Bandai B-Train Shorty

[Andrew G]

Bandai B-train Shorty replacement therapy. As Bandai have ceased production of the B-train Shorty units alternatives are beginning to show up. This little Aru models brass etch kit to fit the Kato shorty chassis is looking good. It is all tab and slot assembly, about 20 minutes work. I will do some soldering on the inside. I will need to make a styrene fuel tank plus add extra weight.

https://www.plazajapan.com/2010010000769/

 

[cteno4]

Ohhh I love aru nine! Nariichi San stocked them for a while. They are very nice kits and satisfying to build. Etching detail is also well done. Very glad to see plaza japan is now stocking them well.

 

jeff

[Beaver]

I don't think that's actually a shorty as such. It looks like an approximation of an Oigawa Railway Ikawa Line diesel. They really are that small because the Ikawa Line was converted from 762mm gauge and therefore has a very limited loading gauge and very sharp curves by 1067mm gauge standards.

[Cat]

Sweet beans!

[Kamome]

Yes, the livery in the picture looks very much like the Ikawa line.

My mind initially went to the Kurobe Gorge narrow gauge although slightly different cab front, painted orange and are obviously electric locomotives. 

[bill937ca]

For reference here is a DD20. On the steeper parts of the line there are ED90 electric helpers.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 27, 2023 by bill937ca

[bill937ca]

For comparison this is a Kurobe Gorge Railway Freight Train. Cargo is probably that essential construction supply--beer-- along with crew transfers.

 

 

[bill937ca]

There has been a minor restocking of B Train shorty items at Hobby Search. These are items by Shop Nekomata and items by the Nankai electric Railway, Bandai-- a private issue. All told there are 47 Bandai items available.

 

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/search?typ1_c=104&cat=rail&state=0&sold=1&sortid=0&target=&searchkey=B+Train+Shorty&Scale=N+Scale&spage=1&Make=Bandai

 

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10881689

 

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10805899

 

Only Kato power drives.

 

Edited March 28, 2023 by bill937ca

[Andrew G]

The diminutive size of the protoype of the Aru Nine brass etch kit was loeer than I expected....

[Beaver]

Not surprising considering the prototype. Here's a photo of an Ikawa Line specification van coupled to a van built to the usual loading gauge for national network compatible 1067mm gauge lines.

 

http://freightcar.jp/0_frame_library/l_4800_001.htm

[Dinosbacsi]

On 3/29/2023 at 1:23 PM, Andrew G said:

The diminutive size of the protoype of the Aru Nine brass etch kit was loeer than I expected....

Not only shorty, but low as well, lol

[mags_minibuilds]

On 2/12/2023 at 11:27 AM, disturbman said:

There is a better solution, Shorties fit neatly inside Casco 12-car B case for 20-m cars. These can store up to 24 shorties without them bumping into each others as each 20m slot comes with a divider.

 

I can't figure out if the foam insert is included or is the foam insert sold separately with these cases? Is the only difference between these two products just one fits 10 cars vs. 12 cars? Thanks!

 

Casco YP-805 (Storage Case B for 12 Cars (20m Class Rolling Stock)

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10317374

 

Casco YP-537 (Storage Case B for 10 Cars (20m Class Rolling Stock)

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10296609

[disturbman]

Yes.

 

If no foam, the cases are labelled as "spare case" or something similar.

Edited April 13, 2023 by disturbman

[Tony Galiani]

Just got the Hobbysearch sale e-mail and it looks like there are 21 B-Train Shorty items on sale.  No idea if the prices are good or not.

Ciao,

Tony

[bill937ca]

3 hours ago, Tony Galiani said:

Just got the Hobbysearch sale e-mail and it looks like there are 21 B-Train Shorty items on sale.  No idea if the prices are good or not.

Ciao,

Tony

There was a restock and now there is a sale. Can't get better!!!

 

[tossedman]

Let's go!!! 

 

He's got an interesting web site as well. http://btr.xii.jp/a/index.cgi?equal3=btrain&tid=b&reverse=1

 

Cheers eh,

 

Todd

 

Edited May 3, 2023 by tossedman

[tossedman]

And here's the whole layout.

 

 

[tossedman]

This is cool. Adding underfloor equipment to B Train Shorties.

[Cat]

14 hours ago, tossedman said:

He's got an interesting web site as well. http://btr.xii.jp/a/index.cgi?equal3=btrain&tid=b&reverse=1

Ooh, lovely terrace work, eh y'all.*
 
* New Englander = Southern Canadian

[Beaver]

Ironically the railways killed off many of the terraces. Cheaper sometimes to buy rice from flatlanders and bring it in by train than to deal with the extra maintenance and labour costs involved in cultivating the side of a mountain. Road transport killed off still more. Still some around of course. In some sets of 'same place over time' photos you see terraces becoming more and more dilapidated before vanishing into scrub and turning into forest. The Kojima - Shimotsui section of the Shimoden for example.

 

Concerning the model, the 'cheap brush bristles painted green' trick is ingenious. Got to cost less than static grass..........

 

EDIT; a few pages on and very impressed, especially with the weathering. Caricature modelling that is not used as an excuse for bad and sloppy work (which covers almost all caricature modelling you get here), but as a serious artistic choice well executed.

Edited May 3, 2023 by Beaver

[Dinosbacsi]

5 hours ago, tossedman said:

This is cool. Adding underfloor equipment to B Train Shorties.

This underfloor equipment piece is pretty cool for shorties that use the Kato units. Obviously Bandai units can't fit them, not enough space between the bogeys.

[Andrew G]

I have found this interesting B-TRAIN blog, access on the link below is via Google translate. There is at least one page on how to shorten as GreenMax kit to Shorty proportions.

https://omocha--train-hatenablog-com.translate.goog/?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp&fbclid=IwAR1iOUICeqiwQ0vjLbWqe8FcttykC23GFge4olfeMxbwoVTduJP0wWj-DGw

 

[cteno4]

There’s a number of undercarriage upgrade stuff on hs and amazon.Jp I’ve run across. Not cheap. But very good use for a 3D printer as can be done thicker and doesn’t require superfine detail go get the impression made.
 

jeff

[Andrew G]

Bandai B Train Shorty diesel loco fitted to a standard Kato chassis after a fair bit of modification to both chassis and body. Load testing is still to be done...

 

 

Edited May 27, 2023 by disturbman

[Welshbloke]

I recently acquired one of the MicroAce "C Type" electric locos. Not bad for the money but struggling to find anything for it to pull, especially passenger. The demand must still exist, even if Bandai have lost interest (they used to offer some JNR coaches which would suit it perfectly, but naturally long sold out everywhere). Would be good to see MA release something to suit their locos or Kato expand the "Pocket Line" range (even just selling the unpowered coach from the steam train pack separately would be a good move).