Tomix Kiha 40-2000

[disturbman]

So, as some of you allready know I've just received a parcel from Japan yesterday and it was containing my first Tomix (yes I'm brand new in Japanese model railroading): two Kihas 40-2000.

 

 

And, to say the least, I was totaly impressed by the nervousness of these (or should I say this, since just one have a motor) littles runners. They just fly on the tracks compared to my Kato EF63.

 

I'm not yet down on the detailling and I allready have some questions for you. For my test run I just put together my two Kihas using the allready installed couplers and I've had no problem on the very thight curves of the KTL (aka Kitchen Table Layout). But, after some teste run I open the box and peak a look at the notice. Where a nice drawing and some Japanese sentences where showing me that I can/should add a new, more regular looking (to me), coupler-head. So that's my question should I or should I not try to add this new head since everything seems to work just fine right now.

 

 

Sorry for the questions but I think I will have plenty more in the futur.

[Bernard]

Vincent - First off welcome to the JNS forum.

I'm not familiar with the Kiha train you bought but I'm sure someone here is and can answer your question about converting the coupler. Usually it isn't too hard to do.

 

I have a question for you, is that Peco flex track that you have the train on? And if so, what are you using to create your curves on the Kitchen table?

 

Feel free to ask all the questions you want, that's why we're here. ;)

[disturbman]

Thanks for the answer,

 

No, it doesn't seems hard at all. I can see that I'm not clear enough. I'll try to explain myself in a better, clearer way.

 

- Existing situation: out of the box the kihas are equiped with very small and "elastic" couplers. They work wonderfully and make a very realistic (for me) situation when the kihas are coupled together.

- Notice situation: I have to push a part of more regular couplers (the ones we find everywhere in Europe) in the old one if I understand correctly the notice's drawings. I don't see the necessity of the manipulation since everything just work fine right knowand the problem is, it will lenghten a little bit the consist.

 

So my question is: should I or shouldn't I put the new couplers head.

 

As for the track, sorry to disapoint you I don't have any magic power to lay flex track on a kitchen table top. For this temporary layout I'm just using plain old sectionnal track (in this cas Minitrix tracks). I also have Fleischmann sectionnal tracks but I use it for the DCC version of the KTL. However in the futur I intend to build my layout with Minitrix flex tracks.

[Bernard]

Got it about the track. In the USA we don't have Fleishmann or Minitrix track, but it looks a lot like Peco which is flex track. (that was my confusion)

[disturbman]

To make things clearer:

- Fleischmann's tracks look a little bit like Kato's Unitrack, they are preballasted, but the ballast is much more thinner and looks also a little bit less cheap or more realistic than Kato's. In any case they are not cheap to buy but they also make preballasted flex tracks (I don't know if Kato manufactures some of those).

- Minitrix's are regular tracks with no casted plastic ballast and seems to look a lot like Peco tracks.  ;)

[railzilla]

The old Rapido Style coupler are provided for backwards compatibility. If you don't want to couple your Kihas to other rolling stock you don't need to use them.  I do not couple my multipleunits to other trains so i use the more realistic coupler. Anyway its a good service to provide the Rapido coupler for people who need them.

[disturbman]

Ok, thanks a lot for the clarifications.  8) So my Kihas are just going to stay the way they are for the moment being.

[CaptOblivious]

I think the general rule is: If you are happy with how it works, let it be!

 

These models came fitted with the fanciest couplers available (depending on who you talk to). Usually you have to remove the giant C-shaped Rapido/Arnold couplers to fit the nicer one. Your trains came fitted with the nicer ones already! I'd definitely leave them be.

 

Might I add that those look great. JR Hokkaido stock, right?

[disturbman]

You are right, that is the general rule. But I was afraid that, maybe, I was doing something illegal ( ;D ) and was going to pay a heavy price for it. Like the breaking of those nice couplers.  ;)

 

They really do look great, allmost as great as your little Kiha 110. When I started to look around for some new stock that was the one I wanted but as it turns out nobody makes them anymore and the world on the street is that Kato might have totally discontinued their production.  :'( Anyway I'm more than pleased by them and I think I could really be falling in love.  ;)

 

After some facts checking* it seems that the 40-2000 series run for JR West, the JR Hokkaido stock being made of 40-100 and 40-700 (a retrofit of the -100?). I would love to have those 40-100s but I will mostly stay happy with what I have.  :D

 

* I've mainly used this site (and google for the translation).

[CaptOblivious]

I got the last KIHA110 that Rainbow Ten had, and thus likely the last one available to the Western world for a while to come ;)

 

And if you want to really drool, take a look at these brass KIHA110 in H0 scale from these fine folks:

http://www.mr-endo.com/lineup/prus/kidousha/kiha110.html

[alpineaustralia]

are they knuckle couplers I see?

