What did you order or the post deliver? (Japanese N Gauge)

[beakaboy]

Had a good week. went to a model railway show on the 12th Oct about 1 hour by car from home. Scored an early  Kato DD51 for $5 and a Kato  US Rock Island livery U30C for $10 . The DD51 has worn gears in the bogies and U30C has a broken gear case on the rear bogie. My mate in Auckland has a complete DD51 in pieces for me and a couple of U30C bogies. He has left it up to me how much to pay him. I also scored a brand new old model Kato EF58 for $50 . Runs beautifully! I also ordered some second-hand freight wagons from the owner of Model Trains Plus .These were on his blog before he set up the shop. 31 wagons in total. 6 days to arrive to my  rural address. photos attached.

[John k]

Broken gears?   Wow.....for years my N-trak buddies and i felt 'you couldnt kill a KATO"....until we found one that was killed.....by cat hairs all over the gear boxes until the motor seized up and fried.....but the guy who bought it replaced the motor, cleaned out the gearboxes of all the hair, and that U30C went on to serve many more years until he passed away.....

 

(and my Ex- wonders why i wouldnt want cats if we did get back together   :help: !

[macdon]

Mardon,

 

they look great! i have been tempted but have a load of trucks already!!! great being able to have one on the roadside broken down and the cab popped up!

 

jeff

Yup! ....... and here comes a tomytec moving bus that steers clear from the broken truck and comes back in to its lane :D

 

Mardon

[cteno4]

Penguin E2 Shinkansen showed up this morning! Really much more stunning in person than in pictures. I find this with scale stuff at times, some look better in person others in pictures. This one is better in person. I think it's the size of the art. Not huge like some painted trains that scream from the other side of the room, but at 3 feet they are just big enough to see and draw you in for a closer look and there is a wide variety of them so it hold your attention to keep looking. This does not come off in a small photo. So will be a great addition to the painted train collection (as well as the Shinkansen collection) and I'm glad I got it. Kudos (or curses) to nariichi for tempting me with it! It does now take the spot for my most expensive train! Picts next weekend when I debut at the train show.

 

Cheers

 

Jeff

Edited October 19, 2013 by cteno4

[John k]

Penguin E2 Shinkansen showed up this morning! Really much more stunning in person than in pictures. I find this with scale stuff at times, some look better in person others in pictures. This one is better in person. I think it's the size of the art. Not huge like some painted trains that scream from the other side of the room, but at 3 feet they are just big enough to see and draw you in for a closer look and there is a wide variety of them so it hold your attention to keep looking. This does not come off in a small photo. So will be a great addition to the painted train collection (as well as the Shinkansen collection) and I'm glad I got it. Kudos (or curses) to nariichi for tempting me with it! It does now take the spot for my most expensive train! Picts next weekend when I debut at the train show.

 

Cheers

 

Jeff

Congratulations, Jeff,  that is a GORGEOUS looking set, and what does make it better is that it is understated compared to the local commuter painteds (I still like 'em too, but there is an elegance about the Penguin E2 that cant be denied)....if i had to part with my painted trains, that would be one of the last i would part with (yes, i would cling to it until the bitter end!)

 

And i guarantee based upon my own experience, that train WILL get attention, especially from the kids (the future lifeblood of our hobby if we can catch them early enough before Xbox and Playstation corrupts them!)

[katoftw]

PlazaJapan is a nice store to get stuff from, but there are cheaper alternatives around like HS or loco1 that does international shipping too. Prices are alot more competitive than PlazaJapan's prices. Popondetta also does international shipping, but prices are around that of HS, perhaps just 5-10% lower, and some Japanese Language is often required to read descriptions, but they do have a USED train section which i adore~  By far, loco1 prices are the best around. Do check out the suppliers section for more details ~ 

thanks for the hint.  i did check loco1s website and it has very little in terms of range available.  i didn't find one item i wanted to buy.  have you had this issue also?  to do you contact them for the item you want?

 

also gave hobby search a go thru their checkout system.  on a kato 500 series shinkansen, is was $5USD cheaper for the 4 car basic set including shipping costs.

