Why Japanese manufacturers doesnt go for TT?

[HantuBlauLOL]

with 9mm tracks, the closest one to scale the 1067mm cape gauge is TT (1:120). But why it seems that noone makes this scale?

[Nick_Burman]

There are some TT9 (as it is called in Japan) trains available, however the scale is very much in its infancy and what there is mainly brass or brass kits - I saw some at Tenshodo when I was in Japan earlier this year.

 

 

Cheers NB

[miyakoji]

Had to check this out.  I was interested until I saw the prices :)

 

http://models-store.tenshodo.co.jp/products/list.php?category_id=204

http://home.t09.itscom.net/tt-9/

[westfalen]

My jaw dropped when I saw the prices too, and that's just the trains, where do you find the rest of the stuff to build a layout?  Maybe a good scale/gauge for scratch builders.

 

I think one reason the Japanese went with 1:150 scale could be that the vast array of N scale buildings and scenic items could be used.  Outside of eastern Europe it's pretty much a case of "TT? What's that?".

[HantuBlauLOL]

Wth price.. I'd better get a marklin instead..

 

Btw why they dont go for 1:160 instead of 1:150?

[kvp]

 

Btw why they dont go for 1:160 instead of 1:150?

Because most Japanese trains are cape gauge. 1:160 is for standard gauge trains, like the shinkansens. This way you have two different scales, but they fit into the same loading gauge, so shinkansen trains don't need special tracks, platforms, etc. The reason for the 1:150 might be that british N gauge is 1:148 and since british and japanese loading gauges are similar, they choose 1:150. The british went with 1:148 because in the past it was very hard to fit the motors into a train that was so small as N gauge and this way they could use existing motors desinged for wider european trains.

 

If japanse modellers would want to get fully prototypical, then you would need tracks for cape, 1.3m and standard gauge and separate platforms for normal and shinkansen trains. In 1:160, that would mean japanse trains could not be run on european or american rails, because cape gauge would use Z tracks (which didn't even exist back then) and shinkansens would hit everything on a normal european layout, while cape gauge trains would have a huge gap at every european platform and european trains would hit most japanse plaforms. Not to mention, you couldn't even mix tokyo area standard, cape and 1.3 m gauge trains. Would it be prototypical? Yes. Would it be usable for most people? No.

[Martijn Meerts]

Considering that stuff is likely hand-built brass, it's not really that expensive. Of course, if you compare it to standard N-scale models it's expensive, but purely looking at what it is, it's really not that bad.

[Mudkip Orange]

1:150 was clearly chosen to nudge us all towards modeling Keio and/or Tokyo streetcars.

[Jcarlton]

In Japan they rely on sectional pre made track more than they do in the states.  That's because, by and large, there is no permanent space that can be set aside to play with trains.  So, in Japan you get products like Unitrack that can be repeatedly dismantled.  But Unitrack requires a LOT of upfront investment as each piece requires an expensive  injection mold.  So it makes sense that all the trains use the same gauge track.  Japan though, has the problem of two rails systems that are essentially different yet both need to be represented for enough model sales to justify the costs. So because Kato or anybody else doesn't want to make two different gauge track, they compromise by making Shinkansen and other standard gauge models in 1/160 and 1/87 and cape gauge in 1/80 and 1/150 as a compromise.  That works for most people and the die hards who insist on scale accuracy usually have the means to build permanent railroads and know how to make their own track.

Edited August 1, 2014 by Jcarlton

[cteno4]

In Japan they rely on sectional pre made track more than they do in the states.  That's because, by and large, there is no permanent space that can be set aside to play with trains.  So, in Japan you get products like Unitrack that can be repeatedly dismantled.  But Unitrack requires a LOT of upfront investment as each piece requires an expensive  injection mold.  So it makes sense that all the trains use the same gauge track.  Japan though, has the problem of two rails systems that are essentially different yet both need to be represented for enough model sales to justify the costs. So because Kato or anybody else doesn't want to make two different gauge track, they compromise by making Shinkansen and other standard gauge models in 1/160 and 1/87 and cape gauge in 1/80 and 1/150 as a compromise.  That works for most people and the die hards who insist on scale accuracy usually have the means to build permanent railroads and know how to make their own track.

This are the reasons I have always heard as well. 1/150 for all the structures and vehicles as they were nearer the cape gauge trains at 1/150. Shinkensens then at 1/160 to be in scale with n gauge track and those trains are usually not as near structures and vehicles to notice the slight scale difference.

 

Jeff

[ToniBabelony]

There are of course also those hardcore folk nowadays who convert their cape gauge trains to 6.5mm (Nm) and run them on sectional Z-gauge tracks.

[Jcarlton]

This are the reasons I have always heard as well. 1/150 for all the structures and vehicles as they were nearer the cape gauge trains at 1/150. Shinkensens then at 1/160 to be in scale with n gauge track and those trains are usually not as near structures and vehicles to notice the slight scale difference.

 

Jeff

Frankly, unless the scale differences are glaringly obvious they are unrecognizable.  While things are pretty standardized now, even just a short time ago doors and windows weren't necessarily a defined size.  Also, if something is more than a few meters away from something the scaling effect is going to distort things anyway.  In fact if you are doing things right you can take advantage of something out of scale to make a scene seem bigger than it really is.  That was one of John Allen's tricks.