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

[Melandir]

I have switched to ePacket that usually skip custom, in Italy even if EMS is marked as gift is not belived anymore and you pay import duty and VAT

 

ePacket is 100 Trackable, ony problem is insurance that is 6000 Yen only, so if you use it for trains it's at your risk for the exceeding value is something happen to it,

I don't know if using paypal you have paypal insurance that cover the remaining cost

[NJHA]

Wow you EU guys really get whacked with taxes! I will not complain about shipping rates to the US again. What happens if you get apackage from a private individual rather than a business?

Dave

In Portugal all packages are treated the same in terms of VAT, anything above 22€ may get taxed. In terms of import tax there is a distinction. If it comes from a individual pays import taxes if value is above 45€, if it comes from a business the value raises to 150€. In practice all packages get the 150€ limit applied.

Marking a package as a gift only increases its chance to get verified by customs.

If the package is really a gift, you still have to pay taxes if value is above 22€ (this is to avoid tax evasion, or else everything would be gift)  

Around here, custom officials check the declared values, the invoices and they even open the package if needed, if they don't believe the value they either go online and check for themselves (for ebay stuff) or they ask for the CC slip/paypal slip as a proof of payment. 

If shipping is not stated, they apply their own shipping rates for VAT calculation, usually they estimate shipping worldwide to be 90€. As for currency conversion they use a European community conversion chart.

 

The main issue with the Portuguese customs is the time they take to process a package. They may take from 2 weeks to 2 months. Other than that,a package getting into customs or not is a near random event for SAL/EMS and a 100% certainty for all other private shipping companies.

[macdon]

I got another handheld controller from Ken Stapleton in Canada. 

 

Mardon

 

 

 

[westfalen]

You mean the limit before getting taxed? That's high! US$1000 or AUS$1000? Either way, it's way higher limit than us here... And tax is 7% of total invoice amount including shipping costs, so US$350 for example will need to pay US$24.50 in taxes. Pure easy money for government.

AUS$1000.  The closest I came to getting hit with it was a couple of years ago when I was converting my fleet of old Atlas GP7s and 9s to the newer mechanism and made the potential mistake of doing it all in one go by ordering several locos and sound decoders from a U.S. dealer, there was no invoice in the box so customs held it pending payment of the 10% GST. When I emailed them a copy of the invoice with the US price on it and a link to the cash conversion rates on the day I was charged to show it came out to about $70 under the limit they relented and the package was at my post office the next day.

 

Other than that the price on the dealers website plus postage is all we pay.

[cteno4]

Luckily we can go crazy ordering from trains from Japan in the US, no tariffs on toys from us to Japan. Now if we try to bring over linear accelerator pars then there is a tariff!

 

Jeff

[katoftw]

Hayato no Kaze turned up today.  Another MircoAce I hade to semi rebuild as the lights on the Kiha140 car didn't work and the interior if the unit was all loose.

 

I should've paid more attention to the pictures also.  It's not the greatest model.  some bogies are grey, some black.  Some roofs are grey, some are black.  Car cars are navy, not black.  Not 100% happy with the way the model is represented compared to the real life version.

Edited March 20, 2014 by katoftw

[JR 500系]

Hayato no Kaze turned up today.  Another MircoAce I hade to semi rebuild as the lights on the Kiha140 car didn't work and the interior if the unit was all loose.

 

I should've paid more attention to the pictures also.  It's not the greatest model.  some bogies are grey, some black.  Some roofs are grey, some are black.  Car cars are navy, not black.  Not 100% happy with the way the model is represented compared to the real life version.

 

Oh man.. That's quite sad. Perhaps it was the first version (or is there such a version?) that featured Navy blue? I don't think the modellers would be so wrong about the entire colour of the train? That's so un-cool... Judging from the pictures of the model on HS it looks really like you describled, some couplers are black, some are grey, and the train is indeed in Navy Blue.

 

Perhaps we can see a re-release by MA, following the Isaburo-Shinpei so that MA gets the colour right this time?

[Martijn Meerts]

I think this might already have been re-released.. I've had the train for quite some time now, but kept it mainly in the box. Interestingly, one of the reasons I ordered it was because of the color. Haven't actually noticed anything about the bogies, but again, I haven't really inspected it much either.

 

Doing a quick google image search does bring up some pictures that show the train isn't 100% black, and some pictures show it more blue than black, so fair chance it's been a dark navy blue at some point in time.

[NJHA]

The loco1hobby package arrived today. 1 full month to arrive. 

 

Package contents: 

 

V6 pack + track elements to make the outer loop of my plan.

 

Now i have: 

1 power pack, the track, the add on for the nex train... but no motorized trains yet! Argh... now i will check tracking everyday and despair with the time the customs will take in processing the final package from this lot. 

