty simple reason really, it's one of the few japanese routes available for Train Simulator and I've played the hell out of it. So I tought if I'm done buying Chuo-Sobu trains, I should get some Wakayama Line ones as I really like the color schemes they had in the game. It included the 103 in Nara green and the 105 in the cream color with the stripes on the side.

 

Though the few 105 sets available seem rather pricy. The one you linked already has a pretty high price with 4000 yen just for two cars, but then there is also a single car for sale for 8000 yen. It's so nice though, it even includes the oalternative cab front wall in the 103-1000 series style, but no way I'm buying a single car for 8000 yen.

 

25 minutes ago, disturbman said:

I don't think FromJapan has the most intuitive structure. It doesn't seem to give you the possibility to browse specific categories without a search such as N Scale or B-Train Shorty on YJA. Unlike Buyee or ZenMarket.

Yeah, it looks like FromJapan has a worse search system with fewer categories. But by searching for only "Bトレ" insated of "Bトレインショーティー" I could find results I originally couldn't, so that's something I guess. I might change to one of the other sites in the future, but so far I'm happy with FromJapan so I guess I'll stay for a while.

[disturbman]

8000! I found a 4-car 105 series in Wakayama-sen blue color set by MA in almost unused condition for that price, with free Japanese domestic shipping.

I did a quick closed search and those 105 are rare. Only two sold since mid-december. 4000 is a bit high but one of the other sets sold for 3000. If you really want it, and money is not an issue, I would buy it now.

Edited April 6, 2021 by disturbman

[Dinosbacsi]

1 minute ago, disturbman said:

8000! I found a 4-car 105 series in Wakayama-sen blue color set by MA in almost unused condition for that price, with free Japanese domestic shipping.

 

I did a quick closed search and those 105 are rare. Only two sold since mid-december. 4000 is a bit high but one of the other sets sold for 3000. If you really want it, I would buy it now.

Yeah, that's the thing. You can get brand new 4 car sets for that price. But I kind of expected rarity is the reason for their prices. I don't know though. Thing is, even if I were to get the 2-car set for 4000, I think it would bother me that I would still prefer the 103-1000 series type cab-front one. I believe they often ran in a setup where the two cars had the different cab ends on the two ends. So one car had the 103-1000 series type cab-front, while the other car had the bit more modern looking cab-front with the headlights under the windshield (like the ones in the 4000 yen set).

 

So technically the "best" would be to get both the 2-car set for 4000 yen and the other one for 8000 yen so I can have the 103-1000 series style front as well, but that would be way too much money. Then one of the cars would even be a leftover as the 105s didn't run with 3 cars.

 

Anyway, maybe I'll think about getting the 2 cars for 4000 yen as that's still sort of reasonable, but I might just forget about the whole Wakayama Line idea, as it was just a side though to begin with. I would probably go for it if I could get rolling stock for cheaper, but not this way. Or just change plans and go with the blue painted ones as they seem more available, lol.

 

But I think I should rather focus on getting more tracks now so my Chuo-Sobu fleet has a proper place to rest and run on. By the way I also found a 209 series in Chuo-Sobu colors, wondering if I should try getting it. I don't really need it, as I prefer the boxier stuff anyway, so I feel like it would a bit ruin the retro boxy fleet by being too modern looking compared to them. But according to the wiki the 209 ran together with the 103s, 201s and 205s for a few years, so it might technically still be correct to have them together. Though I wonder if any low-cab 103s ran in '98 or if they were all replaced by the high-cab ones by then?

Really the main reason to get a 209 would be so I can try the cheaper Kato motor units and bogeys without worrying about them looking incorrect, as the Kato mech resembles the 209/231 bogeys, right? That, and if I had a 209, the 205 wouldn't be the only metallic one in the fleet. Would be a better balance with 2 full yellow trains and 2 metallic trains, I suppose.

 

Sorry for another long post, too many decisions for such small trains.

[disturbman]

Yes, some 105 are partially remodeled KuHa 103s. If you are looking for a specific front/train. Keep looking, something will pop out.

I really don't know if you should worry too much about prototypicality of boggies when running B-Trains 😉 You also could get multiple sets of the trains you like, there is something neat about having similar trains pass each other. Or get enough sets to run prototypical length trains. I don't think Chuo-Sobu trains run in 4-car formations, though 10 cars might be pushing it slightly in price and length. I saw a junk pile with a few Chuo-Sobu train cars in it. Don't know how much it would fetch.

 

25 minutes ago, Dinosbacsi said:

Though I wonder if any low-cab 103s ran in '98 or if they were all replaced by the high-cab ones by then?

Answer is yes.

https://seibu351.exblog.jp/22985454/ and https://youtu.be/7bMoTvnCdis

 

[Dinosbacsi]

5 minutes ago, disturbman said:

I really don't know if you should worry too much about prototypicality of boggies when running B-Trains 😉

Yeah it's really stupid, but it would still bother me to have non-prototypical bogeys under them. While it's not that important of a detail, it's still different from train to train, and I feel like the different bogeys help add more character to each train.

 

But I could also get a 115, I suppose. I believe they also ran on the Chuo-Sobu tracks to some extent? And if I'm correct the other Kato mechs are modelled after the 115 bogeys, so that one could also be made prototypical for a lower price.

