Bandai B-Train Shorty

[kami_illy]

On 5/28/2021 at 9:50 PM, ZandT said:

I think I can figure out how to put it together without the instructions

On 5/30/2021 at 8:06 PM, Dinosbacsi said:

Yes, building a Shorty is pretty self explanatory. But the reason you get different front faces and rear walls is to be able to make different cars/variations.

 

It can be a bit overwhelming when there is a lot of variations possible. Usually I check the Japanese wikipedia for the details and / or different configurations and then decide which parts to use. Also it is a good excuse to spend time on Youtube watching trains passing by 😉 Helps me to choose the right variants and which of the intermediate cars to build since i normally don't build the full consist. Doing this right now with my latest trophy, the KiHa 85. There is some options in the cars themselves and it seems like endless different combinations of how they are used together.. 

Good for sticker placement as well. 

[Dinosbacsi]

9 hours ago, kami_illy said:

 

It can be a bit overwhelming when there is a lot of variations possible. Usually I check the Japanese wikipedia for the details and / or different configurations and then decide which parts to use. Also it is a good excuse to spend time on Youtube watching trains passing by 😉 Helps me to choose the right variants

Yes, last time I did the same with my EF64-0. It came with two type of fronts and two roofs, so I had to watch some pictures to see which front goes with which roof.

[Dinosbacsi]

I finally got a second power unit for my trains, so now my 103 can also run around the layout.

 

I didn't even know that the Bandai 3 units had different variants, but apparently they do, as this one seems to be an older model than my other one. I noticed because I started of by replacing the original couplers and I noticed that the bogeys don't come off as easily like they did with the other unit. For this I had to take off the motor first to be able to rotate the bogest 90 degree and get them off. This one also doesn't have a black plastic underside like the other one does.

 

But I'm lucky it's this "variant", as this one hold the bogey cover plates of the 103 very well, while my other power unit had too big holes on the bogeys, so the covers fell out way too easily. But this one holds them well, so it's nice.

 

Also it runs so smooth! I mean my 205's power unit also runs pretty good after I did all that axle straigstraightening and oiling, but the axle it still not perfect, which shows. But this one runs flawlessly, I love it. Makes me want to get back to my other power unit and try to straighten the axles even more.

[Andrew G]

 

I'm back on the B-TRAIN wagon using 150mm wide T-TRAK length modules drawing upon the German "Johannes Modules" at: https://www.johannes-module.de/home which comes from the `original' Japanese version which has had its web page resurrected at: http://njouki.g1.xrea.com/menu.html  .

The Station is an extended TomyTec kit and the B-TRAINS are repainted into the scheme of suburban railcars used around the city of Adelaide (South Australia), see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Australian_Railways_Redhen_railcar

  

 

[Dinosbacsi]

That's really cool, I love it. Always nice to see custom stuff like this. And I always loved the look of the Redhen cars.

 

As for me, I ordered this Kato power unit to use in my EF64.

But thing is, it's bigger around the edges than the regular plastic chassis for the locomotive, so it won't even fit under the body if the front skirts are on. Even without the front skirts, I'm still having trouble putting it under the locomotive. It goes on if I push hard enough, but then the couplers pop off and the whole body sits a bit slanted on the chassis.

 

I thought these chassis work with B Train Shorty locomotives, but then I'm going to make some modifications, I suppose? Any tips regarding this? I mean I suppose I should cut off the corners for a start, but what to do with the couplers popping off as the body's clips go in the holes?

[lukewang01]

There's a small tab at each end of the black shell within the locomotive, you can cut that part off to stop it from popping out the couplers, but you also don't want to cut it too short that it wouldn't sit aligned with the power unit(Sorry for no pictures on that, I'm really far away from my trains right now).

 

I tried both ways regarding the front skirt, I had one without the front skirt and painted the front of the PU silver using an acrylic pen. For my EF510, I tired cutting the corner off of the PU so it would look better under the more curvy front skit compared with other shorty. Both ways worked fine for me, I just need to touch up the silver paint every once in a while since there weren't any clear coat over it.

 

 

[Dinosbacsi]

Good news, I managed to make it fit!

 

As expected, the chassis of the power unit needed to be trimmed a bit. Had to cut a 1mm or so from the two ends, but there were even some lines right there which made things easier - I wonder if it was intentional from Kato's part? Then the corners needed to be rounded off to a similar fashion as on the original display chassis, and now the body goes onto the chassis perfectly. Here on the photos it's still without the couplers on, but got it sorted later and it's all fine now.