[katoftw]

Oh man.. That's quite sad. Perhaps it was the first version (or is there such a version?) that featured Navy blue? I don't think the modellers would be so wrong about the entire colour of the train? That's so un-cool... Judging from the pictures of the model on HS it looks really like you describled, some couplers are black, some are grey, and the train is indeed in Navy Blue.

 

Perhaps we can see a re-release by MA, following the Isaburo-Shinpei so that MA gets the colour right this time?

 

 

I think this might already have been re-released.. I've had the train for quite some time now, but kept it mainly in the box. Interestingly, one of the reasons I ordered it was because of the color. Haven't actually noticed anything about the bogies, but again, I haven't really inspected it much either.

 

Doing a quick google image search does bring up some pictures that show the train isn't 100% black, and some pictures show it more blue than black, so fair chance it's been a dark navy blue at some point in time.

Yeah I think this is the case.  The train is black now, but its earlier years it might not have been.  So it is as you said probably modelled of a older real life version.

 

My 2 week old Ibusuki no Tamatebako is spot on colour wise.  Only 2 cars, but that is fine, as the 3rd car is only used in peak holiday periods.

 

I also have the Isaburo & Shinpei on pre-order, so hopefully it's all good.

Edited March 20, 2014 by katoftw

[marknewton]

You mean the limit before getting taxed? That's high! US$1000 or AUS$1000? Either way, it's way higher limit than us here...

 

At present the threshold for paying GST - Goods and Services Tax - is AUD$1,000. But the Australian retail industry is lobbying hard to have the threshold reduced to as little as AUD$20. They hope that people will be discouraged from buying from overseas via the internet if GST is applied to low value imports. Or to put it another way, they'd like the government to punish people who refuse to be ripped off by Australian retailers.

 

As far as I'm concerned it's bullshit. At the moment the only stuff I buy overseas is model railway related - I only buy things I cannot possibly get locally. If the GST threshold is reduced at the behest of the retailers, I'll go out of my way to buy as many everyday items as I can from overseas just to spite the local rip-off merchants.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[westfalen]

Even with 10% added a lot of things will still be cheaper than buying locally, and some of the stuff we get from overseas, especially some of the more obscure Japanese stuff, local retailers would not be able to get or have never heard of in the first place.  I can almost fly to Japan and buy trains at no-discount list price over the counter at somewhere like Yodabashi Camera and still get them cheaper.

[JR 500系]

Well, at least some of you can find models at your place, although at extrovert prices, but you can at least see and perhaps feel the box. I can't find a single N scale model here... But i'm not complaining now as I my GST is minimal compared to you guys.

 

Then of course, if I could wait, I could STOP ordering altogether until my trip next year and bring back a truck load myself but that's impossible as we all know ¬¬  :) 

[JR 500系]

EMS is amazing!

 

Order completed on Thursday evening, received invoice on Friday evening, and paid. (Friday is a Public Holiday in Japan - Spring Observation day). Parcel was sent out on Sat and tracking number received. Item ALREADY LEFT Japan on Saturday evening. Arrived in Singapore on Sunday but no one was working so... The next thing was the box sitting on my sofa when I came home from work in the afternoon! Means to say the parcel was delivered to my door step in Monday morning!So how amazing is that!

 

Kudos to F-Models Motoko Ahn san that worked even during a holiday and their prompt and professional service in sending out the parcel. Credits to the people at the post office both Japan and here for clearing and sending the parcel so quickly!!

 

Enjoy the pictures!

 

Got for myself a ton of illumi lights for lighting up all my Tomix/ MicroAce models (wished they made these for Kato too...) They're almost fool-proof to install, looks really really good and cheaper than the original for about 20%.

 

A foam to convert my 209-500 series Sobu Line to store 8-cars into a single box, and Some storage cases for my buses and trucks. Love all of them in neat boxes!

 

 

 

 

[lurkingknight]

I love ems.. I usually go that option when the difference is less than 1000y on a reasonable sized order. Record for me was 3 business days from japan to ottawa. That's insanity.

[Mauka]

Setup a temporary layout using elements of Kato sets V11, V16, and V12.  Also received my first Tomix - basic Dr. Yellow set.  

 

My other trains are all Kato. I found the Tomix more difficult to couple together (but the electrical connection between units is a plus) and it seemed a little louder at speed - but nice overall.  I'd like to get the 4-car add on set but they are hard to find. 

 

This was my first elevated track and I experienced many derailments, not really sure why - I think the grade is a little steep using the Kato piers.  The trains scrape a bit at the joint between the straight leading to the bridge.  Alan

 

Edited March 26, 2014 by Mauka

[cteno4]

Maruka,

 

Yeah some Shinkansens don't like to come out of a curve into a bridge. E1 will hit the top corner curved braces. ALS they don't like the transition for flat to grade. This usually ends up right at a track joint and causes wheels to jump and derail later. Also does look like a 4-5% grade there which is a bit tough for Shinkansens.