[disturbman]

That's how I will call them. The name "Knuckle couplers" definitely suits them well.

 

And if you want to really drool' date=' take a look at these brass KIHA110 in H0 scale from these fine folks:

http://www.mr-endo.com/lineup/prus/kidousha/kiha110.html[/quote']

 

Ouch! Bad Captain, bad.

 

"Thou shall not make your brother in Geekdom drool" should be one of the 10 laws we must abide by.

[CaptOblivious]

That's how I will call them. The name "Knuckle couplers" definitely suits them well.

 

Couplers in Japan (we should start a thread on this, I think) come in one of two varieties: so-called "Knuckle" couplers for loco-hauled stock, and "Scharfenberg" couplers for MUs. A DMU (such as your KIHA40-2000) with knuckle couplers is unusual (but not unheard of).

 

More info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coupling_(railway)

[disturbman]

Ok, this is definitely no Scharfenberg coupler. After looking at some Kiha 40's pictures I will say that in real life they are too equiped with knuckle type couplers, like my model.

[SubwayHypes]

i like your pics, very high res, post more pics of your stock!

[disturbman]

Thanks a lot! For sure I wasn't expecting this one.  :)

 

I'll try to post more pics, the thing is,right now I don't really have anything more on the japanese side of my roster. I only have two more freight cars and that's it (I do have some german rolling stock but I don't find it as much interesting as the japanese one).

 

Anyway, I was thinking of doing more pictures but not until I finish detailing my Kihas. And that, will took me some time since I'm totally swamp in administrative work for the moment.

 

On another topic. No wonder I was totally impressed by the beauty and the details of my two Kihas, they are part of Tomix High Grade line. Atthe end I'm wondering if I will ever be able to buy something with less detail on it. I'm totaly spoiled.

[Guest ___]

I had one of these on pre-order since November, but with the shift in funding for model trains, and the fact I'm doing JR Kyushu, I canceled it.

 

Has anyone opened this guy up yet. I was told that it used the M-5 3-pole motor and has a worm drive like the DE10, but have yet to confirm this.

[Guest ___]

I got the last KIHA110 that Rainbow Ten had, and thus likely the last one available to the Western world for a while to come ;)

 

And if you want to really drool, take a look at these brass KIHA110 in H0 scale from these fine folks:

http://www.mr-endo.com/lineup/prus/kidousha/kiha110.html

 

Doug has some but they are not cheapo. Better luck getting one on eBay, I suppose.

[Railmind]

and the fact I'm doing JR Kyushu,

I wonder if this Tomix model is suitable for reworking into a JR Kyushu Kiha 40 or 47. The roof detail seems pretty much the same.

 

disturbman, thanks for these colorful photos!

[disturbman]

The Kiha 40-2000 are also the serie used by JR Kyushu as you can see it here: http://homepage3.nifty.com/kiha/k-r/local3/40-4.html

 

In this list, some of the Kihas 40-2000 are listed around Nagasaki and Kagoshima.

 

As for my self, I just order another bunch of them (one motor, one trailer) so I can run two sets. I'm building a fleet. ;D Anyway, Tomix put enough numbers on his stickers page that you can have 20 different cars.

[Guest ___]

Just wished they came in JRK colors. I like the cream and blue livery on the 40's, but they also have a red with blue for the Sunshine Line and a nice bright yellow for te Nichnam Line.

[disturbman]

I do understand you, that's a shame they release them in just one color. But, hey, they look very nice in that shade of orange.

 

You can still try to change them in order to fit your plans, like the guy who tryed to make his train set meet the color scheme of the futur HSR1 local service.

[disturbman]

So, I finally finish detailing my Kihas. Or I think, I'm not sure about one detail. I don't know if I have to install what I believe to be the Radio Antenna or not. And the worst thing about it is that, if I want (or need) to put them I have first to drill two holes in each cars. Scray perspective.

 

Anyway, I took some new shots to show you.

 

 

 

 

I really like the last one, the gap between both cars looks now so prototypical that it totally amazes me. Now, detailed like this, I can't run them on very tight curves (R~192mm) or they will derailed. But that, doesn't bother me at all.

[SubwayHypes]

awesome brother im diggin the pictures, how many pixels is your camera?  are you using macro settings?    man i wish i could take some good pictures like that, im using a 7.1 and im still getting washy blurry pics.

 

 

on another note, not trying to hijack the thread topic, what does KiHa mean?

 

Asking because I recently bought this Kiha 85, which i absolutely love and its probably my favorite train so far, but it looks very different from your KiHa.  Heres a quick pic, check out more in my layout thread!

 

[Martijn Meerts]

awesome brother im diggin the pictures, how many pixels is your camera? are you using macro settings?    man i wish i could take some good pictures like that, im using a 7.1 and im still getting washy blurry pics.

 

Manual focussing and a tripod are your best friends =)