ToniBabelony Posted September 25, 2016 Share Posted September 25, 2016 Kanachu (Kanagawa Chuo Kotsu) just announced the sixth Bus Collection for this autumn, with standard Mitsubishi Aerostar Two Step KL-MP33JM and a brand new Hino Blue Ribbon Hybrid QSG-HL2ANAP. I was kind of hoping for a medium sized bus in this set, but I guess we have to wait for them to do that later on. Nonetheless, I'll be getting one or two of them! I've spotted the Blue Ribbon Hybrid already on the street, still spanking new and looking quite good :) Link to comment
velotrain Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 Is the articulated bus actually operational with a fully detailed see-thru interior? I'm hard-pressed to believe that. Link to comment
velotrain Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 Sadly the tomytec mech looks not to be very dissectible like this, but is got more features and that's the way they did it to get costs down and quality up I expect. Jeff - I don't follow this: more features = lower cost? Link to comment
bill937ca Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 Is the articulated bus actually operational with a fully detailed see-thru interior? I'm hard-pressed to believe that. Full interior is the static model. The mechanism to date take up the full interior. Link to comment
cteno4 Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 Jeff - I don't follow this: more features = lower cost? Yes the tomytec mechs have more features than the faller at a much lower price point. The tomytec have the speed change, better sensors, and now head and tail lights that the faller did not. im also assuming they have a nice charging limiting circuit for the new Rechargable model (faller did not, but easy to replace a fried battery in them). To do this tomytec built all the components into the central housing so that I think they could be better assembled faster, cheaper, and more reliably and with a Better quality. The faller busses were all individual parts with wires in between strut around the inside of the bus and adding another sensor and the control chip the tomytec has means more wires strung around so hence the more integrated design where it is assembled into the mech block more reliably and automated or at least a lot less fiddly and custom that the faller mechs were to wire and assemble. I'm also guessing that the more systematic design and assembly really helped reduce manufacture prices even faster with quantity (which I think tomytec has done a lot more volume than faller ever did in n scale). The faller is very simple in that it has no real control circuitry other than two switches. it's just a battery wired to a motor with the on/off switch and a reed switch in there to be activated for a pause with a big magnetic field (not a tiny magnet like the tomytec with the Hall effect sensors). So simple wiring that can be loose. It does make the faller simple to determine a problem if there is one or re juggle where the parts go to fit them into different things like trucks. I had always hoped they would sell the parts cheap (all the parts are pretty cheap) so that things could be kit bashed easily. The tomytec mech looks to be harder to try to tear apart to do this. Cheers Jeff Link to comment
velotrain Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 I'm also guessing that the more systematic design and assembly really helped reduce manufacture prices even faster with quantity (which I think tomytec has done a lot more volume than faller ever did in n scale). Regarding prices, you also need to consider where each is manufactured! Link to comment
cteno4 Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 Yep that's true and even more true with the faller design that is much more custom, hand assembly needed. Volume as well as I think tomytec is selling a lot more than faller ever did. It was a simple custom design for the old fallers. Tomytec is more sophisticated and needs a more unified and mass manufacturing friendly design. Jeff Link to comment
bill937ca Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 (edited) In the department of perhaps useless information, there are now at least three versions of the Tomytec bus stop. The Japanese version with Japanese road markings. The American version imported by Walthers with no road markings. The European version imported by Faller with BUS marking seen on the video below. Edited October 2, 2016 by bill937ca 2 Link to comment
katoftw Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 Probably nice you have the plates without markings so you can add your own. Link to comment
JR 500系 Posted October 2, 2016 Author Share Posted October 2, 2016 Nice... also notice that the driving is now on the right hand side, with the driver on the left, which is true for Europe and the US... Link to comment
JR 500系 Posted October 7, 2016 Author Share Posted October 7, 2016 Oh wow I just found this video that was taken on JAM2016 regarding the Chuo liner bus: Love how it runs and especially the working lights! 4 Link to comment
Sascha Posted October 7, 2016 Share Posted October 7, 2016 Does anybody know, if they will sell just the bus? Link to comment
beakaboy Posted October 7, 2016 Share Posted October 7, 2016 (edited) a very cool module or small layout. I like the way the buses interact. Can anyone identify the Locomotive at 5:24? Never seen this before. Oh! wait! Never mind . I see that this modeller builds fantasy locos. Really neat ones at that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpwMzyuzSuo Edited October 8, 2016 by beakaboy Link to comment
ToniBabelony Posted October 8, 2016 Share Posted October 8, 2016 a very cool module or small layout. I like the way the buses interact. Can anyone identify the Locomotive at 5:24? Never seen this before. Oh! wait! Never mind . I see that this modeller builds fantasy locos. Really neat ones at that. That's Mr. ShinpoSHI, a friend of mine and fellow artist. He creates worlds based off a mix of contemporary Japan in a western-like setting, surrounded by warring states. Hence his military prone designs and gigantic defensive cannons on almost all buildings (they're usually not really smokestacks). At the moment he's working on making N-scale Patlabor inspired mecha with tiny details and has been featured many times in model train magazines (mostly RM Models) and gets commissions from time to time as well (Tomytec notably). 1 Link to comment