 

Looks like you are starting to have fun! Keep fiddling you will start finding what works and doesn't for you quickly. Kato unitrak is great for that!

 

Jeff

Edited March 27, 2014 by cteno4

[JR 500系]

  

My other trains are all Kato. I found the Tomix more difficult to couple together (but the electrical connection between units is a plus) and it seemed a little louder at speed - but nice overall.  I'd like to get the 4-car add on set but they are hard to find. 

 

This was my first elevated track and I experienced many derailments, not really sure why - I think the grade is a little steep using the Kato piers.  The trains scrape a bit at the joint between the straight leading to the bridge.  Alan

 

 

Nice Alan! Glad you're having fun!

 

Firstly, I personally find Tomix easier to couple, especially with the hook and ring type coupler. The electrical coupling system is also way superior as it ensures current in all carriages meaning interior lights flicker far lesser. I checked my Tomix N700 and Kato 700 series and I simply love the N700 more simply because I love the electrical coupling system and find it easy to couple and detach (uncouple) the hook and ring. The Kato couplers are tighter and do look much better sometimes when coupled together, but I find them much harder to uncouple. Kato E2 connects using the diaphragm gangway instead, and that's quite cool so you'll have a connected diaphragm gangway inbetween carriages which are in a way nicer.

 

Secondly, I find Tomix motor running quieter than Kato. I don't know why, but all of my E-series (E2, E3, E4, E5) kinda runs with more noise than my other Tomix trains, especially the E4. I love the MicroAce motors even better as my 485 series Zipangu and Irodori runs so quietly and smoothly.

 

Lastly, perhaps you can check if the curves are minimum R315? Shinkansens usually require a minimum radius of R315 as their carriages are much longer than normal trains, although some known to have sped through R284.

 

Apologizes for making these sound like yet another endless comparison between the two major brands, but personally i'm all hands up for Tomix and MicroAce as compared with Kato, unless Kato makes some models which I really like that Tomix doesn't, like the E351 Super Azusa, E651 Super Hitachi and E655 Nagomi.

 

Have fun!

[Melandir]

I won this set on Ebay in UK a couple of weeks ago for a good price, it was in very good shape but without the loco of the set,

 

I'll need an EF66 for it :D

 

http://www.katomodels.com/product/nmi/good_bye_asakaze.shtml

 

what the seller forgot to mention in the item description was that all the coaches had kato LED interior light kit installed :)

 

It was a nice suprise for me today once I got the package and inspected the coaches,

now lights flicker a lot (oxide is present, train looks unused since some time), but I think that after an hour run it should stabilize

 

anyone know a good product to remove oxide?

 

thanks

Edited March 27, 2014 by Melandir

[Fenway Park]

Awaiting Giesl fitted D51 and Kato DD16. DE10 and two C57s to come. 

 

I am with Nick Burman awaiting news of the Tramway C11

[katoftw]

DE10 - cold or warm region?

[macdon]

Got another box from MTP today. Looking forward to a great weekend!

 

 

Mardon

[Mauka]

Aloha Mardon,

 

That's quite a large catch - a fun weekend for sure!

Do you have a permanent layout, and what is that control device in the plastic bag in tne upper right of the photo?

 

Alan

[macdon]

Aloha Mardon,

 

That's quite a large catch - a fun weekend for sure!

Do you have a permanent layout, and what is that control device in the plastic bag in tne upper right of the photo?

 

Alan

 

 

Aloha Alan,

 

Im currently developing 3 personal layouts:

 

http://www.jnsforum.com/community/topic/7963-my-shinkansen-layout-project/

http://www.jnsforum.com/community/topic/8363-mountain-layout-project/

http://www.jnsforum.com/community/topic/7219-simple-round-layout/

http://www.jnsforum.com/community/topic/7895-byodo-in-360/

 

My focus right now is with the shinkansen layout. 

The handheld controller is from here:

 

http://www3.sympatico.ca/kstapleton3/Index.html

 

Mardon

[katoftw]

TOMIX 93131D - JR Container Wagon Type KOKI107 (with 50 year anniversary container)

Popondetta 8501 - 31ft. Private Owner Container Type U51A-39500 (MAZDA)

Tomix 3141 - Type U18A Private Owned Container (Coca Cola)

 

Ordered from MTP.  Yes they have the Coca Cola containers.  And the 50th year Koki can be added to the 5 I already have.  Only 4 more to find now til I have the full 10.

Edited March 29, 2014 by katoftw