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

[railsquid]

This Tetsudo Collection "GNR" tram-like thingy from the junk box in Hobbyland Pochi (top):

 

I swear Japan is making up more and more obscure railway companies just to annoy me, it turns out "GNR" is GakuNan Railway (岳南鉄道線),  a short line in Shizuoka. Which to be honest I don't care one hoot about, I only bought this because it came with a TM10 chassis which are all but unobtainable at the moment, which I needed for the previously acquired ex-Marunouchi Choshi Dentetsu Deha 1000-kei (bottom). I'll probably have to do some chopping and gluing to switch the bogie sides over.

 

And for something slightly different, a potted history of N-gauge models in Japan:

 

[kvp]

The only thing i know about the Gakunan is that they were one of the last operators of the classic frog faced Tokyu emus together with the Kumamoto Electric Railway. (i have the Nagano Electric version, but still looking for an original full set in green)

http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/岳南鉄道5000系電車

[railsquid]

The only thing i know about the Gakunan is that they were one of the last operators of the classic frog faced Tokyu emus together with the Kumamoto Electric Railway. (i have the Nagano Electric version, but still looking for an original full set in green)

http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/岳南鉄道5000系電車

 

The green Modemo set goes for around 10,000 yen here. It's on my "would like to have" list but not a priority; until then I make do with the single car parked outside Shibuya station (link works best with the old Google Maps interface).

[Irish Padre]

Just waiting for this!!

[railsquid]

Cool, yo!

[katoftw]

1mm styrene sheets, lol exciting.

[railsquid]

Depends what you do with them.

[katoftw]

Mr EMS dropped of these:-

 

 

Missing bogie covers (and maybe the static stands) on the Express Colour version.  Luckily they come both with the motor unit and trains.  Box were all chopped up.

 

Mrs SAL dropped of this:-

 

 

8 number boards for hoki 800s.  Can never have too much freight.

 

Mr HS went overkill on the packaging:-

 

 

haha

Edited April 13, 2015 by katoftw

[Robert46]

You know why.. Customs, lol.

 

Glad those trains are not gone.

 

 

Btw 1 usd.. WHAT, seriously?

Yes, seller just asked the shipping for EMS at 1usd..

 

Well, I didn't see any reason if customs process was the cause of detached parts, indeed the seal parcel box was opened but no sign the original box was opened.. since all packaging materials were intact, and the Tomix sleeve paper cover are perfect.. Maybe it happened during the handling of shipment unloading, as we know parcels are always thrown out for faster unloading process..

Edited April 13, 2015 by Robert46

[katoftw]

I've had shells removed from chassis, pantographs disassembled, light board separated etc all due to handling.  I suck it up and get assembling.  Just don't drop a 3mm piece on the floor and not find it. haha  Luckily the wife found it 3 days later.

[Robert46]

Hi Katoftw,

 

Wow.. your story is much more scary... I couldn't imagine if that happened to me. Yes, missing tiny piece will give us an instant headache... Instead of enjoying the arrival of new item and be happy, we should deal with that painful job.. LoL

 

I think it'll be better if we can communicate with seller regarding safe packing method to minimize bad impact due to poor handling..

[cteno4]

I just look at this as being part of the hobby when you have to order from overseas. With stuff from japan its been really minimal over the many years and models and all has been pretty easily repairable. Most all the stuff has been shipped in about as safe a packing as you could do and it does not seem to matter if the box really takes a good slam somethings can get knocked loose in the right situation even in the tight foam holders.

 

You will get good at repairing this sort of stuff from the normal wear and tear anyway so this is just a bit more. i am careful to open cases and inspect them carefully before pulling things out and do that slowly just to make sure a small part has not been knocked loose, but really i think thats happened maybe a handful of times over a couple of hundred trains. I've almost lost small parts way way way more times when playing with or working on trains later, so the shipping risk is small compared in the overall hobby.

 

Ive tried to get good whenever i open up train cases to look for stray parts as i pull out trains since i do a lot of train unpacking at shows under sort of crazy conditions. it pays to spend an extra minute while loading a train to look for them and if there are any i have little ziplock i put them in and tuck them into the case to deal with at home and not at the show! even transporting trains to the show they get bumped around some in their cases.

 

I've given up getting too upset over trains breaking and loosing little parts when it finally does happen as its a hobby with lots of tiny parts and fragile stuff -- if that upsets you a lot then its not going to make the hobby very fun in the long run. Luckily you can usually find the spare part of some sort of decent replacement if it bugs you its missing or broken.