 

but if i added something like a turnout extension cord etc, then plazajapan was cheaper for packaging multiple items.  hobby search seem to stock all the add ons that plaza japan do not.

 

as of now, i'll probably sick to PJ for track and basic sets, and use HS for add on sets.

Edited October 20, 2013 by katoftw

[katoftw]

A EH500 works out $50AUD cheaper thru HS than any other option on ebay.  Thanks for the tip again.

[JR 500系]

Penguin E2 Shinkansen showed up this morning! Really much more stunning in person than in pictures. 

 

Cheers

 

Jeff

 

Congrats Jeff! That is ONE BEAUTIFUL train! I couldn't bear bitting the bullet, not after the recent wave of purchases. Glad it found a great home! Can't wait for the pictures/ videos man! 

 

thanks for the hint.  i did check loco1s website and it has very little in terms of range available.  i didn't find one item i wanted to buy.  have you had this issue also?  to do you contact them for the item you want?

 

also gave hobby search a go thru their checkout system.  on a kato 500 series shinkansen, is was $5USD cheaper for the 4 car basic set including shipping costs.

 

but if i added something like a turnout extension cord etc, then plazajapan was cheaper for packaging multiple items.  hobby search seem to stock all the add ons that plaza japan do not.

 

as of now, i'll probably sick to PJ for track and basic sets, and use HS for add on sets.

 

Hi no worries man ~ Although i don't think it's appropriate to discuss this here as it might be the wrong thread to do so, but actually loco1 has everything (well almost everything) that PJ has to offer. Just drop Keitaro san a private message or email him what you need and he might be able to get it for you.

 

HS remains a very good option for its extensive data base and good shipping options, though they may run out of stock very fast as their shop is popular so the more popular items are gone fast, hence it's good to reserve/ pre-order with them to secure your items. They do have a 'Non-cancellation' policy so you might wanna confirm on the items before pre-ordering them. 

 

PJ is good for packing multiple items? Sorry i beg to differ on this one. In fact, i found that PJ did the worst in terms of combining orders as the combined shipping adds up really quickly, plus i guess they didn't offer you the cheapest and most feasible option available. I had an instance whereby i ordered about 37000yen of items from PJ, and the shipping came to about US$85. I tried ordering about the same number of items that are about the same weight from loco1 and the shipping was only about US$50. Loco1 splitting up the orders just nicely to fit into two AIR parcel boxes, where PJ did the same in 5 SAL boxes, where 1 box had only 1 item and alot of air in it. Loco1 also provided the option of removing unwanted items from your order too like boxes and such to reduce your shipping weight so that is also a good choice and good customer service; where HS and PJ would not do for you. 

 

sorry for the long message and any mods feel free to move this to the 'Supplier' thread thanks! 

[Martijn Meerts]

Just ordered 3 more ESU Switchpilot Servo/Switchpilot Extensions, as well as 7 servo's, which means I can almost finish my first hidden yard. Still need 4 servo's after this, but they only had 7 in stock ;)   (I know I can order them elsewhere, and cheaper, but the ESU servo's are reliable and come with everything needed to use them for turnouts, including a nice little mounting cage, wire and a special little arm that makes it easy to install the wire)

 

Other than that, I haven't been ordering anything, which is rather annoying. On the upside, my bank account seems to like it that I'm not ordering stuff, and it definitely gives me a good idea of how much I've actually been spending on trains the past years. It's rather scary ..

[JR 500系]

Yes! The postman made me happy again today! Another nice order completed with loco1 ~ Thanks! I simply love my Odakyu 50000 and N700A! And how can any order be complete without some Tomytec buses?

Edited October 22, 2013 by JR500 のぞみ

[JR 500系]

JR500

 

Ok, here is my set....is this the correct configuration for Car 4-5?   or am i misunderstanding the translation?

Sharks! 

 

I seem to be the unlucky one... 

 

Looking at my set that came in today... It's wrong! And now i know how wrong it is! 

 

Looking carefully at car 4, you'll realize that it connects to car 3 and car 5. (duh)... 

 

But if you look carefully, car 6 is in front of car 5! 

 

So, that means it becomes: 3-4-6-5-7 ! 

