Bernard Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 JR500 - You've done some nice planning on your city! It looks like you are going to have some nice scenes and situations for people to look at when they visit your layout in the future. Nice work! Link to comment
JR 500系 Posted March 10, 2013 Author Share Posted March 10, 2013 Hi Densha! Thanks! I got the paper structure from this website: http://paperstructure.web.fc2.com/ Although physically i did not get the paper kit from there as i got them from Yahoo Auctions through PIJ. I tried to contact the web master and he has replied he is okay to send digital copies via sendspace to you once you ordered through email from them and paid them in paypal, but i cannot find a GOOD enough printer to get the desired effects... And i'm also lazy to go search for the right paper type so i took the easier but more costly way out by ordering through Yahoo Auctions their ready-to-build compelte paper kits that you might see on their website. Quite a number of Japanese N-scalers are using their structures too on their layouts as i really feel that their paper structures are very well designed and instructions are easy to understand with some basic japanese. Let me know if you need more hep on this. Hi Jeff! Thanks! Yes next step will be actual road building, once i set in the buildings to their most ideal locations. The bad thing about this is that once the buildings are wired up, it would be quite a mess to change their location in the future by needing to dig and re-lay the lighting cables again, with the exception of the paper structures as they do not have light in them... If you would notice in one of the pictures there are thin wire rods, which i actually intend to bury them and use them for the moving bus system, so that i need not get the actual road parts (which are actually quite costly to cover the distances i want) and i can get more variety with this method. Will update more once i actually played and figured out with this '3rd-party' method. Hi Subway! Thanks! Yakuza leader? Wow! That will be an interesting sight! The carpark garage is from Aoshima: http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10144581 and the LEDs i got from ebay from those made in china. They're a whole lot cheaper in bulk, and all you need to do is to cut them to your required length (they can be cut at 3 LEDs per piece) and solder them to your wires and viola! Yes as i suck at soldering i've gotten my workers to solder for me the platform lights (a very long strip!) and others so that i may just easily use them inside whichever needs lights. Here is one of my favourite ebay sellers for them: http://stores.ebay.com/Micro-Digital-LED-Flashlight-Store/Light-Strip-/_i.html?_fsub=3448596014&_sid=908187044&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322 For the minifigs inside vehicles, i just took out the cover of the vehicles and select a few 'generic' china made figures to fit them in. The drivers are from Tomytec though, but the passengers' legs need to be 'cut-off' so that they can sit nicely inside the cabs and buses. For the LEDs inside vehicles, i think it would be major work as the lights i'm using are mostly 12V to an external power source, which means you will need resistors to bring down the lighting for the cars as the headlights and tail lights shouldnt be so bright. Then the cables need to be buried below the road they are on, and you can't change their position then. I'll prefer to play with them like on a real road~ There are some ready made 'light-in'car; from China though, but that is if you can accept the poorly made cars.... http://www.ebay.com/itm/10Pcs-Flaring-Light-Painted-Model-Cars-W-Wires-1-150-Building-RR-Train-Layout-/290833983257?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item43b70e6719 Hi Bernard! Thanks! Much work needs to be done on the layout. Will be updating once more works are done~ Sorry for the long post guys! Link to comment
JR 500系 Posted April 28, 2013 Author Share Posted April 28, 2013 Further to my recent hual from loco1, it's time to get building again! Today saw good progress.. Finally managed to light up the platforms and stores for the viaduct station, but for one track only. I'm pretty happy with the results! It's also connected to 12V external power source, so it will be bright enough. I've also connected it to my first switch. So basically i will have plently of switches with labels near the 4 controllers so that i can start flicking on and off all the lightings in my town... Happy that my 8-car shinkansens can finally stretch their legs! Guys i have a problem here... As you can see from the last picture for my parking yard, the overhead station entrance is not long enough to cover all 3 lines! Now i have the entrance coming down with an additional line on the outside, which will be wrong since the commuters should be able to cross over the entire yard and exit the station... Can i get just 2 more extension modules for the Tomix Overhead station from anyone? Seriously need those 2 to extend the overpass to pass all the 3 lines... Thanks in advance! Link to comment
Densha Posted April 28, 2013 Share Posted April 28, 2013 That's looking good! But are the Shinkansen platforms actually at the correct door height? I can't see it well, but if it isn't, you should try and find a way to get it up to the correct height. If it's possible and you want it of course. Link to comment
