Totoro train

[tossedman]

Hello all,

 

Just want to pick the brains of those who like Totoro a bit. Does anyone recognize the train (tram?) in the movie as a real train? If so, what is it?

 

Here's a pic.

 

 

And another.

 

 

Cheers eh,

 

Todd

Edited April 9, 2021 by tossedman

[VJM]

From what I can gather, it's fictional.

 

Various places reach the conclusion that it's likely to be the Seibu Ikebukuro or Seibu Tamagawa line, given that the real tuberculosis hospital was at Hachikokuyama (vs Shichikokuyama in the movie) and the livery/colouring is correct, however, the motor noise is incorrect for the type shown. 

 

Here is someone's scratchbuild effort.

 

http://iori.uji-masa.com/totoro.html

[bill937ca]

It looks like a four wheel tram, which were probably the most common style of tram before the war.

 

An example;
http://rail.hobidas.com/photo/archives/2010/07/131.html

[Davo Dentetsu]

I always wondered what it was too.  Maybe expand the thread to include other trains beautifully depicted in other animated shows/movies?  There's a few kicking round for sure.   :)

[Keikyu]

If you are bringing up other anime trains, 5 Centimeters per Second has absolutely gorgeously animated trains.

 

 

http://s2.zerochan.net/5.Centimeters.Per.Second.full.83517.jpg

 

http://s2.zerochan.net/5.Centimeters.Per.Second.full.68014.jpg

[Martijn Meerts]

Meh, I thought you were going to post a link to a new MicroAce painted train with Totoro on it, that would've been an instant pre-order :)

 

Ghibli likes using real vehicles in their movies, but they also tend to add their own touch, so it's often somewhat difficult to figure out what it's based on. I once tried looking for something similar to the train in Spirited Away, but couldn't really find anything. (Of course, Sankei did a 1:150 model of the Spirited Away platform and train, so :))

[tossedman]

I may have answered my own question. Looks kind of similar to this. http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10192309

 

A Toden 5000 A?

 

Edited June 25, 2013 by tossedman

[VJM]

Not quite.  There are two valance cutouts whereas the movie shows just one.  There's no clerestory roof, and the panto position should be towards the cab.  The door should be a single window sliding type, not a double window folding type.

[VJM]

I think I've got it.  It's a combination of these two:

 

Hanamaki DEHA22. 

 

Livery is correct, window arrangement is almost correct... just the pole instead of the diamond pantograph.

 

http://satoyama.in/info/sharyo/img/imgBC163.jpg

 

Yamagata Sanzan line MOHA103.

 

Roof, panto and body shape are correct.

 

http://rail.hobidas.com/blog/natori/archives/2011/08/post_185.html

[tossedman]

Cool, thanks VJM. Now the question is, who makes an N scale combination of the two? 

 

Todd

[E6系]

Hello Tossedman,

 

Of course, the anime train is usually fictional for two reasons: firstly, no real train is ever good enough for an anime and secondly, the fictional owner of fictional train will not sue for breach of copyright.

 

However, I always thought Totoro train reminded me of Hakone Tozan.

 

But oh my goodness, is the driver asleep?

 

Edited June 28, 2013 by E6系

[cteno4]

and thirdly they can then own the copyright to the new anime train to sell/license as a model later! the desire i think that started the thread!

 

jeff

[tossedman]

Or perhaps it's based on this one?

Edited June 29, 2013 by tossedman

[ToniBabelony]

How about this cute little train:

 

 

source: http://umemado.blogspot.jp/

 

The Hanamaki Railway from Tōhoku. Pantographs are off and the trains don't have European-style buffers, but it does reflect the feeling of the Totoro setting.

[Densha]

I haven't watched Totoro yet (you can hate me for it or not), but I know that in many anime the location is based on a certain area of Japan. Sometimes with the actual names and attempts to reproduce the real situation, including trains, as much as possible. But very often it's just done as in "somewhere in Hokkaido", which often still means it's based on real locations although some fictional creativeness was added to it. And of course that includes the trains as well.

[tossedman]

The girls' father is a professor and commutes to a university in Tokyo I believe. That would narrow down what part of Japan it's in considerably.

 

Looks like there are lots of trains the movie may have based their's on. Also looks like few if any are reproduced in N Scale. Does this mean I have to add scratchbuilding to my list of things to learn?

[E6系]

and thirdly they can then own the copyright to the new anime train to sell/license as a model later! the desire i think that started the thread!

 

jeff

 

Hello Mr Jeff,

 

Yes.  I forgot about that. 

 

"Merchandising, where the REAL money from the movie is made!", Yoghurt, Spaceballs - The Movie.

 

I cannot stand the movie because I am fan Star Wars.  But I laugh when I heard that line.

[bikkuri bahn]

I read somewhere that the railway scene is based on Miyazaki Hayao's memories of living in the Utsunomiya area (Tochigi Pref.), where he lived until his third year of primary school (his family moved to Suginami-ku in Tokyo in 1950).  Like alot of our childhood memories, our recall is usually a hodgepodge of events from different places and times, and probably this and other scenes are also such.

