Saitama Railway 2000

[Guest keio6000]

MicroAce's latest release poster includes the saitama railway 2000 series train:

 

 

This is visually similar to, but not identical to the namboku 9000 series

 

 

 

the saitama railway (err, saitama rapid railway) runs through on the namboku line. 

 

I am not sure about the middle cars, but of course at least the cab ends would have had to have been custom made to handle the 2000s distinctive shape. the underbody is different too, though that is of course less of an issue.

 

still, an odd release.  the saitama railway runs half underground(I think?) and it's not like there are legions of namboku line collectors out there (right?) who just want this for completeness.  it also kind of runs (ran?) on the tokyu meguro line, but..

 

i can see if this was a 'quick and cheap to do based on existing 9000 series toolings' thing, but otherwise it is a somewhat 'limited interest' release, i'd say.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[kvp]

If they were smart enough then they already designed the tooling for the namboku sets to be able to produce both. Essentially the difference is just a replacement insert on one of the forms. Costs almost nothing compared to everything else. Modern molding equipment can use multipart molds, which means the molds can be configured like a b train shorty to produce a single solid shell. This is how tomix can make several slight variants of the same general body shape for the train collection series.

[ToniBabelony]

Personally, I'm kind of a fan of the big variety of trains running on the Tokyu Meguro line, so I'm welcoming this release very much. It's short with only six cars, so very attractive to run on the home floor layout, plus it has an interesting design.

 

However, I also would have welcomed a different release. The rather ugly but probably well selling Keisei 3600 type comes to mind... (((o(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)o))) It is pretty strange to see MA release all these trains that run on the Tokyu Meguro line, since MA doesn't have the best relationship with Tokyu anyway. I don't think we'll see a Tokyu 3000 type being released any time soon, which would complement the recent Meguro line related releases very well.

[Guest keio6000]

Personally, I'm kind of a fan of the big variety of trains running on the Tokyu Meguro line, so I'm welcoming this release very much. It's short with only six cars, so very attractive to run on the home floor layout, plus it has an interesting design.

 

However, I also would have welcomed a different release. The rather ugly but probably well selling Keisei 3600 type comes to mind... (((o(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)o))) It is pretty strange to see MA release all these trains that run on the Tokyu Meguro line, since MA doesn't have the best relationship with Tokyu anyway. I don't think we'll see a Tokyu 3000 type being released any time soon, which would complement the recent Meguro line related releases very well.

 

on a different note, i like how tokyu has 'thought ahead' and have given their 6000 such an ugly paint job that it will blend right in for its eventual resale to indonesia or whatever :)

 

i am surprised the tokyu 6000 did not make more 'ugliest train' lists.   certainly amongst the ugliest in the tokyo region, along with perhaps tsukuba express (though im sure both have their fans)

[ToniBabelony]

on a different note, i like how tokyu has 'thought ahead' and have given their 6000 such an ugly paint job that it will blend right in for its eventual resale to indonesia or whatever :)

 

i am surprised the tokyu 6000 did not make more 'ugliest train' lists.   certainly amongst the ugliest in the tokyo region, along with perhaps tsukuba express (though im sure both have their fans)

 

To be honest, I kind of dig the Tokyu 6000 series as well because of its sheer uniqueness. I know the GreenMax model was highly popular, probably because it's so unique and runs on the Den'entoshi line a few times per day. When I rode it from Nagatsuta all the way to Oimachi, I was pretty impressed to see a relatively short 6-car train on an express service that is usually done by 10-car monsters. Also, if I were to get bored with my Keisei things, I'd probably focus on Oimachi line trains, no matter their godaweful liveries... The line is just too awesome, plus I have a weird taste in trains xD

 

And I agree on the TX... It's not popular as well as a model. I mean, it's now on sale at TamTam (http://www.hs-tamtam.co.jp/item-65261.html) with 38% off already for a while. Last time I visited, at least five sets were still sitting there on a shelve...

[Guest keio6000]

If they were smart enough then they already designed the tooling for the namboku sets to be able to produce both. Essentially the difference is just a replacement insert on one of the forms. Costs almost nothing compared to everything else. Modern molding equipment can use multipart molds, which means the molds can be configured like a b train shorty to produce a single solid shell. This is how tomix can make several slight variants of the same general body shape for the train collection series.

 

want to thank you for that bit of insight.   to the limited extent i have been familiar with mould processes so far it has been in the context of metal aircraft models, whose compound curves and the fact that the moulds need to support metal, not plastic make variant moulds i'm guessing pretty problematic if not impossible for now.  your explanation really clears things up and also goes a long way towards explaining how/why things like tetsuodu collection can exist.

[Guest keio6000]

To be honest, I kind of dig the Tokyu 6000 series as well because of its sheer uniqueness. I know the GreenMax model was highly popular, probably because it's so unique and runs on the Den'entoshi line a few times per day. When I rode it from Nagatsuta all the way to Oimachi, I was pretty impressed to see a relatively short 6-car train on an express service that is usually done by 10-car monsters. Also, if I were to get bored with my Keisei things, I'd probably focus on Oimachi line trains, no matter their godaweful liveries... The line is just too awesome, plus I have a weird taste in trains xD

 

And I agree on the TX... It's not popular as well as a model. I mean, it's now on sale at TamTam (http://www.hs-tamtam.co.jp/item-65261.html) with 38% off already for a while. Last time I visited, at least five sets were still sitting there on a shelve...

 

I saw the tx sets for sale at the west shinjuku camera shop that does trains (yodobashi? i dont remember) at jpy 9500 each as a golden week promotion.  and even at that very discounted price they kind of sat there, unbought.  i would have thought that some enterprising person would buy them for resale, but maybe there were quantity limits in play or something (I didn't look hard - i didn't want it either).

 

i dont see anything weird about the oimachi line.  more or less a generic tokyu line.   the thing that i always found weird was this:

 

 

err i mean this:

 

 

the new tokyu 5000s are pretty nice, actually, i think, visually.  i used to live at sakurashinmachi station on the (then) shin-tamagawa line, so my small tokyu collection consists of things that would have been found there (8500s and eidan 8000s).  additionally, i have an interest in the (comically short 5km) setagaya line, so also have a few of the decent modemo trams.

 

i've hiked and run several train lines around tokyo.  setagaya line is one that you can do without breaking much of a sweat :)