 

The assembly is wrong, hence Tomix sent out an apology and an explanation of how to set things right. Looks simple enough, simply swap car 4 and car 5 body around. I haven't done that yet, but should be fairly simple... 

 

Or shall i remain it there to add an additional something special to this already very special train??   *cheeky*

Odakyu 50000 swap body 4 & 5.pdf

[bnicolas1987]

Hi,

I hope it won't be too hard to swap those two cars.

 

Else, your new arrival is impressive, I'm lucky that all those trains aren't made in HO...

 

See You.

 

Nicolas

[Densha]

And how can any order be complete without some Tomytec buses?

Oh god. You need even more?

That's your first moving bus set parts right? That's even more dangerous. ;)

[JR 500系]

Hi,

I hope it won't be too hard to swap those two cars.

 

Else, your new arrival is impressive, I'm lucky that all those trains aren't made in HO...

 

See You.

 

Nicolas

 

Hi Nicolas: 

 

Yah i hope so too... Not so sure about Articulated type trains but i guess it's not too bad... Thanks for your kind words! Not to tempt you, but there are some HO scale shinkansens though, like the E5 Hayabusa and the E6 Super Komachi: http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/list/554/0/1  ~ I like the scale and detailing of HO models, but i just don't have the space nor the cash for them...  So i always admire HO collectors ~

 

 

Oh god. You need even more?

That's your first moving bus set parts right? That's even more dangerous. ;)

 

Hi Densha: EErrr.. Like Pokemon would say: 'Gotta catch them all?' Haha ~ 

 

Nope that is, i think, my fifth order of moving bus parts? The first i got was a basic set similar to A1 (Tokyo bus set) WITHOUT the bus itself but the motor was present, and some compatible bodies to go along with it. Next were some road parts, bus stops, buses etc. I got this set again because i really wanted the Hino Tokyo bus in the set (which is VERY expensive whenever it goes up alone for sale in Yahoo Auctions), and i can always do with additional motors, road parts, and bus stops so it's a good value set to get apart from getting them separately. My moving bus layout is still in a mess, as i wanted to lay in buildings first, bury the wires for lighting, and then set the road on top of all these, then complete the other roads and finishes... But time got the better of me.... 

[bnicolas1987]

Hi Nicolas: 

 

Yah i hope so too... Not so sure about Articulated type trains but i guess it's not too bad... Thanks for your kind words! Not to tempt you, but there are some HO scale shinkansens though, like the E5 Hayabusa and the E6 Super Komachi: http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/list/554/0/1  ~ I like the scale and detailing of HO models, but i just don't have the space nor the cash for them...  So i always admire HO collectors ~

 

Hi,

The Endo E5 and E6 are quite a bit expensive, but I think take the Kato E5 in HO, I'm just waiting to se it first. I also hope that Kato will make the E6...

 

See you.

 

Nicolas

[John k]

Sharks! 

 

I seem to be the unlucky one... 

 

Looking at my set that came in today... It's wrong! And now i know how wrong it is! 

 

Looking carefully at car 4, you'll realize that it connects to car 3 and car 5. (duh)... 

 

But if you look carefully, car 6 is in front of car 5! 

 

So, that means it becomes: 3-4-6-5-7 ! 

 

The assembly is wrong, hence Tomix sent out an apology and an explanation of how to set things right. Looks simple enough, simply swap car 4 and car 5 body around. I haven't done that yet, but should be fairly simple... 

 

Or shall i remain it there to add an additional something special to this already very special train??   *cheeky*

Damn, 500, i was hoping you had a correct train as well. Thankfully, it is an easy fix.  

 

As to leaving it as is, why not? Only the rivet-counters among Japanese train fandom would know...the rest of the viewing public wont notice or care!  :dontknow:

 

As Mr Spock would say "A difference that makes no difference is no difference"

[katoftw]

Gave Hobby Search a go.  Ordered a Kato Shinkansen 500 4 car basic set and turnout extension cord.  No extra charge for shipping for the cord.

 

Was hesitant to purchase originally/earlier due to seeing horror stories about not running well on R315 curves online.  But I saw one and had a go at full speed on a R315 curve, a R348 curve, a #6 turnout and a double crossover.  It didn't have any problems that I have read about online.  So happy to hit the cart button.

