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

[katoftw]

EH200, EH500 R249 curve and 3x 5' containers arrived yesterday.

[JR 500系]

As much as I tried to avoid it.. I'm buying Shinkansen again..

 

Thank you ModelTrainPlus

 

image.jpg

 

Ahah! So Krackel you were the one who bought the Omiya special E3 Komachi from MTP! I was wondering why there was an Omiya special E3 doing in MTP online shop. It's a very beautiful and special train, but I felt it was too expensive for my wallet. Congrats!

[cteno4]

A 700t 12 car showed up today! But unfortunately its headed to a friend down under so I only get to look at it!

 

Jeff

[linkey]

I have no issues of having the tomytec motor for my Kumamoto 9700 tram, the low power pick-up is better than the KATO motor,

Anyway I have the E7 Shinkansen arrived a few days ago (after Easter) and 2 DE10 (1 Warm region and 1 Cold Region DE10) to join my diesel fleet.

So I now have 3 DE10s and 3 DD51s.

Don't get me started on listing out how many Shinkansens I have lol.

[Keikyu]

I ordered one of these from PlazaJapan.

 

[Martijn Meerts]

My E7 is still in customs, I guess someone there is into Japanese trains ;)

 

My Dutch 'Hondekop' train got shipped today though, so that one should arrive tomorrow.

[cteno4]

They probably have a loop of track there to try them out. I mean they need to do a thorough inspection to make sure its a real, functional model train (and have some fun on break)

 

Jeff

[Martijn Meerts]

Well, last saturday both the Hondekop and the E7 arrived. E7 looks really shiny, and also really silly on tight curves, but tight curves were all I had to give it a quick test run. Haven't had time to look at adding decoders to it, but it'll require 4 of them considering it has 2 motor cars.

 

The Hondekop surprised me in a good way. The entire frame is actually metal, which I wasn't expecting at all. Installing a decode is also straightforward considered it uses a plug. Problem is just, the plug it uses wasn't designed for N-scale, so there's not many N-scale decoders available with the plug they use, apart from sound decoders. I ended up soldering a plug to a lokpilot decoder I had, which works except for the fact that I can't turn on the interior lighting. Piko (the brand that manufactures the train) does have their own decoder, but it's terrible expensive and very limited in functionality, so I ordered a decoder from a brand I haven't tried before, but which is supposed to be quite decent. It's cheaper than the Piko decoder, and has way more functions on it.

 

The only problem with the Hondekop is that it's only a 2 part train, and there are no additional cars for it. Only way to extend it is to hook up a 2nd set, but they're too expensive for that. A shame really, considering they usually ran as 4-car sets up until they end when they started running as 2 car sets.

[JR 500系]

Haven't been posting for a while due to work commitments, but recently received a small package from FModels.

 

Loved the illumi lights! The Irodori looks BEST in the warm lighting! By the way, the Irodori is really detailed even on the interior as the seating arrangements, the private section rooms and even the toilet bowl can be seen! Only complain is the front (and rear) LED window lights are REALLY strong and kinda overwhelm the entire train....

[miyakoji]

Is that last one the smoking car? No kidding, one night (this was a few years before they did away with smoking cars) I saw a Yakumo arriving at Okayama, one of the cars had distinctly yellow windows, all the others were fairly clear. I've always assumed it was the smoking car.

[200系]

Martijn,

 

 

The only problem with the Hondekop is that it's only a 2 part train, and there are no additional cars for it. Only way to extend it is to hook up a 2nd set, but they're too expensive for that.

 

Well this isn't really a problem as this is prototypical. Mat'54 was ordered in both four and two car versions, with the 4 car formations using ELD4 700 series numbering (711~786 with a few numbers missing) and the 2 car formations being placed in the ELD2 300 series (321~393 again missing a few numbers). Between 1956 and 1962 a total of 73 four car sets and 68 two car sets where delivered. The 4 car sets where intended for the higher volume routes, while the 2 car sets where mainly intended to provide extra cappacity to the 4 car sets (when couppled together), but they where also used as single sets or coupled to another 2 car set.

Though part of the same general class (Mat'54, or 1954 stock) the layout of the individual cars was different between the 2 car sets and the 4 car sets, and unlike the Japanese practise they remained as fixed sets for their entire life (excluding car swamps due to accidents, but even then a suitable car from the same sub-series was used), which was the normal practise for the Dutch streamlined EMU classes (Mat'35/36/40/46 and 54) and later classes, I.E. Mat'40 was divided between the ELD5 800 series (5 car sets, 801~825) and the ELD2 300 series (2 car sets, 301~315) while Mat'46 was divided between the ELD4 600 series (4 car sets, 641~705) and ELD2 200 series (2 car sets, 221~299) all examples use different cars between the classes.

