Hungarian Japanese Model Train Club

[kvp]

I've just tested the planned shinkansen track setup with my tomix 0 series by assembling the full module layout on the floor. This was the first time i tried to run the whole train and it's rather hard to connect the power couplers. They keep moving away to the sides if you don't align them completly straight. Once connected the train runs well. Thanks to the multiple powered cars and the whole train pickup it's running very smooth. I've even tested it with canted S curves (thinking about the easier, non canted S curves planned for the station) and it goes through them easily, with the spring loaded connecting plates moving away in opposing directions. However there is a small problem, the Kato curves we choose are too sharp on the inner curve and the close coupled train develops a visible gap. While it's smaller than when running it on a Tomix R280 curve (runs fine on that too, but looks bad from the outside), it's still not really nice, so i'm thinking about what could be done to increase the curve radius of the shinkansen tracks. The outer radius is fine, the train stays gapless on that. Also tested the electricity feed joiner setup for the curves and it works perfectly. If installed with the wires toward the stronger ends the joiners can be disconnected and removed without the wires getting in the way. It's also possible to disconnect and fold the two track pieces together without removing the feeds.

[kvp]

Layout progress on the tram module:

(tram track and street surface)

The white board is the same paper covered foam material the Tomytec diorama boards are made of, just much cheaper. The downside is that it has to be painted. On the pictures, the module is shown from the back. The office buildings will stand on this side.

 

 

[katoftw]

Tram line need to come forward towards the front a little bit?  Seems very close to the viaduct, and not much will be able to be placed between the two.

[IST]

As we are currently working on Hungarian themed modules in the Club preparing for a show in autumn, we did not step forward in case of our Japanese modules.

Beside of this I had an empty T-trak modul and an out-of-use Japanese bath building, so decided to do something with it. Here are some pictures what I have made:

[cteno4]

Great work ist! Fun to see what a nice little scene can be done quickly with ttrak like this!

 

Jeff

[katoftw]

Agreed with Jeff. Simple but great.

[kvp]

Yes, ISTvan has a talent for great lineside scenes.  :)

[kvp]

IST's review of the Kato E5 shinkansen, unfortunatley in hungarian, but with nice pictures and a video:

http://vonatmagazin.blog.hu/2015/04/04/kato_e5_shinkansen

[IST]

On the last clubday I brought all of my Unitram tracks into the club and started to think what kind of layout can be built from it. Another members helped with ideas and we tried a lot of variants until we came up with the following layout:

 

 

2 switches are missing to complete this (and maybe another one if we would like to make a tram depot somewhere) and we have to use flexi track to connect some parts, but I think it is a good base for a future layout with a lot of interesting routes for the trams.

 

As this is the umpteen possible project I do not think we will start it in the near future (would like to build some British and Japanese T-trak modules first and help to finish some Hungarian modules), but I thought I share with you, maybe you have some comments about it.

 

(And if you don't mind I added some photo about 3*1 meter long Fremo modules that was built by a friend and myself in the last year. This is the reason why I could not step forward in Japanese theme. It is a small train stop on the Eastern part of Hungary with very low number of travellers and an abandoned loading area.

 

 

 

 

 

[cteno4]

Hey IST,

 

Wow, great to see a larger unitram setup like this.

 

Nice fremo modules. Ttrak modules should go faster!

 

Jeff

[katoftw]

Herbie The Love Bettle!

[kvp]

Istvan (IST) and Zsolt did a great job at building the fremo modules. Every building and even most of the trees are srcratch built by them.

 

The hungarian station also features working form signals and actual signal and turnout feedback, so if you throw a turnout by hand, the route indicator lights change with it. (also there is a turnout and signal error indication in case of malfunction) It also has a key so the station can be locked. This was used on unmanned stations, where the driver of a shunting freight train gets the key at a nearby manned station, unlocks the controls, changes the entry signals and the turnouts for the shunting and restores normal through traffic until the loading is done, then repeates the same process to get back on the line (after checking line occupancy with the next station), then returns the key on his way back.

 

For the unitram layout, it will contain two reversing loops, which are also crossover points between the inner and outer loops (power districts). If the running direction on each controller is set up for running in opposing directions, then the reversed polarities will match. This means only 4 dual isolators are required at the two double track crossing points (next to the orange roofed stop and the conventional track piece at the back) and 7 point controllers (+the depot turnouts).

 

ps: Currently i'm doing all the wiring for almost everyone in both the hungarian, the japanese and when there is a need for it, the british club and helping out people with the wiring and circuits for their tram and narrow gauge projects. So everything is making (a slow) progress, except my own projects... but i'll try my best to catch up. :-)

Edited November 7, 2015 by kvp

[IST]

Herbie The Love Bettle!

