Bicycles

[Kamiyacho]

Just for fun -painted some Tomix bicycles and took a few bits out of the scrap box to make a place for my commuters to leave their bicycles by the suburban station.

[scott]

Nice job! I often commute by bike myself, so I've planning to do something similar for the area around our main station.

[KenS]

Nice. That's a good detail to have near a station.  I have a few bicycle sets on the shelf for just that purpose myself.

 

But aren't they a bit monochrome?  I tend to think of bicycle frames as being more colorful. And chrome handlebars and hardware (likely too small to model) constrasting with black tires.

[scott]

Or, more likely for Japanese or European commuter clunkers that get left out in the weather, mud-color wheels and rusty handlebars. 

[brill27mcb]

 

Or, more likely for Japanese or European commuter clunkers that get left out in the weather, mud-color wheels and rusty handlebars. 

 

They're known in the biz at "station bikes." Some people have "station cars" -- low-value clunkers good enough for getting to the station and back.

 

Rich K.

[Dani]

Good idea!! I got these from Kato:

 

[cteno4]

simple idea for a covered bike storage area that would be super simple to scratch build

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=390332203063&ssPageName=STRK:MESINDXX:VRI#ht_500wt_898

 

cheers

 

jeff

[rankodd]

Whoever built that one in the auction has done a damn nice job of getting a consistent bend in those bits of wire!

 

I now have to build one of these for my station layout :)

[cteno4]

actually easy to do with a pair of round end pliers, just keep doing the bends around the same place on the conical plier ends. then flatten out the U shapes with flat pliers. fine steel instrument wire works great for stuff like this or stiff jewelers wire.

 

cheers

 

jeff

[scott]

OK--this sounds like a project I need to try, and it even gives me an excuse to buy more little tools...

[cteno4]

Rankodd

 

A pair of wire loop pliers helps make more perfect loops

 

http://www.micromark.com/Small-Wire-Loop-Pliers,6617.html

 

Regular round nose pliers work well on softer wire

 

http://www.widgetsupply.com/page/WS/PROD/pliers-round-nose/BEO07

 

I'll do a few examples when I get back from Alaska in a couple of weeks

 

Cheers

 

Jeff

[spacecadet]

For reference - these are all bikes near train stations.  The ones in the massively long line that goes for like a mile (it really goes as far as the eye can see in both directions) are outside Shin-Urayasu Station.  There is actually quite a bit of color.  The Japanese don't really do anything in black.