Tomytec - Painted & Anything Model Bus Related

[JR 500系]

One would seriously need a driving license to perfectly drive that small bus around the layout! The lights on the truck was a really nice touch! Cannot help but notice how it was kinda mocking the original moving bus system that was unwilling to run correctly on the road...

[cteno4]

Yeah that was funny, kind of looked like he was grabbing a big bug!

 

Jeff

[ToniBabelony]

For those interested in buying R/C modded trains/buses here is a small company that provides them for a 'small' fee: http://www.rc-train.com/index.php?%E5%8F%96%E3%82%8A%E6%89%B1%E3%81%84%E5%95%86%E5%93%81

 

They do simple head/tail light conversions (¥5000~¥10000) to complete R/C mods (up to ¥47200). They also do R/C mods where the R/C control and direct current rail control can be switched, so the modded train can also operate as a regular DC operated model train.

[cteno4]

Very cool, figured someone was up to this!

 

The micro fliers have been driving the servo and receiver sizes way down, so this is getting easier to do. Also 3d printing can make the steering mech pretty easily so once engineered it can be reproduced cheaply and easily as the parts are pretty tiny. I started to Sketch up what it would need for the tomytec road system and pretty straightforward, so not much harder to add a servo interface.

 

Fun stuf for the future! This stuff will just get smaller and cheaper.

 

Jeff

[kvp]

I did exactly this with some of my 1:42 Lego trains (with mostly off the shelf official Lego parts), so i could run them with an IR based PF remote even on plastic track or on the classic metal rail analog DC club layout. Getting all these stuff into an N scale emu/dmu is hard enough, but into an N scale bus is extremly hard, but doable as it seems.

 

Personally i would say, that DCC for trains and RF based DCC for cars is easier if you don't want absolute steering freedom for your rubber wheeled vehicles. (RF based car DCC works like SelTrack in real life and takes the radio signals from the steering wire) Going full RC means it needs an extra servo (or two coils and a magnet) for steering and a real radio receiver instead of the guide wire pickup, but everything else is basically the same as for the Tomytec moving bus system. You can even mount the steering servo in a way to move the standard Tomytec seering mech through a connecting rod, so the car can run freely by remote or on a guide wire, where only the speed is controlled.

 

ps: My fully remote controllable Lego city bus was permanently banned roughly 4 years ago from club layouts after a few failed attempts to navigate the actual layout and avoid standing cars, passengers on sidewalks, lamp posts, buildings and the occasional moving tram. A WWII Tiger constructed by anoter member had the same fate of becoming a stationery object too...

[JR 500系]

ps: My fully remote controllable Lego city bus was permanently banned roughly 4 years ago from club layouts after a few failed attempts to navigate the actual layout and avoid standing cars, passengers on sidewalks, lamp posts, buildings and the occasional moving tram. A WWII Tiger constructed by anoter member had the same fate of becoming a stationery object too...

 

That is interesting! Although not in this thread, but I would love to see some pictures of these in action! I always wanted to build a fully RC Lego bus but couldn't quite get the steering mechanism right.... The Tiger is from Brick Arms i presume? Lego isn't exactly very weaponry friendly...  

 

On another note, the cost to RC the bus is truly... I mean, 40,000+ yen and above?  I think i'll pass.... I might seriously want to try fixing some head and tail lights on the bus though... Just need to find a smaller capacity light bulb...

[cteno4]

ooh I can just see the tragedy, Lego arms, legs,heads and torsos all over and a head wedged in your rc bus wheel well damning you!

 

Cheers

 

Jeff

[kvp]

My old hack: (the shell is from an offical set)

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=444776

 

A slightly more recent and more advanced version from another member:

http://www.mocpages.com/moc.php/349750

 

I can't find the link for the tiger atm, but it's 100% Lego. This means that if Lego doesn't release a tank in a set, you can still make one from standard parts. (using bulldozer tracks, technic motors and standard bricks and plates)

 

ooh I can just see the tragedy, Lego arms, legs,heads and torsos all over and a head wedged in your rc bus wheel well damning you!