 

A 4 car Mat'54 train would consist of the following cars: Bk-B-A-BDk*

While a 2 car Mat'54 train used the following  make-up: Bk-ABDk* (unlike the Bk used on the 711 series, the Bk of the 321 series had no pantographs and a slightly different layout).

 

 

A shame really, considering they usually ran as 4-car sets up until they end when they started running as 2 car sets.

 

Both the 2 and 4 car sets ran together untill their retirement (oktober 1993 for the "asbest" sets, and January 1996 for the "glaswol" sets) though the 5 sets that survived untill 1996 where all 4 car "coach" sets (part of the 38 four car sets rebuilt for intercity services in the 1970's and 1980's as part of the Dutch railways "Spoorslag70" restructuring) with the last 2 car set retired in June 1995. No 4 car set was ever shortened to form a 2 car set.

 

The Piko model you just bought is part of the 321~365 sub-series of Mat'54, delivered between 1956 and 1958 and part of the original order (Plan F/G/M) as such recognisable by the original 2 sided passenger windows and streamlined pantograph covers (simmilar to previous streamlined EMU classes, the 1962 built 2 car sets (Plan Q) featured sliding windows and simple pantograph struts as opposed to the covers). This class recieved their "new" yellow livery between 1968 and 1980 which replaced the old green color. The oldest sub-series of Mat'54 (711~758 and 321~365) contained significant amounts of asbestos (same for all 1950's built Dutch railways classes I.E. the Plan E coaches) and with the growing awareness about asbestos in the late 1980's and early 1990's it was decided to retire these sub-series in 1993 at the latest. In Oktober 1993 the remaining sets of these sub-types where retired and they where effectively banned from service from that point on, all where scrapped between 1993 and 1994.

The later sub-series (761~786 and 371~393) didn't contain as much asbestos as their older sisters, and they where retired between 1995 and January 1996, with one 4 car set and one 2 car set preserved.

 

My appologies for the long (off-topic) post on a non-Japanese train series, but I hope it helps. :)

 

 

* NS train designations (for streamlined classes: Mat'35~64)

 

A = 1st class

B = 2nd class

C = 3rd class (before the 1956 class revision -> 3rd class became 2nd class, 2nd class became 1st class after 1956)

D = Baggage/cargo compartement

k = End car

ELD = EMU with Baggage/cargo compartement

 

ie. an ABDk would be a mixed 1st/2nd class end car with a baggage compartement

Edited May 8, 2014 by 200系

[Mudkip Orange]

Just arrived from HS: A bunch of Tomytec motors, a few more buildings, and some Casco cases.

 

On order from Fmodels: The ex-Keihan 8030s (Oigawa and Toyama Chiho verisons), two copies of the Tama Densha, and a Keihan 600 in Tetsudou Musume wrapping. Gonna be a kawaii-ass shipment...

[Martijn Meerts]

Hmm.. Maybe the 2 car sets hardly ever made it down to where I live.. I remember taking them from Venlo to Eindhoven, and they were always the 4 car versions. It might also be I remember wrong of course ;) Either way, it's a lovely model and runs really well, I've just always thought they look a bit weird as 2 car sets.

 

I still very regularly take the similar Mat64 to work when I don't feel like taking the intercity, which is often because they're those VIRM double deckers which aren't comfortable when you want to get a little work done. In recent months they've also been really filthy on the inside, like they're not being cleaned anymore at all. The old Mat64 on the other hand has tons of space, isn't used by all the students who think they're the center of the universe, and they're more comfortable too :)

[Mudkip Orange]

single car packaging actually IS something u find on a few of older Kato Products

 

Waay back in the day, Kato was selling single-car Yamanote E231 stock. I had contemplated assembling a fictitious train of almost entirely six-door cars, but never did.

[Densha]

It's like Sander is an inexhaustible source for numbers and train configurations wherever they're from... ;)

 

Hmm.. Maybe the 2 car sets hardly ever made it down to where I live.. I remember taking them from Venlo to Eindhoven, and they were always the 4 car versions. It might also be I remember wrong of course ;) Either way, it's a lovely model and runs really well, I've just always thought they look a bit weird as 2 car sets.

Looks like they did, at least in longer configurations:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/25717227@N03/4998045115

https://www.flickr.com/photos/25717227@N03/8014434771

 

I still very regularly take the similar Mat64 to work when I don't feel like taking the intercity, which is often because they're those VIRM double deckers which aren't comfortable when you want to get a little work done. In recent months they've also been really filthy on the inside, like they're not being cleaned anymore at all. The old Mat64 on the other hand has tons of space, isn't used by all the students who think they're the center of the universe, and they're more comfortable too :)

If only those ran up to Eindhoven I would use them too, but if I do I have to change again midway and then another change at Eindhoven. Though considering the horrible adventure in the intercity two weeks back I should choose for this option when the trains are half their length during the rush hour... why didn't I think of this at that time?