beakaboy Posted April 29, 2013 Share Posted April 29, 2013 WOW! thats looking really good. I didn't realise how big that carpark building was. I have the apartment kits with the water tower to the left and rear of carpark and i thought that was a reasonable size. Must order a carpark for my layout. keep up the great work. John Link to comment
JR 500系 Posted April 30, 2013 Author Share Posted April 30, 2013 Thanks guys for the comments! Appreciate it! @ Densha: Yes now that you mention, it does look wierd... Seems the train is higher than the platform... I wonder why... I placed a Tomix 500 series on the station that is using both Tomix platform and Tomix tracks on a Tomix overhead viaduct station, so i wonder why it's like this... Strange... Maybe the light wirings pull down the platform? Hhmm need some investigations here... @ John: Yes the Garage catches the eyes of on-lookers especially. It's a wonderful looking structure, and it looks exactly like the multi-storey carparks we have her in Sillypore, so it really does relates to local context. Do get it! The box is rather big though, but it can fit into a SAL box to save shipping, like what i did.. But you wont be able to squeeze in more items to ship together due to it's sheer size and weight... Also, do consider placing cars (generic China made cars off ebay work just fine) and lights into it to make it look even more realistic, otherwise it looks really spooky as an empty garage... Link to comment
Densha Posted April 30, 2013 Share Posted April 30, 2013 What about when you put it onto the lower Kato track and platform? I have a feeling the tomix platform is too low for some reason, but let's hope not because it will be hell to get that onto the correct height. Link to comment
CaptOblivious Posted April 30, 2013 Share Posted April 30, 2013 Tomix platforms are rather low, in my experience. A 1 or 1.5mm shim goes a long way to making them look better. The Tomix elevated extensions you want are part no. 3062 http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10028718 Come in packages of 2. Link to comment
JR 500系 Posted May 1, 2013 Author Share Posted May 1, 2013 Thanks Capt for the input! I have gotten 4 boxes of that extesnsion to extend my viaduct station platform to accomodate 4 lines of 8-car shinakansens, since the Overhead station viaduct set (http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10070381) is only for 2 lines and a 6-car shinkansen. Actually the extension i was referring to was for the bridge of the ground level overhead station, as per picture. I need it to extend the bridge to cross over all 3 lines of the parking yard. Right now it looks so wierd with the commuters leaving/ entering the station right in the middle of the parking yard... (Please see picture of what i meant) @ Densha: I have yet to try it out on the ground level Kato tracks and platforms, as i have to remove the tracks to bury the light wirings... Perhaps will try so once i get the viaduct station up and running with lights ~ Today is a public holiday, no work, so back to layout construction! Link to comment
cteno4 Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 jr, those are precious pieces as folks tend to misplace them! i have two of those kits that we have used in all sorts of configurations over the years on the jrm layout and i was continually misplacing the extras when we didnt need them and then great search to find them when we needed them! wish tomix had done an extension set with some extra as these walkways can be quite long on some station situations! jeff Link to comment
Mudkip Orange Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 Tomix station on top of Kato platforms? Not bad... Link to comment
JR 500系 Posted May 2, 2013 Author Share Posted May 2, 2013 @ Jeff: Yap i agree... I think most people would either throw them away in their boxes after confirming the location of the station itself and have no other uses for them, or mis-place them thinking someday i'll need it and cant find it altogether.. Wish they made extra extensions to sell, maybe even at angles! These station overhead walkways can suspend over plently of roads/ tracks and even connect from one station to the another for transfers, just like in Japan! @ Mudkip: Yap i use Tomix overhead station on Kato platform, cause i like the Tomix one better.. Felt it looked better, but i'm using Unitrack for the ground level tracks so it had to be Kato platforms. Well, so far so good, no major problems with that, just some minor adjustments for the stairs of the station itself.. Yesterday saw even more progress on the layout ~ Added in the lights with switch for my overhead station, that lights up both the platform and the shops below them ~ Love the effect! Also added structures under the overhead tracks near the station area... They look kinda dark now, so perhaps needing some lights to shine below the tracks... Last i had great fun building roads! This is really fun, with planning and drawing out the roads proper, and designing how the roads will go around. Had my first mini junction right after the railroad crossing to turn into the station area (for buses too) or the residential/ gas station area... Comments are welcomed! Hope you enjoy the pictures! Link to comment
