bill937ca Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=SueqbvT-Q-I&feature=related http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=jBc2oX26oF4&feature=channel_page And there is a Japanese language web site.... http://www.rk-works.com/~mezakan/ ...with some very good photos. http://www.rk-works.com/~mezakan/hakonetozantetsudou.htm And a layout plan: http://makelayout.up.seesaa.net/image/A5D7A5E9A5F3.JPG Link to comment
Bernard Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 Bill - Even before I looked at it, how did I know this was going to be a "Tram layout"! ;D I'm jealous of his work with scenery, it's beautiful. Thanks for including the layout plan, from the video I would have thought it was a continuous running layout and the first 2 photos show an overview of the layout which doesn't seeme that large at all. I think I missed it but does it say anywhere what the dimensions are? Link to comment
bill937ca Posted February 1, 2009 Author Share Posted February 1, 2009 It's not really a tram layout. Hokane Tozan is a mountain climbing railway with switchbacks. Its cars are tram like, but are really somewhere between EMUs and interurban cars. Almost all Japanese trains could be considered traction in one way or another. http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=kKhHE88s4dY http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=iickYkhn0aA&feature=related http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=snnaA6eZhIU&feature=related Link to comment
C62 Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 The dimensons are 600x900mm. I think he used the space very well! Thomas Link to comment
Bernard Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 Alright I had to use my conversion chart. That's a 2'x4' layout! I'll say he used his space extremely well. ;) Link to comment
alpineaustralia Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 I have a photo taken from a Hakon Tozan in the prototypical gallery section. One approaching the other. Link to comment
marknewton Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 Bill - Even before I looked at it, how did I know this was going to be a "Tram layout"! To be fair, Bernard, Bill's not the only one here with a passion for trams and the like. ;D As impressive as the various modern, high-speed trains and railways undoubtedly are, I can't honestly say they do anything for me. Whereas a railway like the Hakone Tozan, or any of the other small operators using older stock, fascinate me. Still, to each their own! I reckon the forum would be a dull affair if we all liked the same things, yeah? All the best, Mark. Link to comment
Martijn Meerts Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 I'm easy... If it runs on rails, I like it ;) Link to comment
marknewton Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 And that's not a bad outlook either, but it's one that has gotten me into trouble in the past. At one stage I had so many models of different prototypes, scales and gauges my layout room looked more like a model railway jumble sale... :-[ I eventually settled on one prototype, one scale, and only a couple of gauges, and sold all the other models that didn't belong. Now all I have to do is sort out my book collection, and do the same with it... :D Cheers, Mark. Link to comment
CaptOblivious Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 I've had to take the following policy: If it doesn't run through Ueno Station or haul containers up the Tohoku Line, then I don't buy it. Which means I'm missing out on a lot of great models, but my collection and wish list are very focused, and hence manageable in my meagre budget :D Link to comment
marknewton Posted February 3, 2009 Share Posted February 3, 2009 As hard as it can be to resist buying all the nice new models coming out, I think that in the long run having a focus such as you describe is the way to go. Not only are our modelling budgets usually limited, most people have limits on the time they can devote to modelling as well. I found that I had so many different projects on the boil at any one time, nothing ever got completed. Whereas now, I can actually start something in the knowledge that it will get finished while I still remember what it was I set out to achieve. :D All the best, Mark Link to comment
serenityFan Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 I've been looking at the page showing "the making of" Hokane Tozan, and it is really really interesting ... Especially the way he makes the mountains using bags of some sort styrofoam filler... (google translater has failed me this time, not sure what that is). My question is: is that some sort of fabric material he uses under the track? see here: http://www.rk-works.com/~mezakan/images/20060624-1.jpg Link to comment
Bernard Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 This road bed is intriguing, I doesn't even see a middle seam to split it so you can bend it into position, it looks like a solid piece. My guess is that it is a fiber composite that he cut into shape, and if so that is a lot of work. It does have me stumped but I've seen this material before. I highly doubt it is a fabric, for fear that with a fabric if could fray and get into the trucks and wheels of a train. Whatever his is using is acting to dull the sound of the train rather then a road bed because the track he is using has a road bed attached to it. Great photo you found it really illustrates the grade on the layout, which is steep! Link to comment
CaptOblivious Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 That is a nice photo. Looks like wool felt to me. Link to comment
serenityFan Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 It just came to me that if you model a two-car train like Enoden or in this case Hokane Tozan, you can get away with tight radius turns and steep inclines. In turn this means you can have interesting track layout with different height levels in quite a small layout ... :D I know this might be obvious, but it sort of just hit me in a "why didn't I think of that before" way ;D Link to comment
serenityFan Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Since this is from the same website, I thought I would just post this here ... the owner of the Hokane Tozan layout has visited other japanese layouts (or at least that's how I understand it, again google translator is a bit fuzzy on this) and here is the page: http://www.rk-works.com/~mezakan/houmon01.htm On the second layout (the one with Tokyo Tower) there is even an underground car park below the surface and an underground subway station below the underground car park... check it out! ;D ;D Link to comment
Bernard Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 Serenity - Great find! I wonder if that huge layout with all the night scenes where it is located, that is a big layout! Bill's thread on this layout has shown the possibilities of what you can do in a small space, with steep inclines and tight radii. After seeing this thread, I now planning on adding a point to point tram line between two cities on my layout. It will be simple but with a couple of tight radii. The one draw back (if you even consider it a drawback) is you are limited what you can run on a layout with tight radii, but this layout gets the modeler thinking of what you can do! Link to comment
clem24 Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 http://www.rk-works.com/~mezakan/houmon01.htm On the second layout (the one with Tokyo Tower) there is even an underground car park below the surface and an underground subway station below the underground car park... check it out! ;D ;D Whatever.... ::) The Enoden scene with the tram going onto the roadway bridge is 10 times cooler! Thanks for sharing! On a related note, I had the pleasure of riding the Hakone trip 3 years ago. It's an amazing train line. The switch backs are an extremely cool feature and made a very lasting impression. So much so that I've started collecting said Modemo models and plan to do something like the one in the vid. There are definitely better mountain train lines (like India and I think Peru) but whatever. The Hakone is Japanese! Woohoo! :P Link to comment
marknewton Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 Since this is from the same website, I thought I would just post this here I like this page too, there's something for everyone... Chichibu Railway limestone train - good stuff! Cheers, Mark. Link to comment
scott Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Here it is... Nice picture--I'd like to focus on smaller lines, too. But for now the focus is "passenger trains," which doesn't seem to be narrowing it down quite enough.... :) Link to comment
scott Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Now that I can see the videos (preferably without the music :P )--that really is an impressive layout. Link to comment
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