Something like that. Actually the damning came from the owners of the various things i managed to knock over or disassemble. The worst accident however was not with the bus, but my first version of the V40 electric locomotive. This is a modell of an early (1932) electromechanical VVVF drive electric locomotive with a single huge motor and drive rods and a 4 speed automatically regulated drive (25, 50, 75, 100 km/h) with regenerative braking. I built the drive as in the prototype, including the single extra large motor and the choice of 4 speeds. I managed to modell it perfectly, including it's tendency to tip over on tight radiuses and with the following 4 speeds: not enough power to get it moving, still not enough, just right except in a curve, way too fast. The locomotive was very hard to start without tripping the overcurrent protection or spinning the wheels, but once started it went way to fast to be safe with the small radius curves. During an exhibiton it managed to straighten a curve after a 10 meter sprint, go through a station building, a few smaller buildings and remove a forest before turning over. And i was lucky it didn't fell off the layout. (the owner of the buildings was not happy though, he spent a day just setting up the figures on the platforms before the exhibition) After the rebuild the locomotive got geared down to a scale speed of 2.5,5,10,15 km/h, which makes it less useful as an express locomotive, but at least it stays on the track, mostly. On the bright side, if it wasn't Lego, we would had a few completly ruined buildings and trains.

 

A member in my N scale club plans to build an N scale airport terminal for this years exhibition with planes (static), a Tomytec moving bus system with custom 4 lane roads and a bus station and a railway stop serving the airport to connect it to the club's fremo system.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdezeaXgfUE

 

(the bus is a Tomtec motor with a custom 3D printed shell)

[cteno4]

I bet you are frisked at each Lego meet and watched carefully.,bet the kids loved the disaster scenes!

 

I just saw a video in popular mechanics on a very nicely done tiger tank that was full rc with turret swivel and gun elevation as well.

 

Nice tomytec bus layout! I was wondering when someone would make automated bus points. I made some manual ones with my faller and they worked great. Thought of tearing up an old snap ttrak atlas point to try and make it remote.

 

Jeff

[ToniBabelony]

I'm thinking of jumping on the moving bus bandwagon, as there seems to be some very serious and interesting developments going on behind the scenes. I'm not very sure if I can announce very detailed information, but from a VERY reliable source, I've seen that there is something being planned in the form of an articulated bus and possibly a self-charging system. Winter will be interesting. That's all I can say.

[Densha]

Articulated buses... in Japan? I've yet to see a picture of an articulated bus in the land of the rising sun.

 

Unfortunately (well for my wallet it's fortunately) adding the bus system to T-Trak is a bit difficult I think.

Edited April 5, 2015 by Densha

[JR 500系]

I'm thinking of jumping on the moving bus bandwagon, as there seems to be some very serious and interesting developments going on behind the scenes. I'm not very sure if I can announce very detailed information, but from a VERY reliable source, I've seen that there is something being planned in the form of an articulated bus and possibly a self-charging system. Winter will be interesting. That's all I can say.

 

Thanks for the headsup Toni! That is interesting indeed! I'm more for the slef-charging system than the articulated bus though... How about more turnouts and perhaps even a bus U-turn like the one featured here? That would be interesting!

 

 

 

Articulated buses... in Japan? I've yet to see a picture of an articulated bus in the land of the rising sun.

 

Unfortunately (well for my wallet it's fortunately) adding the bus system to T-Trak is a bit difficult I think.

 

Actually there's quite a few running around Japan:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyyirsksn-s

Twin Liner, Owned by Kanagawa Chuo Traffic. I think they only have 2 in Japan?

 

Here's another owned by Keisei

 

Not really a big fan of these, as we have quite a few running around here in Sillypore:

 

The ride isn't very good, or perhaps it's due to the driver? You do not want to stand in the 'diaphragm' section unless you want a good shake ~

[katoftw]

um?  a bus turntable is available already.

[cteno4]

Just need to motorized the turntable. Recharging station, that sounds interesting! Just need a couple of light print strips on the street to make contact on the bottom of the bus and then a rechargeable battery like the original fallers do.

 

Jeff

Edited April 5, 2015 by cteno4

[JR 500系]

Yap that was what I would like to have, a motorised bus turn table! That's bound to provide good connections! The 'T' junction is also another good thing to have...

 

Best of, how about this one? (Been posted before)

 

[katoftw]

That would be like printing money for Tomytec.  I don't think the factory would keep up with demand.  And if like myself you don't have a bus system.  Becoming automated like this will make people what to start using buses.

