First Japan Rail Layout

[scott]

Another option would be to use one of these to suggest a tunnel.

 

This is what we did, with the addition of some elevators from the Kato platform accessories kits. So we have stairs and elevators coming up from an invisible tunnel below.

[yakumo381]

Niihama Update.

 

Taking advantage of items brought back from my recent business trip to Japan followed by going to the N Gauge International show and then finding more usefull items care of Ebay has resulted in my completing all of the basic scenery and given me the opportunity to start adding more detail. Decided that the season on my Niihama layout set in Hokkaido is Spring so now have added lots of cherry trees in blossom.

 

The next task over winter is to start on a Castle to be set in the recess built into mountain in the background. Does anyone have or know of a website that has plans for any Japanese Castle that I can refer to to get the proportions right?

 

Got a "Red Bear" in the post coming courtesy of Hobbysearch to complete my line up of Hokkaido diesels! Yet again though took just 3 days to get from Japan to the UK but now 6 days (..and counting as still not delivered) to get to me courtesy of the local Parcelforce "slow speed" delivery service with an added customs clearance & VAT charge of almost £24 on top of the original post cost. What happened to encouraging international trade? 

[KenS]

You've done quite a lot in a relatively short time, and with beautiful results.  I particularly like the way the track winds across the scene.

[Staffy]

This looks fantastic. Can I ask what size the tables are and what radius curves you are using. Also #4 or #6 turnouts?

[Nick_Burman]

Progress update. Work has been focussed on putting scatter materials on fields and building a road flyover with Japanese style concrete reinforcing on ramp sides. Also some more new buildings - ordered from Hobbysearch but unfortunately UK customs adding VAT plus local ParcelForce delivery taking an extra cut to walk it through customs means that any saving benefit has been more than wiped out. Will limit to items unobtainable in the UK in the future. Having been running in a Kato DD51 but it has started to stop/start for no reason so looks like it may be taking a trip back to the supplier as loath to open it up given it presumably invalidates the guarantee. Also have a pair of Series 40 DMU in correct Hokkaido colours - originally ran on my Peru layout (see two pictures after JR layout) - for several years without any problems but now relocated. Decided JR layout is in Hokkaido and named the station Niihama. The original station is in Shikoku on the Yosan Line but I like the name and the station layout fits in with what I have modelled so lifted and shifted it a bit further North. When I visited Niihama I was taking pictures of a freight loco shunting the yard when one of the JR guys came up to me waving his finger - I immediately though he did not want pictures being taken. Far from it, he explained using his hands that if I waited the loco would come over to the platform for me to get a better photograph! (see last picture).

 

I know it isn't appropriate in this forum or this thread, but could you please post more pictures of your Peru layout? The concept goes exactly in the direction of a modelling idea I've been nurturing for a long time...

 

 

Cheers NB

[yakumo381]

Update to show how Niihama Castle is developing. The shell is made from balsa wood with the base having a polyfilla covering scribed to get the effect of being built up from rocks. Painted all of the major surfaces and will now start adding all of the windows, carvings, dolphins and more tiling roof detail. I will carve these from balsa and paint before attaching to the shell. Also pictures of my DD51 and new Red Bear - amazed at how it slowly rolls to a halt after you take the power off. Also been adding more people so now have pilgrims making their way up to my temple and priests looking at the garden plus a new Nissan sports car waiting to get blessed. Saw this for real a few years ago at the, I think, Shinto temple next to Fukuyama Castle.

 

Staffy,

 

The turnouts are all #4 and the outer track radius is R481 although I used a larger radius curve at the start and end of each bend to get a transition of about 30 deg and so that the track at each end turns through approx 110 degress so that the linking tracks taper in towards each other then out again. Each table is approx 125 cm wide by 165 cm with about 90 cm of the second table hidden behind the mountain (under the overhang of the stairs) - the tables were from Ikea and are mirror images.

[yakumo381]

Nick,

 

A few pictures of PeruRail for you. Somewhat neglected at the moment, as concentrating on Niihama, so it has gained a layer of dust which, with the peach coloured light bulb in the lamp over it has actually added to the ambience.

