Tomytec Railway Collection - General Discussion

[kvp]

all bogies that come with the motor sets match at least one train in the Tetsudo Collection. I'm open for correction, but personal experience doesn't really count in this case.

Yes, that's true. And the trains they match come with the same bogie frames too, often in different color matching the trailer bogies. This means the cost for Tomix is negligable, since they don't need new forms, but anyone who buys a motor will get a few frames without buying a train collection set just for the frames. On the other hand, many times the right sideframes for a certain set are not included with the motor. The usual assembly method is to use the sideframes from the train set and put away the ones included with the motor. Extra sideframes are not really needed, except if you want to motorise more than one car in a set or you want to motorise something other than the sets they are meant to and those kits didn't come with Tomytec compatible sideframes or the previous owner of a used Tomytec set managed to loose the sideframes. This is an extra Tomix could get rid of, but it costs so little and so helpful for kit builders, that it would be bad business to leave them out. Some older sets did need them though, since at the start, Tomix didn't include the sideframes with the train cars themselves, but lately this has become the norm.

 

ps: I start to understand that many people who assemble Tomytec kits don't know which sideframe is the good one (answer=the ones you got with your train and not the ones in the motor kit) or don't know the end pieces are meant to be used to keep the shell from sliding around or the couplers can be adjusted in length. Suprisingly most people never heard that the Tomytec trains support Tomix close couplers, so i see many home made hacks on the net, even ones based on the rigid long couplers the cars come by default or trying to hack on other brands. The assembly instructions are not really helpful for people not speaking Japanese, but the sets themselves are pretty logical and easy to assemble once you figure out what goes where and how and which extra parts are needed.

[cteno4]

Yes it's wise of them to err on the side of extras rather than folks have issues, as you said it costs them little to do this. I have quite a box of all the extras and a couple of times it's come in handy. I don't read Japanese but can usually discern what parts to use or can easily figure it out by measuring parts out to fit the shell. I've been meaning to get a set of tn close couplers and start converting some of my 2-4 car sets. Nice as not horridly expensive to with the smaller car sets. I did do one with the cheap tomix couplers into the rapido box (been fiddling with them for Btrain shorty conversion) and worked decently, but not as nice as the tn couplers or as pretty or as close.

 

Jeff

[katoftw]

One of my trains did not come with bogie covers in the box.  The motor unit did have the bogie cover.  2 other trains did come with the bogie covers.

 

I think it is nice having the spares.  If you are attaching them with friction, then maybe they might fall of sometime.  Or as discussed in the Railway Collection thread.  You may share motor units across various trains, and you may loose the bogie covers in the process.

 

For what those blow molded covers cost to make, i'm guessing at 5-15 yen a pop, we ain't gonna see much savings.  Then Tomytec would have to run a spare parts warehouse, and then they pay for storing the spare parts, and need parts numbers for all the bits and pieces.  All that costs money.  They way they do it now is to give you some extras, and make the buyer/owner the warehouse.

[Densha]

Moved some posts from the Tomix releases topic to here so we have all talk about the spare parts etc. together at one place.

[katoftw]

Will a microtrains 33" wheel fits the 6211F? Their 100 pcs per pack wheel is insanely economical.

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10228682

 

maybe?

[HantuBlauLOL]

750yen for 8 metal wheels? Sounds great..

[Densha]

Considering that after the release of yet more Keihan trains this summer I will own 16 Tomytec cars with 15m length, I also feel like I'm in need of a good storage solution.

I found this official storage case, which looks perfect for the job but it unfortunately not available anywhere anymore: http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10205603 (On the other hand, they're quite expensive considering I need two of them...)

 

Does anyone know if they sell the plastic cases and non-precut foam separately? I they would, I could just cut the foam to fit in the trains...

[katoftw]

Vol 17 and Vol 5 cases would be perfect for Otsu trains.

 

I think I'm gonna just get a Casco case and/or insert I linked to earlier.  I have have a few varying lengths and the Otsu 603, 604, 609 and 610 all come in those individual single plastics.

[Densha]

Yes they would, if they were not sold out everywhere. :P

 

You mean this one? http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10296600

Looking at the pictures and trying to read the Japanese on the pamphlet thingy I actually think that it includes spacers for 16m long cars. That's just a small difference to 15m so it probably won't be much of a problem.

But does it include the plastic case or not? It looks like it only includes the foam stuff.

Edited March 20, 2015 by Densha

[katoftw]

That is just the foam in that link, but you can get it with the case also.  1620 yen from memory.

[Densha]

Ahh this one?

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10296609

[katoftw]

Yes.  They come in 12 and 16 car sizes also if you wish bigger.

[kvp]

Does anyone know how to use these boxes if your cars have pantographs but no big cooling unit on top that could protect them? Without a cutout for the pantographs or any spacers and with the non horizontal alignement, the cars could stand permanently on their pantographs.

[HantuBlauLOL]

Place a dish washing sponge between the roof and the foam case. Cut to fit it..

[JR 500系]

Alternatively, you can use the extra urethane you get from purchasing spare cases to cut them into the gap required and glue/ paste them in place. A much harder material and will look nicer with the rest of the urethane.

[kvp]

Good ideas. But i still wonder if there are off the shelf inlays that have the right cutouts for 20 meter cars and don't need any modifications?

[HantuBlauLOL]

perhaps no, because pantographs usually could be retracted..

[kvp]

perhaps no, because pantographs usually could be retracted..

But usually not below the roof level, so the pantographs are still above the roof even while down, except when the AC unit is taller. For older cars, there is nothing higher than the closed pantographs. This is why a small space is needed for them so they don't get torn off or crushed during transportation.

 

 

Most of my dedicated Tomix cases for older trains do have these cutouts (, but i can't find general use ones that do or have the material thickness between two cars to add it by hand.

Edited March 20, 2015 by kvp

[cteno4]

A jewelers coping saw (or even better a scroll saw) with a fine round rasp blade is the tool to cut your own inserts. Cuts the foam rubber like butter. Just cut your pattern for the car out in cardboard and pin it in place with a coule of pins. This makes an easy guide to cut around. We use to make a lot of these kinds of foam inserts for field electronic and video equipment for our pelican cases. We tried every way we could and just cutting 1/2" layers out with the scroll saw worked the best. Came out with really nice looking inserts that really worked and lasted.

 

Fabric stores usually sell some foam rubber that can work in train cases.

 

Jeff

[katoftw]

you just use the foam from the inserts that is removed to put the trains in.  no need to go buy extra foam.

[katoftw]

I found something interesting in regards to the Kumamoto EFwing bogies discussion ealrier..

 

 

The bogies included with the motor unit are not the 3 bogies that come with the Konan Tetsudo cars.

 

So I guess the car set has the correct bogie outers/covers included like the above set.  Hopefully a extra set for spares.

 

But this Konan Tetsudo with it's recycled cars from other railways has me interested.  Like like Kumamoto Electric buying up old stock and reusing it, this Konan Railway does the same.  But that is another convo for another time in another thread.

Edited March 20, 2015 by katoftw

[Mudkip Orange]

If you buy more than a couple Casco cases, you will acquire a plethora of surplus urethane. An exacto knife is all you need to make a custom piece.

[Densha]

But I don't own any extra cases. The only cases I have are those that came with my micro ace trains and those are used to store those trains of course.

[katoftw]

You don't need extra cases.  The inserts are way more than you'll ever need to cut up.

[Densha]

Okay I think I lost you guys somewhere along the line... what do you mean by "inserts"?