NHK World - Design Talks Plus - Railway Design

[LeeC22]

Aired recently and not the usual subject matter for the Design Talks shows. Quite a lot of discussion with a designer who works on interiors and exteriors of Japanese trains, including actual train design, but there is also an interesting section on model railways that some people might find interesting.

 

Recorded from NHK World in HD and then converted down to 720p

 

Google Drive Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7LFvItVrwd0MDhMd2RZVlFjd28/view?usp=sharing

Edited April 11, 2015 by LeeC22

[katoftw]

Thank you for sharing.  As a JR Kyushu fan I'm very interested already by Eiji Mitooka design work.  And the backstory of the Hara models was beautiful.

[Sascha]

Thanks a lot Lee. I highly appreciate all your uploads. :)  :)  :)  :)

[Ronny]

Thanks a lot Lee for sharing

[kvp]

A really wonderful show. Much more interesting than i original expected it to be.

 

Just two snapshots, that wasn't really talked about in the show, but got me:

 

It's an aerial picture of the newly rebuilt Tokyo station:

 

And an old picture of Nobutaro Hara in Hungary in front of a V43 locomotive:

 

[Sacto1985]

Mitooka-san designed Tama Station and the livery of the train that goes there? I'm impressed.  :)

[splifdfx]

Fascinating episode of Design Talks Plus.

As a designer myself, I found this really exciting and inspiring.

Does someone know if they are good retrospective books, hopefully in english, about Mitooka's works ?

 

Thanks a lot for the upload Lee. Keep them coming !  :love10:

[dabsan]

Great upload Lee, I really enjoyed this show

[LeeC22]

I wish I would have known about all the Japan railway stuff several years ago when I had a brief attempt at building a model railway. I jumped in too far and too deep and ended up selling everything again without ever getting started. I think programmes like this would have inspired me a bit more. I'll just have to hope I get reincarnated as a Japanese model railway fanatic. :D

 

It was an unusual topic for Design Talks and I'm glad I spotted it... even more than that, I'm glad I recorded it and was able to share it.

[cteno4]

Lee,

 

Never too late to give it a second shot!

 

Jeff

[LeeC22]

Jeff,

We all get to a point in life where long term projects are no longer an option, for whatever reason, and building a model railway the way I would like one, would be long term... next time round perhaps.

 

I'm just happy to be able to share these programmes with the people on this forum.

 

Lee

[cteno4]

Lee,

 

Thank you very much for doing that! Maybe just a small bit of untrak and a few smaller trains to run some? Don't have to have a huge layout to have some fun.

 

Jeff

[LeeC22]

I wish it was that simple, but for me, model trains isn't just about the trains running on the track, it's the whole miniature environment. I'm an artist by profession (well, game/software developer as an artist/programmer/designer), so capturing the essence of trains in miniature was what got me interested, even when I was a kid.

 

I had plans to build an N-Gauge layout around the edge of a 9ft x 9ft room, because I knew I would need something that size to satisfy the level of immersion I was after. I wanted to fully computerise the layout so that I could run automated schedules etc... I wanted the layout to exist in its own little world, and for me to be able to sit and watch as that world went about its business. I know some people like to be more hands-on with their trains, I just wanted to watch, to lose myself in the tiny world. I know... over dramatic right?? It's the curse of an artist.

 

I was a victim of my own over-ambition, so when I get the desire to watch now, I simply look for the impressive layouts on YouTube, and sit and watch, and imagine... I kept a single engine from what I bought, just to remind me of what I almost created, and I think I still have the X-Track plan that I can look at... to remind me that I shouldn't bite off more than I can chew. :D

Edited April 16, 2015 by LeeC22

[kvp]

If you ever want to create something in real life, then i would suggest you to make a tiny shelf layout with a few shuttle trains on it. Add some automation and maybe 3 short 1 or 2 car trainsets at a terminus and a tunnel on the other end and you are done. Creating the whole really tiny world would be possible with only a few weeks work. Then can just sit back and watch...

 

Anyway, thanks for sharing these great programs with us!

[dabsan]

Some of the really small layouts and dioramas made by Japanese model railway builders are incredible detailed. Things don't need to be big sometimes smaller is more impressive.

[LeeC22]

I couldn't live with a small layout. The plan I designed (that I've just discovered I no longer have a copy of) had a running length of around 30 feet on the main lines. That was the attraction of N-gauge, the fact that you could create the expanse needed to allow the trains to travel a journey across a landscape, rather than to merely exist in a snapshot location.

 

But anyway, it's an idea that came and went, so no point in dwelling on things that will never happen. Perhaps a virtual railroad is my solution, I've been looking at videos of EEP and it looks quite interesting, especially with all the scripting support. (although excessively expensive for some of the add-ons) If I ever need to watch a real layout, there's always model shows I can go to.

Edited April 16, 2015 by LeeC22

[JR 500系]

Thanks for sharing this Lee san! This one should be interesting to watch...

[Jensen]

Thanks for the video, really interesting and enjoy it!