Tomix, Japanese for "we love springs"?

[Atomsk]

What's a good source for spare Tomix truck-to-body contact springs?

 

I'm afraid I lost one today, and I'm sure it won't be the last.  Every Tomix set I won has dozens of the pesky little things.  I'm sure I'll need a supply of extras with all of the DCC conversions I plan to do.

 

Also, where can I get electric pickups for Tomix trucks?

 

I found out today that my E1 set only has pickups on the end and powered cars.  It looks like the other cars have provisions for mounting pickups like the ones on the end cars, but I need a source for the little brass widgets the connect the axles to the springs.

[railsquid]

One of the Japanese suppliers here should be able to help you.

 

A large supply of springs is definitely essential when working on powered units of all kinds, as the little beggars have a habit of jumping into some kind of spring wormhole. I picked up a random mix of Tomix springs a while back as they looked like they might be useful, and indeed they have been (most recently to replace the spring on the tender hook of the Tomix "James the Red Engine" I picked up the other week).

[E6系]

Hello Mr Atomsk,

 

The collection part for E1 shinkansen is not available as far as I aware.  I guess you have original colour shinkansen E1.  The lighting kit for 92059 was 0786, but it is no longer available.  Is it the part you wanted?  http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10019219

 

The collector shoe is part JS21: http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10009996

 

Tomix Electric Collect Springs: http://www.1999.co.jp/search_e.asp?Typ1_c=104&scope=1&scope2=0&itkey=JS1

 

I list the HobbySearch page for information only.  Although not in stock with the retailer, you will find widely available such as Rakuten, Imon and TamTam.  So, I am sure wholesaler and manufacturer have stock also.

[cteno4]

ive looked around in the past to see if there is some strange thing little springs like this are used for to get a gob of them cheap in a bunch of sizes, but never found a source cheap.

 

they have been an item i will pick a bag up of one in stock i dont have when order something else just to have a selection of them on hand as they do go BING! and gone! I use to do this with driveshafts as we would strip one regularly in the club and nice having selection on hand, but as soon as i got to a good stock ive not had to do one in the last couple of years! murphy's law of having stocked parts!

 

jeff

[railsquid]

In case it's of any interest, here's a Tomix power car I dismantled the other day; certainly no shortage of springs, though these ones are quite stiff and were happy to stay in place:

[miyakoji]

a 169 in Nagano livery?

[railsquid]

Bingo, catalogue number 92444. The drive mechanism was making an annoying noise in one direction, which has gone away after I took it apart and put it back together.

 

Plus points to Tomix for putting arrows on parts to indicate which way they should be reassembled.

[Welshbloke]

Bit of a thread resurrection, but I recently managed to replace some Tomix contact springs by stretching standard coupler springs (left over after fitting tightlock couplers to a few items). They have a slightly smaller diameter but will sit comfortably on the bogie's spring seat. This was for a 211-0 which had suffered badly in the hands of a previous owner and was missing all but one of the springs from the KuMoHa, so the lights didn't work at all.

 

I can find plenty of tiny coil springs but they all seem to be quite a high spring rate, so would tend to lift the vehicle they're fitted to up. The stretched coupler springs are still fairly soft, and the one coach with a mismatched pair on one bogie doesn't lean to one side.

[kvp]

Actually i have a similar problem, since as a gift i got a Tomix DD51 (2211) with a loud spring worm drive, very faint bulb lights, motor turning in the wrong direction and missing all pickup springs (and a weight screw). I fixed the motor by turning it over, but it still needs 4 springs. The coupler springs (the Tomytec ones) seem to be longer and narrower, so i haven't tried to use them. Does anyone know the right part number or a similar, but still available part number that is usable for this set.

 

ps: I know that currently Tomix 2211 is a DE10, but previously the number was used for a JNR DD51.