 

cheers,

 

jeff

[gerryo]

I received my Tomix Nagano 1000 4 car set this evening.  Surprised that the post delivered at 9:00pm ?

 

This will replace the motor car and one missing car from my Odakyu 10000 HiSE.  Seems a shame to not use the other cars for something.

 

gerryo

[railsquid]

I just look at this as being part of the hobby when you have to order from overseas. With stuff from japan its been really minimal over the many years and models and all has been pretty easily repairable. Most all the stuff has been shipped in about as safe a packing as you could do and it does not seem to matter if the box really takes a good slam somethings can get knocked loose in the right situation even in the tight foam holders.

 

You will get good at repairing this sort of stuff from the normal wear and tear anyway so this is just a bit more. i am careful to open cases and inspect them carefully before pulling things out and do that slowly just to make sure a small part has not been knocked loose, but really i think thats happened maybe a handful of times over a couple of hundred trains. I've almost lost small parts way way way more times when playing with or working on trains later, so the shipping risk is small compared in the overall hobby.

 

Yup... while I'm in Japan and can source Japanese spares easily enough, I also collect British and German models, so am kind of resigned to the fact that Things Will Break and I'll have to live with it or repair myself.

 

Ive tried to get good whenever i open up train cases to look for stray parts as i pull out trains since i do a lot of train unpacking at shows under sort of crazy conditions. it pays to spend an extra minute while loading a train to look for them and if there are any i have little ziplock i put them in and tuck them into the case to deal with at home and not at the show! even transporting trains to the show they get bumped around some in their cases.

 

Little ziplock bags... lots of them. And labels. So you don't forget later. (Mind you I have one bag labelled "mystery bits which I found on the layout".

 

I also got some little plastic box cases (ca. 2x2cm and 2x3cm) in my 100 yen shop which are useful for storing slightly larger parts.

[Robert46]

I just look at this as being part of the hobby when you have to order from overseas. With stuff from japan its been really minimal over the many years and models and all has been pretty easily repairable. Most all the stuff has been shipped in about as safe a packing as you could do and it does not seem to matter if the box really takes a good slam somethings can get knocked loose in the right situation even in the tight foam holders.

 

You will get good at repairing this sort of stuff from the normal wear and tear anyway so this is just a bit more. i am careful to open cases and inspect them carefully before pulling things out and do that slowly just to make sure a small part has not been knocked loose, but really i think thats happened maybe a handful of times over a couple of hundred trains. I've almost lost small parts way way way more times when playing with or working on trains later, so the shipping risk is small compared in the overall hobby.

 

Ive tried to get good whenever i open up train cases to look for stray parts as i pull out trains since i do a lot of train unpacking at shows under sort of crazy conditions. it pays to spend an extra minute while loading a train to look for them and if there are any i have little ziplock i put them in and tuck them into the case to deal with at home and not at the show! even transporting trains to the show they get bumped around some in their cases.

 

I've given up getting too upset over trains breaking and loosing little parts when it finally does happen as its a hobby with lots of tiny parts and fragile stuff -- if that upsets you a lot then its not going to make the hobby very fun in the long run. Luckily you can usually find the spare part of some sort of decent replacement if it bugs you its missing or broken.

 

cheers,

 

jeff

 

Hi Jeff,

 

Many thanks for sharing your point of view. This will give me more points to consider and help me much better in overcoming the consequences while at the same time having fun with the hobby. Luckily that the last several months, an order from PJ two complete train sets arrived home intact with no defect... That was such a relief for me...

 

Yes I understand that there are so many small parts involved... Thus definitely I will be more careful when playing or working with them.. A Magnifying Glass is a must have in this case. :P

 

But your sharing surely give me more valuable inputs. Many thanks!! :)

 

 

I received my Tomix Nagano 1000 4 car set this evening.  Surprised that the post delivered at 9:00pm ?

 

 

Hi Gerryo,

 

I thought the postman was looking for some overtime fee. :P

[Robert46]

Little ziplock bags... lots of them. And labels. So you don't forget later. (Mind you I have one bag labelled "mystery bits which I found on the layout".

 

I also got some little plastic box cases (ca. 2x2cm and 2x3cm) in my 100 yen shop which are useful for storing slightly larger parts.

Hi Railsquid,

 

Nice suggestions... Very helpful tips!! :)

[cteno4]

Robert,

 

You are most welcome. Just did not want you feeling that getting packages from japan was going to lead to a lot of headaches. Glad to hear the plazajapan orders have come thru well. Actually all the other main shops in Japan pack things even better than pj does! Also didn't want you to be worried about trains breaking When you play with them, they will now and then but usually you can fix the pretty easily. Fiddling and fixing things can actually be a really fun and rewarding part of the hobby. Just takes a little time to get use to the little bits but simple things like working on a black cloth can help keep little bits from bouncing and they show up better! Good magnifiers are also a great tool, I have a large variety of them!