cteno4 Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 jr, looks like you are having fun! whats the road material and printing? or is it premade? jeff Link to comment
JR 500系 Posted May 8, 2013 Author Share Posted May 8, 2013 @ Mudkip and Hectordon: Yes the Tomix overhead station sits beautifully onto the Kato platform, without major issues. Perhaps the main thing is the large opening on the Kato platform even after placing in the station stairs. Please see the pictures to have a better idea of what i meant ~ It works rather nicely, with the spacing and everything... Also, did i mention the station is also already wired up to light up? Need to get LEDs into the platform though and start burying all those unsightly and messy turnout wires and LED light wires... 2 Link to comment
JR 500系 Posted May 8, 2013 Author Share Posted May 8, 2013 @ Jeff: Yes i'm having great fun! The layout building gets quite tiring at times, but the road making is really fun and thereafter i can play on the roads physically using my Tomytec cars/ trucks/ buses! It's nice to be a kid at times! The material i used is very generic, just black paper and white fine-tip marker pens. The arrows and wordings belong to this kit: http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10021994 The Tsugawa road painting kit. I took a REALLY LONG time to figure out how to apply them though... It's a long lost method! More updates in Takahashi town: Completed the road below the viaduct station and connected all the lights and turnout wires in place. Viaduct station is now officially commissioned open! Loving the lights! I'm so gonna endure to complete lighting up all the buildings in my town and completing the layout altgether! Cheers! 5 Link to comment
macdon Posted May 8, 2013 Share Posted May 8, 2013 JR excellent layout! Seems your doing the final touches already which is the fun stuff actually! Congrats! Mardon Link to comment
JR 500系 Posted June 24, 2013 Author Share Posted June 24, 2013 More updates in Takahashi town has the weekend passed... Added more roads, pavement, trees and flowers and detailing stuff, like signal lights, fences, benches, people etc... I'm loving it! I took out the E231-1000 to have a little photo shoot... I'm loving the crossing over to the main city portion. Need to start planning and building the main city portion quickly... Including adding in the moving bus system and roads, and lighting up all the buildings which i have already pre-installed lights in them... Loving the garage and the sexy purple/ pink light in the 2nd storey of the Kato building! @ Mardon - I took a picture of the two paper structure buildings which i mentioned sometime back in your thread. They loook good from far and they are TALL! Cheers! 1 Link to comment
macdon Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 Awesome! It seems like a busy city full of life bud - great work! I can also see some of those papercraft buildings you got from that link you sent - all looking good! Mardon Link to comment
Densha Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 Lol @ that tree in between the tracks. Link to comment
JR 500系 Posted June 24, 2013 Author Share Posted June 24, 2013 Lol @ that tree in between the tracks. Spotted! Haha~ Was trying that out just for fun~~ :) Link to comment
Spaceman Spiff Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 Hi Densha, its probably too late to do now but in my garage I have cars that have lit up headlights and taillights. Spiff 3 Link to comment
JR 500系 Posted July 2, 2013 Author Share Posted July 2, 2013 Nice spiff! The cars look good with lights on! I think it's not too late for you, but too late for me instead... I cant get the cars inside the structure now that the structure is all fixed up with lights.... Link to comment
Spaceman Spiff Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 (edited) Hi JR500 のぞみ, I just realized I addressed my previous post to Densha instead of you. Doh! I'm not good at model building and a heck of time trying to connect the last two walls to fit square and had an accident with damned glue hence the glue smudge on the top corner. :-(. I'm hoping a customized decal will cover it lol. I sure prefer the prebuilt Kato buildings lol. Anyways I got the cars off of eBay for less than a $1 each (Jerry from Quintopia gave me the idea). It tough see in a room with the lights on but there is at least two cars per floor with the lights. I have them either in parking spots or going up down ramps. I ran the wires down the redish brown stairway shaft on the right side of the garage. You may be able to pop off the garage side walls and install a couple of cars. It would be easy to add a car to the exit and entrance. All I did there was drill a hole thru the bottom, run the wires and glued to car over the wiring. Your layout is really nice. Great job. Spiff Edited July 2, 2013 by Spaceman Spiff 1 Link to comment
Ochanomizu Posted July 3, 2013 Share Posted July 3, 2013 Hello Mr Spiff, Yes. I am most impressed by your attention to detail with this model. Could you post night shot with illuminated car park and car? Link to comment
Spaceman Spiff Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 Hi Ochanomizu, here is a couple of pics for you. Not the best quality as I was getting glare from the lights. Spiff 1 Link to comment
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