[kvp]

Actually automated operation is easy. You just need an electromagnet under the street where you want to stop the bus. Power it with DC to get a polarized field. You also need a feedback from the crossing to activate the stop sections when the gates are down. For street corners, you can use a rotary switch to switch the lights and stop sections together. For the railroad crossing, the 33 and 18.5 mm Tomix tram track pieces have the grooves for the wires already added on the underside, so you only have to add the wires where you need them. (90, 45 and 0 degree crossings are possible, the last means shared bus and tram lanes, including merge and split sections) The parts are all there, so the only reason we don't see these products from Tomytec is probably the same why we don't see more TCS circuits.

Edited April 5, 2015 by kvp

[ToniBabelony]

Yes, articulated buses aren't big in Japan, but indeed Kanachū (my local company) and Keisei have them running. Kanachū has plans for opening a second line with articulated buses from my home station, Sagamiōno on the Odakyu Odawara and Enoshima line to Harataima on the JR East Sagami line via the busy Kitazato Hospital route and possibly also with a halt at the Woman's University of Arts in Asamizo. I think the articulated moving bus model will be massive hit in Europe. There is also a new modern looking Fusō QKG type with facelifted 2015 front in development, next to another type which I forgot. I believe these will eventually make it into the general Bus Collection series.

[Densha]

Actually there's quite a few running around Japan:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyyirsksn-s

Twin Liner, Owned by Kanagawa Chuo Traffic. I think they only have 2 in Japan?

Wow, a Mercedes-Benz Citaro in Japan! You barely see buses from foreign manufacturers there! Tons of these run around near my city, but we're used to seeing German buses. I actually even have an H0 model of a non-articulated Citaro somewhere. Maybe I'll post a picture of it together with my other Dutch bus and tram models someday on JNS.

Edited April 5, 2015 by Densha

[JR 500系]

New releases for bus fans!

 

These came up a few weeks ago:

 

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10320877

The Bus Collection Sapporo Station Bus Terminal Set A (3-Car Set)

 

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10320901

The Bus Collection Kushiro Bus Lupin III Wrapping Bus

 

And these just came up a few days ago:

 

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10326289

HINO S`ELEGA WILLER EXPRESS

 

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10326293

HINO S`ELEGA JR Bus Kanto JNR Paint Reprint Design [Aoi Tsubame]

 

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10326294

HINO S`ELEGA Nishi-Nippon Railroad [Hakata Go]

 

While I like the Popondetta diecast buses for their detailing down right to the side mirrors attached, and yes they are painted in a different and more interesting colour scheme, isn't the cost getting more and more expensive? From the past 1800 yen to a staggering 2480 yen is like a 37% increase in price...

[katoftw]

I almost preordered the Hakata Go bus until I saw the price increase.  I'll just wait for the cheaper tomytec version to be re-released.

[JR 500系]

I almost preordered the Hakata Go bus until I saw the price increase.  I'll just wait for the cheaper tomytec version to be re-released.

 

I took the plunge. Being a bus fan and having no Hakata-Go bus units I had to get this. Despite the price increase, though it hurts and I truly don't understand why...

 

No news on Bus Collection 20 still... But Railway collection is already up to 21. Hhmm... Bus Collection 20 should perhaps be a Tour/ Highway bus type? Since the last one we had was 17 and both 18 and 19 were commuter types. The Hakata-Go might just re-appear in 20 again then.

[katoftw]

The Hataka Go will forever live on in the Nishitets Highway Bus collection.

 

Edited May 14, 2015 by katoftw

[JR 500系]

The Hataka Go will forever live on in the Nishitets Highway Bus collection.

 

Yes indeed.... Along with Collection 8, where it was a secret bus:

 

 

Of which both are the same moulds actually.

 

And both cost an arm and a leg to buy them now... Which is why I really didn't want to pass up on the Popondetta one...

[JR 500系]

Local bus trip part 2 is out:

 

http://www.tomytec.co.jp/diocolle/items/pdf/newitem_20150514_04.pdf

 

Wonder why a Highway bus model is placed inside a Local bus trip set? Isn't Highway buses not allowed on Local bus trip?