bill937ca Posted October 8, 2016 Share Posted October 8, 2016 Does anybody know, if they will sell just the bus? It may follow just like the individual buses and pieces of track did. There was this pattern with both Tomytec Moving Bus and Kato Unitram. How long is hard to say, but I would not expect real fast. 1 Link to comment
JR 500系 Posted October 8, 2016 Author Share Posted October 8, 2016 I noticed that the driving wheel is the middle one, the one just before the flexi-bendy portion... the rear portion is more or less empty, except for a wire that is most probably for the tail light... With that, could we perhaps expect, in the near future, something for the regular sized buses that we already have? It would be great to have head and tail lights on our moving buses for more varieties of buses rather than just for the Chuo Liner... 1 Link to comment
bill937ca Posted October 8, 2016 Share Posted October 8, 2016 (edited) With that, could we perhaps expect, in the near future, something for the regular sized buses that we already have? It would be great to have head and tail lights on our moving buses for more varieties of buses rather than just for the Chuo Liner... Its already here. Tomytec Operating Bus System as opposed to Moving Bus System already has this feature. There are at least two chassis with the headlights and tail lights feature (WMB-L01 (GMC) and WBML2 Citaro) along with 3 US bodies and 4 European Citaro bodies. Different headlight and tail positions on different generations of buses require different chassis. This is the Tomytec-Faller Citaro. Once more of my track gets here I will post videos of my GMC TDH-4512 so you can see the features. Tomytec has to be careful in Japan or they could render all existing bus chassis obsolete immediately. Walthers promo piece said a million pieces of the Moving Bus System had been sold in Japan since Moving Bus was introduced. Tomytec may forecast overwhelming demand if they just release the new features at once and requiring customers to buy a full set could be a way to temper demand. With the greater power of the Lithium-ion battery the Moving / Operating Bus system could be eventually bigger on the market than model trains. The whole system is very compact and doesn't any big bulky pieces. Edited October 8, 2016 by bill937ca 2 Link to comment
bill937ca Posted October 8, 2016 Share Posted October 8, 2016 (edited) JR 500系, 1/80 radio control Keisei bus. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrnsNAKIk5o#t=11.8565 Edited October 8, 2016 by bill937ca 1 Link to comment
bill937ca Posted October 8, 2016 Share Posted October 8, 2016 (edited) I noticed that the driving wheel is the middle one, the one just before the flexi-bendy portion... the rear portion is more or less empty, except for a wire that is most probably for the tail light... Articulated buses are usually driven by the middle axle. The back of the bus is essentially a trailer and the faster the bus goes, the smaller turn range of the articulation. Essentially its a pancake engine, unlike rigid frame buses which usually have the engine in the back. Edited October 10, 2016 by bill937ca Link to comment
JR 500系 Posted October 10, 2016 Author Share Posted October 10, 2016 JR 500系, 1/80 radio control Keisei bus. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrnsNAKIk5o#t=11.8565 Poison... but it's very interesting how the bus can be controlled with your smart phone! Articulated buses are usually driven by the middle axle. The back of the bus is essentially a trailer and the faster the bus goes smaller turn range of the articulation. I see... that makes sense. but I thought the entire is at the rear of the bus? This would mean an axle running through the bus, especially across the bending area.... Its already here. Tomytec Operating Bus System as opposed to Moving Bus System already has this feature. Tomytec has to be careful in Japan or they could render all existing bus chassis obsolete immediately. I see.. good assessment. That would seriously render all the existing BM-01, 02 and 03 obsolete... I mean, who would still want the ones without the lights? I do hope they can 'modify' the existing BM engines, like BM-01 L (L for light) or something so that we may still have the same bus models that can be modified to moving buses... Link to comment
bill937ca Posted October 10, 2016 Share Posted October 10, 2016 I see... that makes sense. but I thought the entire is at the rear of the bus? This would mean an axle running through the bus, especially across the bending area.... Articulated buses I'm familiar with usually have a midship pancake engine, unlike rigid frame buses which usually have the engine at the back. Link to comment
cteno4 Posted October 10, 2016 Share Posted October 10, 2016 It would also screw up the tomytec steering if it was just rear wheel drive as it would force it to jack knife all the time. Like Bill said it's easiest for the rear section to just act as an unpowered trailer that follows the basic bus front section vial the articulation pivot. I am surprised how well it does work with the tomytec steering as the trailer does give it more resistance to have to overcome with the torque of the trailer. Jeff Link to comment
JR 500系 Posted October 25, 2016 Author Share Posted October 25, 2016 It seems that the Chuo Liner Articulated bus will be postphoned till next month for release.... http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10395187 Also, there seems to be a minor change in the bus collection 21 series: It seems one model has been changed.... You know, this got me wondering, would we have a mini bus moving chassis soon for this? :) 1 Link to comment
ToniBabelony Posted October 27, 2016 Share Posted October 27, 2016 (edited) The Kanachū Bus Collection VI is now officially announced by Tomytec on their website: http://www.tomytec.co.jp/diocolle/news/20161027/index.html I sincerely hope Kanachū does a release of a Mid-sized bus in Collection VII... Edited October 27, 2016 by Kabutoni Link to comment
JR 500系 Posted October 27, 2016 Author Share Posted October 27, 2016 (edited) The Kanachū Bus Collection VI is now officially announced by Tomytec on their website: http://www.tomytec.co.jp/diocolle/news/20161027/index.html I sincerely hope Kanachū does a release of a Mid-sized bus in Collection VII... Toni san... you were a minute earlier than my posting... :( http://www.tomytec.co.jp/diocolle/news/20161027/index.html I have a soft spot for the new Isuzu Erga... it just appeals to me... Edited October 27, 2016 by JR 500系 2 Link to comment
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