Are all Japanese trains hand built?

[SubwayHypes]

I'm talking the major brands, kato, tomix, microace, are all the N scale trains hand built by skilled employees?

 

My mom and sister are in Japan she sent me back some N scale magazines which show many trains being hand built, including the layouts.  I wish i could scan and post some of these maybe i will try in the future.

[Martijn Meerts]

All trains, from all manufacturers are partially hand-built. All the parts are machine made, but many bits are assembled by hand. Details bits like railings and such are also usually added by hand.

 

Completely hand-made trains are usually brass, and not affordable =)

[Guest ___]

All trains, from all manufacturers are partially hand-built. All the parts are machine made, but many bits are assembled by hand. Details bits like railings and such are also usually added by hand.

 

Completely hand-made trains are usually brass, and not affordable =)

 

I bet that would be a neat job, abheirantly lousy pay, but...

[bill937ca]

All trains, from all manufacturers are partially hand-built. All the parts are machine made, but many bits are assembled by hand. Details bits like railings and such are also usually added by hand.

 

Completely hand-made trains are usually brass, and not affordable =)

 

I bet that would be a neat job, abheirantly lousy pay, but...

 

It's often done by a small shop owner, probably semi-retired, but this now rarer that in the past.  Hobematooca  is located in Osaka, makes N gauge, 1/80 and 1/45 brass models.

 

http://oka.axisz.jp/

 

Endo has a factory, but sells through a near by shop.

 

http://www.mr-endo.com/

 

Then there are the places that make models out of paper.

 

http://www.linkclub.or.jp/~ems/f_tenbosha.html

 

http://www10.ocn.ne.jp/~yamamoke/

 

http://www7a.biglobe.ne.jp/~mayu-/

 

 

 

....which leads to mending your rolling stock after a crash...

 

http://www7a.biglobe.ne.jp/~mayu-/nankai-1201-2.jpg

 

http://www7a.biglobe.ne.jp/~mayu-/sub8.html

 

I'll stick with plastic.   ;)  :D

[bill937ca]

Here's some good photos of Yama Model, the paper model maker and his shop and work area.

 

http://www7a.biglobe.ne.jp/~mayu-/ado3.html

 

 

http://www7a.biglobe.ne.jp/~mayu-/sub2.html

[Bernard]

Paper!? I took a look at some of the structures in the gallery and it looks like they're even detailed inside too. Is it special paper that the models are made out of.

 

Also since some of Kato and a lot of tomix are now made in China, are the Chinese models finished by hand?

[bill937ca]

Paper!? I took a look at some of the structures in the gallery and it looks like they're even detailed inside too. Is it special paper that the models are made out of.

 

 

Might be rice paper or some variation there of.

[SubwayHypes]

So are the major brands like Kato partly hand made?

 

I mean, i really cant picture some kind of machine that automates this stuff, with all the decals and stuff.

 

 

It would be neat to go inside a KATO factory and see how its done. 

[Martijn Meerts]

Bernard, the made in China models are also partially assembled by hand yes.

 

Subway, adding detail parts (railings, horns/antennae on the roof etc) is done by hand by almost every manufacturer, big or small. Decals aren't used, the default lettering is painted on by machines.

[bill937ca]

So are the major brands like Kato partly hand made?

 

I mean, i really cant picture some kind of machine that automates this stuff, with all the decals and stuff.

 

 

Now you can picture the process.  This is Rapido trains HO scale  Turbo train in a pad printing machine.

 

 

"At the Rapido factory, the stripes and lettering are applied to a VIA Rail Canada TurboTrain Power Dome Car using a pad printing machine. The TurboTrains will start to arrive in stores by the end of the summer.... It's about time!!! "  The video was posted in May 2008.

[bill937ca]

Are you those photos in the magazines aren''t kits being built by modelers?  We would probably pick up on the difference, but would a non-hobbyist?

[Bernard]

Bill - How do you find these videos?! You're a research guru. Just thing this is HO I can't image doing it by hand on Z or T scale.

[bill937ca]

Bill - How do you find these videos?! You're a research guru. Just thing this is HO I can't image doing it by hand on Z or T scale.

 

I belong to the Canadian Passenger Trains Yahoo list and the owner of Rapido Trains also is a member of the list.  That's how I found out about the video.  There's only so many factories that make model trains so I expected that the process would be similar with Nine Gauge trains.

[bill937ca]

Bill - How do you find these videos?! You're a research guru. Just thing this is HO I can't image doing it by hand on Z or T scale.

 

Here's another pad printing machine demonstration.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDCBJKI0pw0&feature=channel_page

[bill937ca]

A Google search turned up this video on how model trains are made. It's focused on G scale for the US market, but goes into the factory in China.

 

http://howmodeltrainsaremade.com/index.html

 

There are a couple of short previews:

 

 

[Guest ___]

Bill - How do you find these videos?! You're a research guru. Just thing this is HO I can't image doing it by hand on Z or T scale.

 

Bill's got a lot of free time on his hands  :P

[Bernard]

I think I win for "free time on my hands" award. Look at how many posts I have! ::)

I have to admit, at work I have my computer on and slip in and out of the forum. I almost fainted at my desk once when I actually got an email that pertained to work!  ;D

[bill937ca]

Bill - How do you find these videos?! You're a research guru. Just thing this is HO I can't image doing it by hand on Z or T scale.

 

Bill's got a lot of free time on his hands  :P

 

Yes, right now Bill does have a lot of free time on his hands.  That may soon change.  I also seem to have a knack for research on the internet.

[Guest ___]

Since I'm out of work at the moment, it seems I may be able to beat ya all then.

[Welshbloke]

Modelling in paper or card has a long history - Peco used to offer a range of OO scale wagons where the paintwork was applied by gluing preprinted card overlays to the metal and plastic basic body. They look pretty good if carefully assembled and weathered.

 

You can make card as strong as plastic, by flooding it with superglue. The resulting material is more like paper reinforced plastic than anything else and can apparently be filed and sanded.

[kashirigi]

Yes, right now Bill does have a lot of free time on his hands.  That may soon change.  I also seem to have a knack for research on the internet.

 

I remember the days of having time. It wasn't that long ago.

 

I hope they shall return soon. I feel like I've been exiled to some excruciatingly boring island where all I do is stare at columns of numbers.

[bill937ca]

 

 

I remember the days of having time. It wasn't that long ago.

 

I hope they shall return soon. I feel like I've been exiled to some excruciatingly boring island where all I do is stare at columns of numbers.

 

 

 

Sounds like I've been to that island too. 

[Martijn Meerts]

The days I had time were also the days I didn't have any money.. It's this vicious circle thing.. You either have time OR money, but practically never both at the same time. And if you DO happen to have both at the same time, it never lasts very long ;)