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

[adrianKeith]

Painting the street lines as we speak!  I'll see if the Torrance ones have any more in stock tomorrow if I can, otherwise I have a few extra I'd be willing to sell.  I'll try to get some photos of today's progress up in a little bit.

 

No worries, Kiha66. I might check out the Irvine one this weekend as I was told it's a much bigger store than the one in Anaheim. I may actually be near the Torrance one on Friday so I'll check if I'm in the area.

 

Excited to see the progress!

Edited May 25, 2017 by adrianKeith

[Khaul]

I got a Tomix N-1001-CL controller a couple of weeks ago. Because I was silly and forgot to order a Tomix feeder cable I had to order one. I decided to go for the fancy Cosmic one so I wouldn't need to snap and solder anything. And well, everything has a silver lining right? I was going to pay for EMS freight anyway, so why not get a few more things from Hobby Search I could not find in Amiami. This is the result in a not-so-good phone photo:

 

 

The Popondetta tank cars are great and now I can run this train in my Tsurumi line:

 

 

I'll install the Greenmax signals in the station and I will build a small shrine diorama with the cute Miniatuart paper kit and the cherry tree.

 

Lot's of work, and fun ahead!

[nah00]

The little shrine kit is fun to put together and looks great when put together, it is pretty small though but makes up for it with the detail. 

[Suica]

A good friend from Poland brought me an MicroAce Keihan 800 series back from Japan.

Been looking for this one for a while.

[Ken Ford]

A Kato 10-1169 KIHA110-100 set from Nariichi-san. Love the retro paint on these!

[nah00]

Some more UM-14s and covers, a few buildings, a Yokohama bus (kind out of area for me), some parts for some upcoming railway collection releases (they're inevitably never available when you need them), JC-25s to replace the drawbar on the Skytree Train (they make a huge difference, I just wish you didn't have to cut the other couplers off to change them), and a pair of ULTIMATE NIPPERS. 

[beakaboy]

My Kato D51 from recent Hobbysearch sale finally arrived a week or so ago. Small pcl mail took 16 days whereas usually within 10-12 days. Its a wonderful model and runs superbly. I hooked up my old 1980's D51 and ran them together as well as separately. The old girl performed pretty well considering I had repaired it some years ago.

 

 

Edited June 2, 2017 by cteno4
Youtube embed

[beakaboy]

thanks Suica for pointing out problem with video link. All fixed now hopefully.

[scotspensioner]

I took delivery of a Kato 209-500 (I've got a soft spot for Ochamanitzu not helped by Nimo5s film from the new year before last). It's the basic 6 coach set which is big enough for what I do.

[Pauljag900]

Just collected from Royal Mail all the way from America courtesy of my very good friend serotta

[brill27mcb]

I like the two new Wide Tram track styles, particularly the stone street paving. It looks especially good as a double track.

 

Rich K.

[cteno4]

A smarie whim on ebay...

 

Jeff

[bill937ca]

A smarie whim on ebay...

 

Jeff

 

They are not big enough for you Jeff.       

[Drunkenclam]

Not arrived but did order some of the Kato track feed on/off switches. I know I could have just brought normal panel switches and mounted them, But I guess you pay for convenience.

So tempting to preorder the new Popondetta storage container.

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10363254

[Pauljag900]

Strangely enough looked at this yesterday but decided to leave the stuff in a cardboard box on account of needing track 1st

[cteno4]

They are not big enough for you Jeff.       

 

Ive not tried one out yet! I fit well in my 64 vw bug for a long time, granted no leg room left for the seat behind me, but the bug had surprising knee room in them w/o an engine up there. just had to live with a thin gas can with sheet metal for protection basically between your knees and the bumper you could lift with one arm easily...

 

folks at the gas station use to give me hell as i had a 2gal jerry can in the front (the gas gauge was sort of probabilistic) as they thought it dangerous and i would point out the jerry can was 3x the thicker metal than the vw gas can!

 

jeff

[JR 500系]

A small parcel from HS got delivered while I was admiring the Eiffel Tower....

 

 

I just had to have a 'