What did you order or the post deliver? (HO and other scales)

[bikkuri bahn]

Does anyone know why the DMUs like Kiha40, 181 etc have the headlights above the cab windows while the EMUs with a similar cab shape like the Kuha 165 and 113 all have the headlights below the cab windows?

 

Originally there was no definite reason, and headlight placement varied from railway to railway- with steam locomotives there was only the requirement for one headlight placed up high above the drivers level.  With JNR emus, there seems to be a tendency for headlights to be placed on the centerline on local/suburban types, while limited express types have high placed or three-point headlight installations.  With limited express types. the higher speeds required the greater illumination enabled by three point headlight arrangement.  I also think that higher placed headlights are better for snowy regions, where lower placed headlights may be obscured by accumulated snow.  Here in Hokkaido, the typical arrangement is four headlights- two low and two high.  In Kansai, the private railways favor headlights above the cab windows.

[ianlaw]

z-gauge!

Finally the kiha52 has become available. :) I have just ordered 2 red and cream Rokuhan kiha52's from Hobby search (the last 2 they had it turns out)

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10180405

and a Tenshodo C62 from the Tenshodo shop 

http://models-store.tenshodo.co.jp/products/detail.php?product_id=1112

 

The first will come by SAL small packet and the second by EMS.

 

I'm looking forward to having more suitable rollingstock now my (non-electrified) layout is progressing.

 

[marknewton]

Mark, the kiha 82 is one of my favorites (actually almost anything JNR before 1980 or so is my favorite :icon_biggrin: )...

 

I can see why you like them. The model is a beauty, I'm very happy with it. I've ordered an addtional kiha 80 trailer car and a kishi 80 dining car so I can have a six-car set. Fruity! :)

 

An excellent 30 min. professionally produced video from 1990 of the last 82 series service, the JR Tokai Nanki Ltd. Express on the Nagoya-Ise Peninsula route (Kansai Main Line, Kisei Main Line). In addition to the start-up scene at the beginning, make sure to see the scenes later on at the Nagoya depot, a good example of how a typical crew starts their work day.

 

That's one of the best railway films I've seen, thanks heaps for posting the link. The scenes at Nagoya are terrific, I love the contrast between the crew signing on and the train being put through the wash plant. The workshop scenes are also great - how often do you see films featuring a wheel lathe in use?

 

All the best,

 

Mark.

Edited February 5, 2013 by marknewton

[bikkuri bahn]

Mark, your purchase of the kiha 82 set has me motivated to do the same.  Likewise, I envision adding two more cars to the set to make a six car consist, which would be the train length limit (platform length) in my future dream layout.  (I currently envision a single track DC electrified line through a rural region much like the Iida Line, but hosting steam and diesel with more through trains like the Ou Line in Tohoku- stuff of dreams....)

[marknewton]

bb, I think you'll be very happy with the kiha82, I know I am. One suggestion though, you'll definitely need a pair of fine sprue cutters to remove some of the detail parts such as the grabirons/handrails and windscreen wipers from their sprues, They're rather fiddly, but well worth the effort to apply. My photo doesn't really do justice to the model, but you get the idea:

 

 

I had another look at the video you linked earlier, it really is a great little film. It reminds me of when we still ran the 900 class DMU's on the South Coast. They were rather like our equivalent of the kiha80s - a bit smoky and noisy, fast, and lots of fun to work on or ride. Happy days indeed!

 

Your dream layout sounds like a good one, too. :)

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[bikkuri bahn]

That's a fine pic of the 82.  Too bad I never had the opportunity to see them when they were still earning revenue.  At least I managed to ride the kiha 181's in their last years several times.

[marknewton]

You come across all sorts of odd things on eBay. But this caught my eye, I bid on it, and to my surprise I got it for a very good price:

 

 

 

 

It's an HO scale brass model of a C57 4-6-2, made by Miyazawa. Like many older brass steam locos, it has a massive 3-pole open frame motor that projects back into the cab, coupled to a floating gearbox by a length of rubber tube. It runs, though not very well, and it hasn't been treated very gently by it's previous owner, but that's neither here nor there. I've always been rather keen on having a C57, and I reckon I've been very lucky to score this one. Once I've finished repairing my 6760 class 4-4-0, this one will be taking it's place on the workbench to be repowered and tarted up. 

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

Edited March 24, 2013 by marknewton

[keitaro]

c57`s are one of my favourites.

model looks all right condition.

 

 

might be heading back down to catch the 57-1 in september.

[marknewton]

If I was living in Japan you couldn't keep me away from the steam locos! :) I envy you seeing No.1 in flesh.

 

The model is in good condition overall, a few dents and scrapes that are just superficial, but the mechanism is in very good nick. I took the motor and gearbox apart and pushed the loco around the layout with one of the C58s - it ran nicely without any binding or knocking. I then temporarily fitted a can motor and she ran beautifully with that, so I'm confident the permanent remotoring will be successful.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[Darklighter]

Ordered at Tenshodo's Rakuten store :

Kato 1-703 DE10

Kato 1-808 Wamu 80000 (2-Car Set)

 

and at Bigman's Rakuten store:

Kato 3-511 Koki 104 (2-Car Set)

+ some HO Unitrack

 

and at AmiAmi's Rakuten store:

Hobby Model Taki 43000 kit (comes without couplers, bogies and wheels)

[marknewton]

Just ordered from Tenshodo's Rakuten site, a couple of these:

source: http://item.rakuten.co.jp/tenshodo/10257016/

 

I think these will look good at the head end of a two or three coach oha consist pulled by a C58 or (in my dream) a C55, a la Soya Main Line circa early 1970's.

 

I just got one of these cars myself. It compares very well with the Aclass model, and Tenshodo's service was faultless. I'll be shopping there again.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[marknewton]

After seeing some lovely photos of these cars in a Yamakei book, I ordered a kit made by HobbyModel. 

 

 

 

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10221556

 

Apart from liking the look of these cars, I felt like building a kit that was a little more complex than the freight car kits I've built previously. I haven't decided how to power it yet. A Black Beetle, Stanton or Bullant drives are all options.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

Edited May 21, 2013 by marknewton

[marknewton]

After a long and drawn out dispute, we finally got our back-pay this fortnight, so to celebrate I've ordered a pair of these from the Tenshodo Rakuten store:

 

 

 

http://global.rakuten.com/en/store/tenshodo/item/10256029/

 

If they're anything like their steam locos and carriages I think I'll be very happy.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[bikkuri bahn]

NIce ones there, mark.  Though I'd wish Tenshodo would offer pocketbook friendly trailer versions like Tramway does. Then again, the prices probably keep them in the inventory longer.

[marknewton]

I was thinking the same thing. I believe these models were released some time ago, so I was pleasantly surprised to find them still in stock.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

Edited May 25, 2013 by marknewton

[upwpfan]

Folks;

 

My Japanese steam roster continues to grow! I recently acquired a KTM 2-8-2 (D 52152) to add to my 2-6-2 C53. My suspicion is that the 2-8-2 was a freight engine. Additional info on where the prototype engines worked, what they pulled and what there time frames where would be most welcome.

 

Regards

 

Jere Ingram

[bikkuri bahn]

Your suspicions are correct.  The D51 (in Japanese degoichi) was the most common steam locomotive in JNR days, with more than 1100 examples built and in service from 1935 up to the end of steam in revenue service in 1975.  They were freight engines, but also pulled some passenger trains on more steeply graded routes.  Fellow member Mark Newton and I are ever hopeful of Kato re-releasing their HO scale D51, ideally with separate parts to enable the numerous versions to be modelled.

[keitaro]

the under carriage details are quite amazing. lucky for me i have no money and i don`t collect HO right now ...

[upwpfan]

Bikkuri Bahn;

 

Thank you for the info. What kind of passenger trains did they pull? Can you recommend anything currently available in HO from Kato / Tomix?

 

Regards

 

Jere Ingram

[marknewton]

Jere, is the loco you have a D51 or D52? If it's a D52 they were primarily freight engines, but like bikkuri bahn states regarding the D51s, they were occasionally used on passenger trains on steeply-graded lines. I have a seen a few photos of them in that role. 

 

There's nothing in the current Tomix range that would be really appropriate for use with either class of engine, but Kato currently has these cars available:

 

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10003657

 

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10003656

 

I have about a dozen of these cars in both blue and brown, and I reckon they're very nice models. They have a detail pack included - ventilators, handrails, open windows, ladders and rub-on lettering - that you must apply yourself. They come fitted with a Kadee-compatible knuckle coupler, or you can fit the close-coupling drawbars that are included. If you can get hold of some, you won't be disappointed.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[marknewton]

Fellow member Mark Newton and I are ever hopeful of Kato re-releasing their HO scale D51, ideally with separate parts to enable the numerous versions to be modelled.

 

You're not wrong, bb, I'd love to see the Kato D51s re-released!  :)

 

Even if they didn't have separate parts, I think I'd be willing to indulge in a bit of "kit-bashing" to model the many variants of the basic design. At the very least, I'd modify one to have a Giesl exhaust ejector.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[marknewton]

the under carriage details are quite amazing. lucky for me i have no money and i don`t collect HO right now ...

 

They arrived today - posted on the 27th, how good is that - and they are BEAUTIFUL! I can't fault them for detail and finish. Now all I have to do is take them down to the club and give them a run, which I'm really looking forward to.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[bikkuri bahn]

D52's were used on the Gotemba Line to pull passenger trains, until the line was electricfied.  The locos were based at the Kozu roundhouse, which I remember still being extant back ten years ago or so, but looks like it was demolished since.

 

More info about pax trains behind D51/D52 to come, I'm at the office now.

Edited May 30, 2013 by bikkuri bahn

[Penybontshed]

I received today an elevated circuit set with bridge for my growing Plarail collection. it was from Tokyo Hobbys and well pleased am I!

[Darklighter]

Picked up some packages at the customs office. Nice wrapping by Tenshodo. 

Unfortunately it couldn't prevent minor damage to the details of the engine hood. But I guess I should replace those oversimplified loops (is this the correct term in English?) by parts made of wire anyway (they are pretty large on the prototype: http://livedoor.blogimg.jp/koukendaisuki/imgs/c/7/c7f36f8b.jpg ).