 

Yeah, it is a little bit out of scale as it is a British VW from Oxford Diecast. Due to this is really on a countryside of the country with very limited traffic on the road we thought make a VW meeting on it.

[IST]

The hungarian station also features working form signals and actual signal and turnout feedback, so if you throw a turnout by hand, the route indicator lights change with it. (also there is a turnout and signal error indication in case of malfunction) It also has a key so the station can be locked.

 

And I have a picture about the control panel that was made by Zsolt and kvp. kvp made all of the electric work, so it worked perfectly during the 3 days long event.

 

[kvp]

The last photo was taken during the first tests, so it still had a few stray wires. Zsolt repainted and sanded the wood surface so many times, that now it's as smooth as a metal surface. (the 2 other control panels i got wired this year doesn't look half as good, even though they are larger, make it 3 if i count the single switch on my lone hungarian mainline crossover module that was only made in a hurry to meet routing needs on the double track section)

 

Imho right now Zsolt and Istvan are one of the best scenery builders in the club, so i'll need quite a lot of practice to catch up a bit. One of the cheapest ways for this is to build and try to scenic a few classic narrow style ttrak modules as you don't have to chisel away too much in case of a failiure. The question remains if it's possible to build modules that can be used for japanese and british layouts. (at least the scale, platform heights and loading gauges are roughly the same)

[HantuBlauLOL]

Really love that Fremo module, especially the concrete block path.. so realistic!

[Mudkip Orange]

You should do a module of the railway border crossing at Roskze.

[IST]

You should do a module of the railway border crossing at Roskze.

 

With or without the fence?

:-(

[Mudkip Orange]

With or without the fence?

 

I'm just thinking there needs to be a model of this badass gondola:

 

[kvp]

Yeah, they were called the 'mad max cars' by some journalists. The problem is that you won't get any railroad activity on that stretch, perhaps only the occasional migrant train breaking through, but that's not really much. (since then derails have been added on the bridge in question) It might seem like a surprise, but once only the legal entry was remaining, people just stopped coming, regardless that they could still enter legally. (but doing so means they have to stay and ask for refuge in the country where they legally entered and we are luckily not rich enough to make anyone want to stay) The reason for being so inhospitable may lie at the 300 years old war between Hungary and the Ottoman empire and the fact the Hungarian capital was occupied by a sudden arrival of 'unarmed tourists' turning out to be islamic fighters once they were inside the walls. This and the idleness of the western kingdoms has made Hungary mistrustful of both eastern and western powers. This has been proved to be correct since then during every war and conflict.

 

On the other hand, the idea of model railroading is to simulate traffic, so the median epoch of the hungarian layout is epoch IV, mainly the 1980ies, with Germany still split and lots of railroad traffic in Hungary as in that time it was the only major hole on the iron curtain and a place where east and west germans could meet freely. This doesn't stop some ep III trains getting onto the layout or even ep V or IV, but it helps that many hungarian trains had essentially the same paint for the last four decades and you need to check the small print to find out their actual epoch.

 

For the japanese club, it's both JNR and JR as rail traffic in Japan didn't fall as much as it did in Europe, while for the british club, IST and pretty much everyone else have only post privatisation sets, while i only collect the BR rail blue era. (mostly post tops and before sectorisation) This means a really colorful pool of trains to choose from, which is good.

 

ps: One thing i love so much in japanese trains is the sheer number of different types and even companies with all the diversity it creates.

 

EDIT: The Szeged - Fiume line was officially closed yesterday (1869. 09. 11. - 2015. 11. 09.) due to permenently closed borders at Roszke (Hungary - Serbia) and at the Serbian - Croatian and Serbian - Romanian border. (originally all affected regions were part of the Hungarian kingdom and the line was already cut back since parts of it were destroyed in the Yugoslav wars beteen 1991 and 2002)

http://www.delmagyar.hu/kepek/utoljara_kozlekedett_a_roszkei_vonat/2045242/

Edited November 10, 2015 by kvp

[kvp]

A couple of pictures of the modules set up in the clubroom: (i was doing some DCC equipment testing)

 

[brill27mcb]

Looking great!

 

Rich K.

[kvp]

Progress on the japanese modules is still very slow, but at least there is some traffic on the hungarian ones.

Also picked up some of my platforms today and on the way home i saw something interesting standing around at the Budapest Nyugati station:

(it's a 424 series steam locomotive with some 3rd class coaches)

Edited November 14, 2015 by kvp

[kvp]

Trains on the hungarian modules at Dejtar station:

(i'll have to fix the nukeflash in the outhouse  :) )

[kvp]

T-trak module testing, although there is not much to test. The completed modules are IST's (both japanese and british), the not so completed one is mine.