 

Cheers

 

Jeff

[katoftw]

Yeah dont freak out about things breaking.  I've had 3 in maybe 100 parcels.  And all have been fixed within minutes.  Except for the above example.  But would've been minutes if I didn't drop a little piece.

[Robert46]

Hi Jeff & Katoftw,

 

Many thanks for your encouraging words.. Glad to hear those and I really appreciate it. About having headache, i just used hyperbolic statement. :) 

 

Yes we all know the risk from shipping process and how the handling of parcels are. I personally will be a bit dissappointed if I received defective parcels since I believe most of us will always expect items arrived in good condition, but as you said, this is just part of the hobby.. So I better be having fun with this. :)

 

As for 3 damaged parcels from around 100 received, that's a great record.. :) 97% successful shippings...

 

Actually, this is not about issue of defective parcel what I am most worried about.. It's about missing item. FYI, I read on local forum these few weeks, there was a case where the train set was missing, but the original case was there.. Unfortunately, the parcel was only wrapped with plasticsheet cover, not a box.. It's confusing, and the main accusation goes to customs clearance process and handling process from customs to local post office. Some said that the train set was stolen by customs officer, others said by local post employee.. Of course if one of them found guilty, will be facing a jail sentence..  But according to some people, the biggest possibility is the customs officer since the CCTV camera can't be checked for proof.. I hope there will be a transparancy of clearance process here..

 

I my self luckily never had such experience and will never want it.. I always received parcels using boxes..

[katoftw]

I find all my stuff from Japan is packaged very well.

 

Have a look at this crazy example:- 

 

 

Item is 7cm x 4.5cm x 0.5cm, box is 25cm x 15.5cm x 12cm.

 

 

[Robert46]

I find all my stuff from Japan is packaged very well.

 

Have a look at this crazy example:- 

 

P4130183.JPG

 

Item is 7cm x 4.5cm x 0.5cm, box is 25cm x 15.5cm x 12cm.

 

Wow!!! That's awesome!! Packing job at best..

 

As a buyer, we will feel very relax if received such service.. That's a great example of responsible seller..

[Atomsk]

Strange things happen when you buy used model trains.  I just got a package that contained the Tomix EF63 set I bought through Buyee.  This set (#92125) contains two locomotives (the EF63s always worked in pairs) one powered and one dummy.  I went to test them with my DC power pack, and SURPRISE! both are powered!  I wanted to use the dummy to hold the DCC decoder for the powered unit, but that can't happen now, unless I de-motor one of them and put the decoder where the motor used to be.  Then, I found out that the detail parts that were supposed to come with this set were missing.  EF63s just don't look right without the huge block of MU receptacles on the "uphill" end.

 

I also I ran my Kato 151 Kodama for the first time, and one truck kept derailing.  I took a close look at the offending truck, and it turns out one of the brass axle contacts is missing.  The axles were held loosely by the other contact and the dimples in the plastic sideframe.  This looseness caused the truck to derail.

 

anyone else have any unpleasant surprises when buying from overseas?

[1954G]

 

anyone else have any unpleasant surprises when buying from overseas?

 

Aside from a used Tomix Sayonara Naha Akatsuki that had a definite "musty basement" smell, nothing really comes to mind.  

 

How were your defective items described?  A lot of big sellers that don't specialize in model trains have disclaimers like "I haven't performed a comprehensive evaluation, so please forgive any small scratches" and basically rely on the buyer to determine item condition based on the photos.  

[railsquid]

So far the worst I've had is a locomotive direct from the manufacturer in the UK - they put it in a biggish cardboard box with plenty of bubble wrap, except they put the locomotive at the bottom of the box and the bubble wrap on top... Luckily it wasn't damaged.

[marknewton]

Touch wood, I've never had anything arrive damaged or go missing in transit so far. All of the parcels I've received from Japan, whether from individual Yahoo auction sellers or model shops like HobbySearch or our own Keitaro at Loco1, have been packed thoroughly well to prevent damage. The only time any of my models have been damaged is when I've been careless and done it myself. I agree with Jeff, things get broken or lost but it's usually not too hard to repair stuff or replace missing parts.

 

The worst thing I've ever had happen was dropping one of my Kato D51s. It survived, but for a while I wasn't sure that I would!  

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.