[Martijn Meerts]

It's like Sander is an inexhaustible source for numbers and train configurations wherever they're from... ;)

 

Looks like they did, at least in longer configurations:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/25717227@N03/4998045115

https://www.flickr.com/photos/25717227@N03/8014434771

 

If only those ran up to Eindhoven I would use them too, but if I do I have to change again midway and then another change at Eindhoven. Though considering the horrible adventure in the intercity two weeks back I should choose for this option when the trains are half their length during the rush hour... why didn't I think of this at that time?

 

I guess I may just remember wrong.. Although I didn't take the train a lot in the 90s, and I didn't live in the Netherlands for most of the 00s.. I also think the train we used to take from Venlo towards Eindhoven might have been the (4-car) Mat64, although we called that one Hondekop back then as well. I also had several Lima H0 Mat64 models as 4-car configurations, which is another reason I think of them as 4-car consists ;)

 

And yeah, those VIRMs can be terribly at times.. Especially on monday mornings when tons of students migrate to Maastricht. On the other hand, last summer on a very hot day the VIRMs airco failed due to the heat (how ironic ;)) and they replaced them with Mat64 with no airco and windows that opened only about 10cm .. Not the most comfortable ride  ..

[Densha]

Yeah we also call Mat64 Hondekop at home. :P

The strange things I remember from the early '00s were VIRM (with the horrible engine noise they made) and ICM as local trains between the Mat64 and old double deckers. It was always a surprise which train it would be.

 

I also noticed that the windows in Mat64 can't be opened entirely any more. Strange, as you can still do so with SGM and they are of the same type.

 

Lately the toilets in VIRM are also not maintained at all it seems, as there is no flushing water, no paper and soap and no water to wash your hands with. You don't want to know how it's like when you need to use it...

[1954G]

Scored this on eBay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/131179949836?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

An MRC 220 Tech IV power pack for $17 shipped.  It's replacing a Bachmann 6607, which will go on to a peaceful retirement in the attic.  

 

I also received my order of Kato and Tomix buildings from AmiAmi.  They look amazing next to my X-Plus Godzilla.  

 

 

Edited May 8, 2014 by 1954G

[Martijn Meerts]

Nice, new Goji food ;)

[cteno4]

1954 nice godzilla figure! that one looks larger than the usual 12" x plus godzillas! my knockoff guy is about 15" tall and as close as ive been able to get to n scale for original goji. i have the blow moulded parts for a 20" model, but that is going to take some work to paint up, i need to get to it.

 

jeff

[linkey]

Finally ordered and paid for the extra 4 cars from the Kitaguni as I have already had the basic 6 car set from TOMIX. 

Now I have the Orient Express and the E655 Nagomi + Special Vehicle on the list for later payment. (I think I will be having canned spaghetti for this month)  

[1954G]

1954 nice godzilla figure! that one looks larger than the usual 12" x plus godzillas! my knockoff guy is about 15" tall and as close as ive been able to get to n scale for original goji. i have the blow moulded parts for a 20" model, but that is going to take some work to paint up, i need to get to it.

 

jeff

 

I'm glad you liked the X-plus figure.  It's a 12-inch version, but I photographed it next to a slightly undersized Tomix building so that it would look larger.  

 

Aside from its height, the X-plus figure's main disadvantage for diorama use is that it isn't articulated: it was never designed to munch on buses or stomp scenery.  "JRM Goji" is a more versatile display piece in that respect--and you have photos to prove it!  

 

 

Finally ordered and paid for the extra 4 cars from the Kitaguni as I have already had the basic 6 car set from TOMIX. 

 

Now I have the Orient Express and the E655 Nagomi + Special Vehicle on the list for later payment. (I think I will be having canned spaghetti for this month)  

 

 

The E655 is worth a month of pasta, I think.  

[katoftw]

Kato 883 Series Blue Sonic 7 car ordered. :)  Other than a 800 series Shinkansen, I'm done for Kyushu trains.

 

Still waiting for my DE10 plus other bits n bobs to turn up.  Sal is extremely slow at the moment.  3 weeks for my last 2 orders.  But that was over a few holiday periods.  Normally 10 days +/- 2 days.

Edited May 8, 2014 by katoftw

[JR 500系]

Kato 883 Series Blue Sonic 7 car ordered. :)  Other than a 800 series Shinkansen, I'm done for Kyushu trains.

 

Nice ~ Any plans for the Tomix N700-7000 Kumamon Kyushu Shinkansen set?

[Martijn Meerts]

Well, couldn't resist.. Pre-ordered 2 of the Tramway C11s  :)