Loco servicing depots

[Blevins18]

Hello all. I'm new here but so far I'm enjoying reading the old posts. I recently started research for a small operations layout I'm working on based on modern locomotive and passenger coach servicing depots. So far I've had trouble finding info and pictures of structures and equipment, probably because I'm new to Japanese railway modeling and don't really know what I'm looking for or at. Can you all help get me pointed in the right direction?

Edited February 17, 2013 by Blevins18

[Densha]

Hi Blevins18,

 

Welcome to the forums! That certainly an interesting thing to model! I think the best would to search on google for the correct terms in Japanese. I have got a lot of interesting things out of google that way, but I have no idea what the Japanese terms would be for what you are searching for.

[Blevins18]

I have a friend here that I work with that knows Japanese and makes frequent trips. I'll have to pick his brain on terms. Thanks for the advice! I've found some good photos on this site so far but I'm still looking for operating notes. I purchased a GreenMax coach wash and inspection platform yesterday, now I just need to figure out how to apply it!

[Ochanomizu]

Here is JR East Tokyo General Rolling Stock Center = 東京総合車両センター

 

You can find it by Google Earth by searching: Shinagawa, Tokyo Japan

 

You can find the Shinkansen Base nearby at: Tokyo, Shinagawa, Yashio, 3-2-31.  But it is nearly 3km long.  At 1:150 your layout must be 20m long just for the sidings.

[Blevins18]

Yeah that's a little bit bigger than I'm looking to build! Thank you for the leads. I'm getting some good intel just looking at google earth. My goal is to freelance a prototypical scene that fits my space I'm working with.

 

I do have a question for all of you in the know. At the rolling stock facilities do they usually use diesel shunters to move coaches around the shop and yard? I see several in the overhead photos.

Edited February 18, 2013 by Blevins18

[Densha]

Are you actually aiming for electric locos and such or for a diesel depot?

[Blevins18]

The more I look at it the more I'm leaning to towards electric, but I'm also looking at trying to get a lot of operating potential into a small space.

[Darklighter]

What a coincidence. Just yesterday I stumbled upon a picture of a small layout based on a US diesel depot that almost made me start collecting HO scale locos    : Cascade Yard - Diesel Engine Terminal in HO Scale

[Blevins18]

See that's another issue I'm having being a newbie to Japanese railroading; do Japanese servicing depots have the sanding towers and equipment like US depots have? I saw the thread about fueling points which was insightful.

[Densha]

Choosing between electric traction or diesel is a really difficult decision sometimes, but there's some way of combining it for a large® layout. For a small layout (or scene) it's getting a bit difficult because of the size.

I have seen pictures of stations that have depots next to them, I can't remember ever seeing a tower as in the link Darklighter posted. A shed, some of those platform thingies you got and indeed a fuelling point is enough for a simple diesel depot, I think.... :P

I would think there should be people that could point you in a better direction.

 

Off-topic:

@Darklighter

I was slightly surprised by seeing that livery on a American train, but then I realized I forgot that Genesee & Wyoming took over Rotterdam Rail Feeding some years ago:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/the_knitter/6917389485/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/69195288@N07/6885928610/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cees_1251/4862779353/

It's probably the other way for Americans.

[Blevins18]

I've seen JNR sanding houses for steam engines but have yet to find a modern one. I built an N scale diesel terminal for a few years back for my Dad's B&O US layout and went all out with the Walthers kits. It looked pretty sharp!

[Blevins18]

After seeing the videos for the Toden Depot open day I might just model a tram depot. Looks like I can get a lot out of it with a traverser in the back o the shop, plus for the space I have I can put a station and have it come off of a main line. I can probably make it very busy as far as operations goes.

[cteno4]

blevins,

 

please keep us posted on your research and post links if you find interesting stuff. i love engine yards and also want to do a tram depot/servicing scene eventually for ttrak streetcar with a transfer table. pm me i have a small pile of picts i have collected over the years of some tram facilities like this (unfortunately no links, tend to save the picts as the links go away pretty fast).

 

jeff

[Densha]

(unfortunately no links, tend to save the picts as the links go away pretty fast).

Hint: since a few months, if you go the Google Images and click on the small camera icon on the right side of the search box, you can upload a picture and search for it. It's almost magic, really awesome magic.

 

I also want to place these two links:

http://www.jnsforum.com/community/topic/2260-kanjiyama-an-n-gauge-japanese-terminus-layout/page-9?do=findComment&comment=78925 (has basic facilities for diesel trains)

 

And this gigantic yard:

http://www.jnsforum.com/community/topic/6858-elaborate-storage-yard-help/

[Blevins18]

You guys are awesome with all the pictures and support. Let me describe the space I'm working with. I built a box that is 15 1/2in Wide x 43in Long. Don't ask why I had that specific measurement, I think it was for a switching puzzle I was going to build but never got around to. The area is a good size for a tram depot I believe. I also had the idea of turning the lid to the box into a fiddle yard and connecting the two during operations so there can be more variety of coming and going trams and equipment. So I'm thinking that I can get a depot with a transfer table in the back and wash and inspection platforms. I think I can also get a tram station and a main line fit into the same space. I'll have to kit bash some structures but I think its going to be fun layout to build and operate. I'll keep you all posted on the research and planning. 

 

Also, I'm looking for tramway MOW equipment photos. I'm not going to limit myself to just modeling trams if I can help it! 

Edited February 19, 2013 by Blevins18

[cteno4]

blevins,

 

also a few folks here noodling on making transfer tables as well, so we should start a thread on that as well, its come up a number of times. inobu and i have chatted a couple of times on that.

 

jeff

[Densha]

It's just by coincidence that I had a picture of the following station on my computer, but I think I found a great prototype for you by using the google image search technique I described above: Urakamishakomae (浦上車庫前) on the Nagasaki Electric Tramway. http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%B5%A6%E4%B8%8A%E8%BB%8A%E5%BA%AB%E5%89%8D%E9%A7%85

Just by googling for the kanji I already found these pictures:

http://www5b.biglobe.ne.jp/~Primera/hobby/rail/nagasaki/nagasaki-04.jpg (that nine eye traffic light is pretty interesting, it resembles the Dutch public transport signalling somewhat)

http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/dejima004/3487244.html

http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/dejima004/12261929.html

 

The Nagasaki trams aren't too bad either in my opinion. :)

[Blevins18]

Thats a good starting point for me, Densha. I like that the shop is right off the main line, which brings me to my next question for the group. Does anyone have notes on how shops are run? Here in the US we have RIP tracks and each track has different capabilities and equipment based on what needs to be done to the locomotive or rolling stock. I'm just curious to see if that same principle can be applied to tram depots as well. If so, that can add a lot of operating potential.