 

Regarding the coupler box popping off, there are two small bars right above the coupler box, under the hole where the body clips onto the chassis. These bars are there because without them there is a big gap above the coupler box and the coupler can easily jump out of it's place. And as the body goes on, the clips pushes on this bar, therefore making this bar pop off the coupler box. So it was kind of a weird situation at first. But then I relized that with the body on, this bar is not needed anymore, as the clip is already there to fill the gap, so the coupler stays in place. So all fine there as well! Replaced the original couplers with shibata style couplers, which I know aren't really prototypical to EF64-0s, as only a few EF64-1000s had shibata couplers as far as I know, but it is what it is.

 

Regarding the power unit, I have to say, I was surprised by how well it runs! It's so smooth, even though it's only 2 axles. In comparison, both of my 4-axle Bandai power units run much poorer. So I really love it.

[5lyp3t3]

I really love my kato 2 axles! They run the best of everything for me although I've not been lucky enough to get my hands on Bandais yet. Just ordered a few more for my next delivery of BTrains (Hobby Search appears to have had a restock).

I think your EF64 looks great!

[Dinosbacsi]

On 7/28/2021 at 11:42 PM, 5lyp3t3 said:

I think your EF64 looks great!

Thanks! Though I'll need to get a pair of proper pantographs for it, and I'll want to put some number stickers on it - just have to decide which number to use then. I'm also thinking about getting some freight cars for it, but I wonder which freight cars would fit my Chuo-Sobu setting best. I mean it's not like the Chuo-Sobu line is getting much freight if any, right?

 

And yeah, these Kato 2 axle units are so great, it would make me want to get more motorized locomotives, but I really wouldn't have much use for them for now.

[bill937ca]

Something that popped up on Facebook. This is M Train. Apparently produced by a former Bandai B-Train division manager.  

 

http://mikecat.travel.coocan.jp/01_shop_1/01_Mtrain/Mtrain_00.html?fbclid=IwAR3ZHzTK9dajcTk4BysYnf6cUk0qYqwvO5EEKUu9nKeBRrmBUr6FmkqOQug

 

Hobby Search is taking reservations:   https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10805899

Edited August 10, 2021 by bill937ca

[Andrew G]

A parcel of delights arrived today from ZenMarket. My last planned purchase of B Train items except for chassis and bogies. I'm hoping that I can fit USA prototype bogies from collection of spares to the tank and container flat wagons to save a few dollars.

[Dinosbacsi]

On 8/10/2021 at 5:42 AM, bill937ca said:

Something that popped up on Facebook. This is M Train. Apparently produced by a former Bandai B-Train division manager.  

 

http://mikecat.travel.coocan.jp/01_shop_1/01_Mtrain/Mtrain_00.html?fbclid=IwAR3ZHzTK9dajcTk4BysYnf6cUk0qYqwvO5EEKUu9nKeBRrmBUr6FmkqOQug

 

Hobby Search is taking reservations:   https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10805899

Yeah I've heard of it from facebook as well. Really nice to see, though starting off with only one train and a 12 car set might be a bit hard to make sales with. I mean I like the idea of a new Shorty, but I wouldn't buy a 12 car set straight away, even if it was a train I like (I really don't know the 51 series that much). 2 or 4 car sets would work better, I think.

 

At least it looks like it's coming with proper chassis that you can put running bogeys in, unlike those certain B Train chassises that don't accept real bogeys.

[bill937ca]

1 hour ago, Dinosbacsi said:

Yeah I've heard of it from facebook as well. Really nice to see, though starting off with only one train and a 12 car set might be a bit hard to make sales with. I mean I like the idea of a new Shorty, but I wouldn't buy a 12 car set straight away, even if it was a train I like (I really don't know the 51 series that much). 2 or 4 car sets would work better, I think.

 

At least it looks like it's coming with proper chassis that you can put running bogeys in, unlike those certain B Train chassises that don't accept real bogeys.

Its a standard marketing strategy in the Japanese toy industry. B Train Shorties, Tomytec car collections and Tomytec building collections all started out this way. Secret items are not revealed. If you want all of them you have buy multiple boxes.