 

The church in the 1st pic is a copy of that at La Raya and is built from balsa and card. The 2nd pic is Aguas Calientes station before it was rebuilt then hit by a mud slide and rebuilt again. The 3rd pic is a typical tight bend as seen coming out of Cusco - this needed the detail on the Bachmann loco bogies and underfloor cutting away to get enough swing to get around but reduces the gear train life - just like the real thing. 4th pic is the Cusco service yard - the workers are ignoring the call for a strike which is very unprototypical - whilst the 5th pic is looking down the switch back with the station based on the halt at Pampacoaha. The switchback is another loco killer so PeruRail - my version - is like the real thing with dead GM locos littering every bit of spare track.

 

I have been to Peru and ridden on PeruRail from Cusco to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu station) but also gathered tourist photos off different sites on the internet so I could build up an image bank to use to check I got the overall feel and ambience right. Now using the same approach with Niihama having previoulsy built up an image bank of around 4000 photos from trips to Japan.

 

PeruRail is all built using Peco track and turnouts and, like Niihama, is built on a ply baseboard with a ladder construction underneath to support it. The hills were built from hardboard covered with polyfilla which I then sculpted before painting with posterpaint before adding woodland scenics scatter. All the buildings are card / balsa construction by me based on photos. Trees are a mix of lichen, foam on metal armatures and seagrass plus palm trees which are etched metal.

[Tosaden]

Hi Yakumo,

 

your layout looks very interesting. I think it´s better to have more scenery than tracks and what you built looks very good for me.

[Kamiyacho]

The 2nd pic is Aguas Calientes station before it was rebuilt then hit by a mud slide and rebuilt again.

 

I arrived in Aguas Calientes 1 or 2 days after that mud slide, and a huge rock had hit the station.  The train was forced to stop some distance from the station and we walked in.  

[Nick_Burman]

Nick,

 

A few pictures of PeruRail for you. Somewhat neglected at the moment, as concentrating on Niihama, so it has gained a layer of dust which, with the peach coloured light bulb in the lamp over it has actually added to the ambience.

 

The church in the 1st pic is a copy of that at La Raya and is built from balsa and card. The 2nd pic is Aguas Calientes station before it was rebuilt then hit by a mud slide and rebuilt again. The 3rd pic is a typical tight bend as seen coming out of Cusco - this needed the detail on the Bachmann loco bogies and underfloor cutting away to get enough swing to get around but reduces the gear train life - just like the real thing. 4th pic is the Cusco service yard - the workers are ignoring the call for a strike which is very unprototypical - whilst the 5th pic is looking down the switch back with the station based on the halt at Pampacoaha. The switchback is another loco killer so PeruRail - my version - is like the real thing with dead GM locos littering every bit of spare track.

 

I have been to Peru and ridden on PeruRail from Cusco to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu station) but also gathered tourist photos off different sites on the internet so I could build up an image bank to use to check I got the overall feel and ambience right. Now using the same approach with Niihama having previoulsy built up an image bank of around 4000 photos from trips to Japan.

 

PeruRail is all built using Peco track and turnouts and, like Niihama, is built on a ply baseboard with a ladder construction underneath to support it. The hills were built from hardboard covered with polyfilla which I then sculpted before painting with posterpaint before adding woodland scenics scatter. All the buildings are card / balsa construction by me based on photos. Trees are a mix of lichen, foam on metal armatures and seagrass plus palm trees which are etched metal.

 

Thanks yakumo.  My idea is something along what you’re doing, modelling narrow-gauge using ordinary N-scale equipment (just as the Japanese do...) however choosing equipment carefully. Japanese N scale comes handy for that... may I suggest that when you decide to go back to your PeruRail layout you should replace the Bachmann SD’s with TouchRail (Taiwan) G22CUs – they would look much more appropriate for the scenario... http://touch-rail.com.tw/index.php?alltit=---&sele=hstyle&TtCH=bc&hstyle=7&HPnum=16&UID=

 

Cheers NB

[Guest Closed Account 1]

What size Trees to use for N scale if the package is not labeled N Scale?

 

50mm or 70mm or taller?

 

70mm = 36.75 feet in 1/150 scale which is easier to find than 1/160 (N Scale).

[yakumo381]

I have got 40 mm palm trees in backgardens, 50 mm flowering cherries and 70 mm for an ornamental cloud tree - all I think reasonable scale size for cultivated trees. For general wood / forest trees I have 100 to 130 mm but these look a bit puny when I see what they have growing in Hokkaido so I am looking for something better.

 

The palm trees I have were from themodeltreeshop.co.uk who do very realistic etched metal trees to a range of scales so might invest a bit more of the hard earned with them to improve Niihama.