 

*further research has yielded the theory that the line in the movie ("Todentetsu") is based on the Seibu Tamako Line.

http://www.geocities.jp/akutamako/totoro.html

Edited July 6, 2013 by bikkuri bahn

[cteno4]

E6,

 

Lucas certainly proved that! laughing his way all the way to the bank to this day! I've been to Lucas ranch a couple of times on projects and seen the kingdom that Darth Vader figures built! simply amazing. the library stain glass ceiling is something to marvel. turns out a jeweler friend i know worked on that before she was a jeweler. she and two others spend a year creating it. the whole place was build by craftspeople, rarely see that anymore, but attested to the money merchandizing the movies made!!

 

licensing can really get the better of itself though. I have had to deal with media licensers in the past on projects. Some realize they make more on the long run by doing some cheap or free licensing to get the proper exposure, start a relationship, keep the media/artist alive, etc, while others (read most ive dealt with) only focus on every penny they can grab that is right in front of them and a good deal to them is one where you are screwed the most and they get it all, no vision. those types i have learned to avoid as down the road if there are any issues they will be the ones to go ballistic and be even more impossible to deal with, but the former tend to be cool and reasonable down the road to maintain a good business relationship and realize a little talking and not asking for the universe will get a deal done quick and easy or an addition added simply and to their advantage in the long run. They also are smart in looking at a deal to see how much the licensee could potentially reasonably pay and if its not competing or diluting other uses of the material its just a little more easy money in the pocket by being reasonable and potential for another deal down the road. if you suck them dry on the first deal they may belly up or never do that sort of thing again! much wiser position. but alas those are rare in my experience, but a joy when found!

 

im sure this is part of why we see the selection we see of modeled painted trains!

 

jeff

[Ochanomizu]

Hello Mr bikkuri bahn,

 

So sorry.  I did not know this.  Utsunomiya area has many railway.  Most were steam until late 1950's.  Perhaps a reference is drawn from Karasuyama Line to the north east.  Traditional color was orange and cream.  However, it is not electrified and uses diesel service.

[tossedman]

Well I haven't posted in quite a while but I've been lurking and I've been randomly searching for Totoro stuff over the past year and a half or so and stumbled across this link. Here the fella wrote "The film is set in a fictional village called 松郷 (Matsugou) on fhe outskirts of a large city (presumably Tokyo). It is reachable via a private train company called Azuma Dentetsu (東電鉄, or literally "Eastern Electric Railway"). The village consist of only around half a dozen houses, and primarily is a farming village surrounded by cornfields and ricefields. From the train station, a bus route passes in front of a small Inari (fox god) shrine that marks the gravel path leading to the village. This bus route is on the way to Shichikokuyama Hospital (七国山病院)."

 

You can see the village in this map. I think I want to try to recreate a small part of this in my module layout. I'm in the process of building Satsuki and Mei's house from Totoro as we speak. I want to make it look a bit like Satoyama with a giant Camphor tree (HO or O scale?) close to the house. I've got a 3D printer coming (just a cheap one) but I've already got an stl file to print a 3D Totoro. Lots of ideas for other things too.

 

But that's all an aside. I've found that a fella in Japan has created the Totoro train.

 

 

Not quite the same as in the movie but the closest I've seen. Now to try to get a couple myself.

 

Cheers eh,

 

Todd 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 9, 2021 by tossedman

[tossedman]

As another aside, I watched the Wind Rises the other day. It was good, I quite enjoyed it. There are some great scenes with steam trains from 1923 when the Great Kanto earthquake occurred. Here's the trailer:

 

Cheers eh,

 

Todd

[katoftw]

Cannot go wrong with a Miyasaki film.  Ponyo/House on the Cliff is a favourite.  Funny though, alot of his leading female characters always look the same.

[tossedman]

So after months and months of procrastination I've decided to add to our shelf layout. I'm going to model it after the Totoro movie. The module will be 18 inches deep and 60 inches wide. It'll have a single track crossing the back.

 

I took this map that I'd posted earlier and adapted it to get the picture below it.

 

 

 

 

There will be a 12 inch by 60 inch module on either end with a loop. They won't necessarily follow the Totoro theme but may be related to the same era, which is around 1956 apparently.

 

I've got the [Miniatuart] Limited Edition `My Neighbor Totoro` Satsuki & Mei's House, [Miniatuart] Diorama Option Kit : Bell Tower, [Miniatuart] Diorama Option Kit : Bus Stop A, [Miniatuart] Good Old Diorama Series : Private House C, [Miniatuart] Good Old Diorama Series : Small Shrine, [Miniatuart] Good Old Diorama Series : Farm House B, and the [Miniatuart] Good Old Diorama Series : Farm House. I've got some rice paddies on the way. Now I need to get a mess of trees including one for the big Camphor tree, I'd also like to get an old style bonnet bus and some figures that look like those in the movie. Maybe a Catbus if I can find one.

 

Here's the atmosphere I'm looking to replicate.

 

 

I'll post more as it happens.

 

Cheers eh,

 

Todd

Edited April 9, 2021 by tossedman

[Bob_NZ]

Hi

 

My daughter tried to bring some Totoro atmosphere to my layout (not finished yet):

 

     

 

Push a button and a tram trundles through the scene with the Totoro theme song playing - the kids love it.

 

You will certainly enjoy building your module and I look forward to seeing how it progresses.