[cteno4]

As bill notes this sort of collect them all strategy is very prevalent in the Japanese market. even when you open a set each box is identical so you don’t know which is in there until you open the box. So if you want to sell them unopened individually it’s still a mystery what is in each box. Plus there is the secret one many sets have that you could get the secret item instead of a regular one. Bit of a lotto thing going on. Bandai did this with their vehicle collection way back (similar to tomytec’s but tomytec kind of beat them out of the vehicle market with better quality).

 

It’s a two edged sword as it allows the manufacturers to make a wider variety knowing all of them across a 12 item line will sell evenly (ie by the box of 12) and they are selling a higher price per item shipped (ie box of 12) which usually is better overall margins. But you have to buy a box of 12 even if you only want a few or pay a premium to the shops or auction sellers that will break boxes and sell them individually at higher prices (and usually market rules on prices of the popular ones). This gives us a much greater variety of models (like all the tomytec vehicle and single car trains) as opposed to the set sets kept in stock (ie the dismal selection on tomytec in stock small vehicle sets).

 

it’s just a different way and if you want variety you have to put up with it.

 

jeff

[Dinosbacsi]

On 8/11/2021 at 7:39 PM, bill937ca said:

Its a standard marketing strategy in the Japanese toy industry. B Train Shorties, Tomytec car collections and Tomytec building collections all started out this way. Secret items are not revealed. If you want all of them you have buy multiple boxes.

Well, maybe if they get somewhat popular and start making more models, I'll consider them. A bit sad though that they gave up on the Bandai mechs and are advising to using Kato mech as a "factory" option.

[cteno4]

They may have saturated the market there with btrains and had to pull back and regroup some. They started out for kids as more of a toy and then adults went for them and wanting to have as model trains and took them a bit by surprise. Kato has been making mechs and wheel sets forever so I’m guessing it’s too much for bandai to do just for their stuff and make money.
 

Tomytec I think did the same thing with their vehicle sets, they started as collector stuff and layouts secondary but within a few years both markets must have been saturated as their collection releases have been dramatically cut back in the last 5 years.

 

check poppendetta as they use to sell opened singles of the tomytec vehicles. Had to get in quick after release as they sold off fast. MTP did this a little too.

 

jeff

[5lyp3t3]

On 8/11/2021 at 7:39 PM, cteno4 said:

As bill notes this sort of collect them all strategy is very prevalent in the Japanese market. even when you open a set each box is identical so you don’t know which is in there until you open the box. 

These look interesting and I'd totally support more shorty n gauge trains, but I'm not sure I've quite followed what they're selling!

 

I looked at the pictures and assumed you are buying 12 pieces of rolling stock from essentially the same train, basically a couple of engines and some unpowered carriages.

 

However on closer inspection it appears that it's actually several different very similar models of shorter train in the one box - is that right?

[disturbman]

Yes, from what I gather the 51 series ran in multiple unites of two cars. Which means you could build up to 6 units with the 12 here, though they might not be prototypical formations. But making prototypical formations based on Shorties was always a very wasteful and expensive endeavour.

I do agree that they might not have chosen the best approach for this, and they seem to want to ride the nostalgic wave in Japan. Hopefully, their next models would be a bit less niche.

[bill937ca]

 

Edited August 19, 2021 by bill937ca

[disturbman]

Very impressed. I was not expecting these to be in anyway different than the normal Shorties, but that’s a lot more details to install. It looks quite good, and fun. It’s really a pity they are not releasing smaller box.

Edited August 19, 2021 by disturbman

[5lyp3t3]

Yes, a really nice degree of detail. Not quite for me at the moment but maybe if they release smaller packs and different models.

[Dinosbacsi]

It's a really nice looking and detailed model, that's for sure. I love the fact that it includes gangways as well, as Shorties usually don't do that.

 

By the way, I'm making an order from From Japan - just wanted to buy a pair of Osaka Loop Line train chopsticks, but I guess I could throw in some model train stuff as well, if I'm already ordering. Does anyone know which model of pantographs should I get for my EF64-0 series?

[disturbman]

Tomix says 0223.

[Dinosbacsi]

11 hours ago, disturbman said:

Tomix says 0223.

Are you sure?

 

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10062300

Because if you mean this one, then this seems to have 4 pins, while my EF-64 shorty only has 2 holes per pantograph.

[disturbman]

Find the Kato equivalent?