Oh dear...

[railsquid]

My wife has just discovered the Kato Hobby Centre in Tokyo (she heard it announced on the Oedo line as she was passing) and is now spamming my mobile with photos (I'm in the UK and it's about 5am...)

 

Shouldn't complain I guess ;)

[Keikyu]

Living the dream.

[katoftw]

Was there yesterday.  The place was packed.  Lots of different backgrounds in there.  As I was exiting, an older lady, say 60-65 just walked in and exclaimed, "sugoi," As she walked in the front doors.  My wife also loved the place.  Only 5 minute walk from the southern exit. 

[railsquid]

I'll definitely pay a visit some time in the next month or so... Just haven't got round to it - been busy inspecting the real model shops. Anyway that will make it easier to persuade the wife that if she wants scenery she'll have to live with my planned expansion :)

[bikkuri bahn]

she heard it announced on the Oedo line as she was passing)

 

It's announced with the subway train stops cum advertising?  That must be a first for a model rr shop/firm.  Hospitals/clinics, cinemas, cleaners, etc. yes, but a hobby shop??

[Densha]

I'm sure Kato pays for that.

[railsquid]

Pay enough money and you can get your company on the station name (e.g. Shinagawa Seaside, subtitled "Rakuten Towers").

 

 

It's announced with the subway train stops cum advertising?  That must be a first for a model rr shop/firm.  Hospitals/clinics, cinemas, cleaners, etc. yes, but a hobby shop??

 

Yes, I remember hearing it before I rediscovered model trains, but not taking much notice thinking it was just some model shop.

[Sean]

It is great that your wife does stuff like that, some take a much less enthusiastic stance towards their husband`s hobbies :) 

 

Actually my wife is really great like that too.  All the trains that I own in my layout are particularly colorful ones.  That is not a coincidence, it is because most of them are presents from her (and she chooses them based primarily on how pretty she finds them, hence the dominance of brightly colored ones).

[JR 500系]

All these are getting me green with envy... It's nice to have understanding, yet even better, enthusiastic wife towards hobby training.... Mine is understanding, but nowhere enthusiastic... She doesn't stop me from buying, but neither encourages me to buy nor buy me train presents.... She loves the train trip in terms of comfort and sight-seeing, but can't really be bothered with how the trains looks like and what consists they're running...

 

By the way, from the recent pictures from Katoftw, I think I will make a trip to Kato Hobby just to see the fantastic layout, and hopefully the wife goes: "Maybe you should get something!"   :)

[E6系]

Hello Mr JR500,

 

Excuse me for saying, but with the fleet you've amassed in recent years I don't think you need further encouragement from your wife ... ;)

 

I am, of course, in the same situation.  :D

[railsquid]

Meanwhile here's me at an airport with a bag full of British N-gauge stuff (7 locomotives, 6 coaches and 1 HST pack). For the domestic customs declaration: "bargain 2nd-hand stuff". Well, one of them was.

Edited October 20, 2014 by railsquid

[cteno4]

I came back from my first trip to Japan in the early 80s with a duffle bag full of windup toys. About $250-$300 worth and the customs limit at the time was $250 I think and I was sweating it. The customs guy asked what was in the bag and I said toys and he opened it up and got the biggest smile on his face! He had to pull a dozen or so out to "inspect" them! For a minute I thought he was going to play with some on the spot to verify they were real toys!

 

Jeff

[railsquid]

By "domestic customs declaration" I mean the one at home ;)

 

My biggest worry is keeping them physically safe - got two more weeks and 3 more flights before home.

[railsquid]

Well they made it. One potential locomotive casualty (burnt itself out after a couple of laps), but I'm not sure whether that was caused by the trip or it's just a dud.

 

Anyway Mrs. Railsquid insists we visit the Kato Hobby Centre again. As a gentleman I can hardly refuse her, can I?

 

Things she has set her heart on:

- the Glacier Express

- some Amtrak passenger train or other

- coach lighting

- mountain scenery

- an automated level crossing

 

(not that I would purchase any of those items at the Kato prices...)

[Mudkip Orange]

- some Amtrak passenger train or other

 

If you're stuck modeling Amtrak, allow me to recommend the Crescent. 10-car Superliner consists take up a lot of space without much variety. But an accurate model of the Crescent can be made with a Heritage baggage, three Amcans (two coaches and a cafe), and a Viewliner sleeper or three. It's three different kinds of rolling stock in a five- or six-car train.

[railsquid]

Five or six cars? Ain't gonna happen. I have a strict 4 car (or 3-car + loco) limit... I suppose I could manage loco + 4 Glacier Express cars though...

Edited November 5, 2014 by railsquid

[kvp]

For amtrak, i would suggest something in the phase III red/white/blue livery. Kato has some nice phase III superliners and matching locomotives (F40PH or P42). A loco + 3 car superliner train would look nice and i'm sure you can get Kato trains in Japan.

[railsquid]

Hmm, what are the dimensions on those? From the pictures they look like they might be at risk of colliding with structures like the Kato platform canopies. 

[kvp]

They are double stack sized, so the catenary could be in danger too. If this is a problem, then you are pretty much stuck with the bachmann amtrak acela, which is a 5 car train, but has the clearances of a normal shinkansen. (it's also high platform only, so it will feel at home on a Japanese layout)

[railsquid]

Tunnels would also be a problem. Well (and no offence meant to anyone) American trains aren't my cup of tea anyway, so I highly doubt any will be rampaging through my layout in the forseeable future no matter what the Mrs. thinks. I've got enough stock now to be going on with (21 powered vehicles at the last count) and DCC is the next big money-sucking project.

[cteno4]

Be careful as the bachmann acela is a very cranky runner. its truck and undercarriage can catch on a lot of things. we spent an hour trying to get to make a lap on one of our members big basement unitrak layout that is not nailed down. it kept finding every track problem there was (that all his japanese trains went right over fine), so we were jokingly calling it Dr Yellow! Ive talked to others with similar experiences.

 

cheers

 

jeff