[JR 500系]

Damn, 500, i was hoping you had a correct train as well. Thankfully, it is an easy fix.  

 

As to leaving it as is, why not? Only the rivet-counters among Japanese train fandom would know...the rest of the viewing public wont notice or care!  :dontknow:

 

As Mr Spock would say "A difference that makes no difference is no difference"

 

Thanks John!

 

Yap probably leaving it that way as you suggested... Don't wanna risk taking out the body and affecting the pre-installed interior lighting in the cars... 

 

Here's a little video i made with my new Odakyu 50000 Romance car, edited with move off sounds ~~ Gotta love that horn! 

 

[linkey]

I've lost count what was the last items that were posted/shipped/delivered to me, that is due to issues with the postal service over here where I am living, but that's another story. The lastest item that came is was the So 80 Crane (w/ chiki 7000) with 2 chiki 7000 wagons (w/ rails).

[Guest keio6000]

Ordered a kato e217 yokosuka line set on yahoo jp. 8 cars (i think), basically new (grade 'a'), jpy 5000 so i think i got a good price. Now is a good time to buy an e217 especially if you are like me and prefer the old darker blue stripe on the livery as you can pick them up apparently from those who just must have the toned down dull blue line.

 

E217 is a decent but unspectacular train that runs the long but boring yokosuka line. For me, it was not high on my lost, but a nice to have now that ive snagged one.

[miyakoji]

E217 is a decent but unspectacular train that runs the long but boring yokosuka line. For me, it was not high on my lost, but a nice to have now that ive snagged one.

When in Kanto I would try to ride these from Kamakura to Chiba or wherever the train was terminating. I agree this ride isn't the most exciting, but it isn't really boring either. Plus, it can be done on the JR East Holiday Pass, which always seemed like a good deal to me.

[Guest keio6000]

When in Kanto I would try to ride these from Kamakura to Chiba or wherever the train was terminating. I agree this ride isn't the most exciting, but it isn't really boring either. Plus, it can be done on the JR East Holiday Pass, which always seemed like a good deal to me.

 

the few times i would have had the option of taking this that i can remember, I took Odakyu.  That said, I have always wanted to go see the Mikasa (togo's flagship) at Yokosuka, so I suppose one of these days...

 

i think the E217 cab end would look a bit more handsome, though also more conservative and typical, if it also had a 'lower' set of lights.

[Guest keio6000]

more recent orders:

 

MicroAce 10-300 Toei Shinjuku line 8-car set.  At first I thought about this only as a 'required buy' to complete my keio line collection, but the more i think about it, I like it.   Unfortunately, the new 10-300 trainsets now being released have a different front-end and I suppose it is unlikely that MA will make a mould just for this.

 

The one I ordered should look like this:

 

 

I also have the (quite rare) Endou 10-000 set.  Would love for MicroAce to do the 'revised cab end' version of that one, and I think a lot of other collectors would too.

 

Also ordered a MicroAce 3000 Inokashira line renewal set from MicroAce (blue).  Joins the Ivory one that I supposedly ordered 6 months ago but have yet to see at any of my addresses (I forget which I had it sent to), so it may be lost (but there is one address left to check and I will be there in November).

 

January not too far away... awaiting the long-delayed Keio 8000 and 9000 releases..

[Keikyu]

 

So what I got today is a motor that is fitted into the left carriage, and the hook coupler on the right carriage so I can use it with my EF66.

[Ochanomizu]

Ordered a kato e217 yokosuka line set on yahoo jp. 8 cars (i think), basically new (grade 'a'), jpy 5000 so i think i got a good price. Now is a good time to buy an e217 especially if you are like me and prefer the old darker blue stripe on the livery as you can pick them up apparently from those who just must have the toned down dull blue line.

 

E217 is a decent but unspectacular train that runs the long but boring yokosuka line. For me, it was not high on my lost, but a nice to have now that ive snagged one.

 

 Hello Mr keio6000,

 

Is it 10-843 based set or 10-495?

 

I have full 15-car consist on Kato 10-843 base set and Tomix 92700.  Both are very fine.