[Tosaden]

On my layout I used trees from 40 to 70mm.

[Staffy]

Any problems with the #4 turnouts?

[Guest Closed Account 1]

I have got 40 mm palm trees in backgardens

Yes, that is the size of palms that I got.  Actually I bought a variety of species and sizes of them from JTT. It's about the only thing that remotely looks SouthWest on my tram layout.

[yakumo381]

Got a business trip to Japan coming up next month - same as last time to Nagano - however on the way back just happen to have a spare day, before flying to Dubai, in Shin-Osaka. Just happens to be on the first day of full service of the Kyushu Shinkansen running into Shin-Osaka, hehe hehe. As I said to my boss (the home one) - just a coincidence. 

[SubwayHypes]

hey man love the layout and the garden!  i like how your incorporating the japan garden style into your home and layout as well....glad to hear you liked my pictures too. 

[Tosaden]

Great layout and landscape. I like it 

[yakumo381]

Currently in Japan on a business trip. Earlier was at Inazawa photographing freight locos in the depot when the quake passed through. Felt like I was about to faint when I thought "no I'm not, it's the fence moving that I'm leaning on - then - no it isn't, it's the station that shaking!". Got back to Nagoya OK but then was stuck on Shinkansen in the station as all JR came to a halt. When finally moved off, every south bound was moving from station to station whilst north bound were staying put and stacking up. Long delay before arrived back at Shin-Osaka which was dangerously overcrowded. JR performed well - as a company and individuals. Driver of the Shinkansen I was on took time to get out of cab whilst waiting to explain to me in English - I had got out so was standing by the first passenger door to get air as was full to standing room all gone - what was going on. At Shin-Osaka, no jobsworths insisting on collecting tickets at barrier - everyone was free to pass straight through. Plenty of staff trying to help and give information. Japanese passengers were all keeping calm and polite - no significant pushing in the huge queues - and best shown by how carefull they were all going down the stairs off the platforms to make sure no one slipped and caused a crush. Hopefully will get to Kansai Airport for flight back home tomorrow, assuming tsuamni does not flood it as it passes down the coast. Quite a trip and not over yet.

[Bernard]

What timing on your trip! Hope everything goes well with your return flight.....let us know that you got home safely!

[SubwayHypes]

wow thats crazy to hear, but you must salute the civilness of the japanese.  if that happened where i live here in oakland, ca i dont expect such polite mannerism.  there would be looting and rioting for sure.  the japanese people surely set an example with their honorable attitudes and manners, especially in such tough times..

[yakumo381]

Not having posted recently, here's a few update pictures of Niihama Station. Apart from adding more details, more people and more cherry trees, the biggest change has been adding a second tunnel through to a storage track. This is so I can run longer tank trains behind my D200 - that is when I can track some down tanks in the UK or will see what "JapanModelRailways" in Germany have when they get around to updating their website. The three tanks I have were the last in stock at the Osaka Kato shop when I was there last month.

 

Unfortunately I have suffered a tear to the retina in my right eye which needed emergency laser surgery last week - down to a combination of age and being near sighted but came literally out of the blue when I parked my Defender in a service station to get diesel and found my eye to be suddenly filling up with blood.

 

Hopefully it will clear and not need further surgery - will be back at the hosputial later next week for a progress check. In the interim, I am having to make do with running trains, no real hardship, rather than modelling. Also listening to JR train sounds on my IPOD that I have collected off the internet. These have come from the usual sites but does any one know of any new sites that have station sounds and train recordings?

[Bernard]

I hope all goes well with your check up and sorry to hear about the emergency surgery that was required.

 

The progress on the layout is fantastic...you've put together some nice scenes!

[scott]

Glad  to hear you got that taken care of -- have been told i'm at risk of the same thing

 

Enjoy the sounds -- the layout looks good!!

[yakumo381]

Decided to cheer myself up by ordering some tank wagons, people, cars and trees from HobbySearch. Then got depressed again when the invoice came through showing how poor the £ to Y exchange rate now is. Will get even more depressed when I get stung for the customs walkthrough & local delivery. Eye has improved after surgery with most of the blood clearing although left with what looks like a bunch of seaweed hanging at the top of my vision - bits of retima and blood clots. Doc said should clear in a few months but if it doesn't then they can take out the "jelly" inside the eye and replace it with a silicone oil. Now that is depressing. Oh well, will stick to running my trains, listening to my IPOD and watching the Japanese train vids on YouTube.