 

11 minutes ago, disturbman said:

Or get enough sets to run prototypical length trains. I don't think Chuo-Sobu trains run in 4-car formations

As for length, I feel like 4 cars is the optimal length for these shorties. I mean they're short, that's their point, so having long shorty trains feels a bit weird to me. Were I to go with proper realistic scale models though, I would probably want longer sets.

[disturbman]

Question of taste really. I liked the six-car B-trains I had. The length felt right.
 

12 minutes ago, Dinosbacsi said:

But I could also get a 115, I suppose. I believe they also ran on the Chuo-Sobu tracks to some extent?

Sobu line rapid service. I don't know anything about the specific track arrangement, if the rapid service share tracks with the local Chuo-Sobu line.

https://kamog.at.webry.info/201707/article_9.html

https://twitter.com/tanukou_/status/796738654659977216?s=20

Edited April 6, 2021 by disturbman

[Dinosbacsi]

20 minutes ago, disturbman said:

Question of taste really. I liked the six-car B-trains I had. The length felt right.

Oh yeah, it's definitely up to personal preference, I just meant that 4 cars is the sweet spot for me.

[cteno4]

I’ve kind of settled on 2, 4, 8, usually around half usual consist or a little less. Figure shortie the consist. 4 always seems to run well with a single motor car.

 

jeff

[tossedman]

I like them all! 1, 2, 4, and 8. But I love the 16 car Shinkansen 0 series as it snakes its way around a layout. Hence the image in my signature.

 

Cheers eh,

 

Todd

Edited April 7, 2021 by tossedman

[lukewang01]

I like them all the way. The concept of 12-car sleeper trains in shorties is just too good to pass.

[cteno4]

I eventually want to do a shorty layout ala Nick yee that has a lot of compression in it, tight radiuses, and oblique angles along with over and under so keeping things short will help.
 

that being said I still want to get my 16 car zero series all done and with more positive lock couplers to run on the club layout for laughs at shows. One member’s 16 car 700 with the Kato rapidos just would not run long until we would have random uncoupling. Think it was slinky effect on the rapidos as dirty track would cause little stutters and the Kato mechs just don’t have the momentum and flywheels to power thru a stutter and I think that set up the oscillation. I know Todd’s 16 car 0 runs really well. 
 

Ishmael

[tossedman]

22 minutes ago, cteno4 said:

Ishmael

LOL!

[disturbman]

6 hours ago, cteno4 said:

I eventually want to do a shorty layout ala Nick yee that has a lot of compression in it, tight radiuses, and oblique angles along with over and under so keeping things short will help.

Ishmael, you should. This could very well become your own white whale. Would love to see you keep a building layout thread.

 

 

6 hours ago, cteno4 said:

that being said I still want to get my 16 car zero series all done and with more positive lock couplers to run on the club layout for laughs at shows. One member’s 16 car 700 with the Kato rapidos just would not run long until we would have random uncoupling. Think it was slinky effect on the rapidos as dirty track would cause little stutters and the Kato mechs just don’t have the momentum and flywheels to power thru a stutter and I think that set up the oscillation. I know Todd’s 16 car 0 runs really well.

I don't know if it will help for a 16-car train, but I was really pleased with Kato's knuckle couplers. Best solution would be to use drawbars. Would it be something that could be 3d printed? It cannot imagine it would be too difficult to design.

[kami_illy]

7 hours ago, cteno4 said:

I eventually want to do a shorty layout ala Nick yee that has a lot of compression in it, tight radiuses, and oblique angles along with over and under so keeping things short will help.

Do it!

It is fun, and you have the perfect excuse to compress as much different scenery in tight spaces as you like... 5 houses in a normal layout look a bit lonely, but 5 houses with shorties are a city 😄

[cteno4]

10 hours ago, disturbman said:

I don't know if it will help for a 16-car train, but I was really pleased with Kato's knuckle couplers. Best solution would be to use drawbars. Would it be something that could be 3d printed? It cannot imagine it would be too difficult to design.

I just got some more Tomix knuckle couplers for try. They look like they may fit the pocket better for movement. I’m on the fence on replacing rapidos the shorter trains as they work well and are just dirt simple and on btrains everything is a bit pudgy.

 

I kind of set the btrains aside for a while there. Too many irons in the fire.

 

jeff

[cteno4]

9 hours ago, kami_illy said:

Do it!

It is fun, and you have the perfect excuse to compress as much different scenery in tight spaces as you like... 5 houses in a normal layout look a bit lonely, but 5 houses with shorties are a city

@kami_illy Thanks I will! Just have too many projects going. I really need to first get moving on a larger Ttrak series of modules for the fall when things open up! I’ve been inspired by your mini city Btrain layout and am thinking of trying to do a compressed city on one side and more rural on the other and Btrain all the scenery with compression.
 

I’ve toyed with the idea of also a viaduct/embankment single line shinkansen loop in it and Btrain it to a single track instead of two for space compression. Then have the track split around the platform so they can be switched back and forth. Cool thing is it would be easy to reverse the mech polarity and use a reversing circuit and diodes to track to alternate two Shinkansens running in opposite directions.

 

the little Kato mini modules also perked my interest for use with btrains as an alternative to a mini layout. I want to play with it to see if slightly larger modules would work to get one or two small structures on them. May fall apart though, it was interesting playing with module sizes with t scale as it’s a complex dance.

 

jeff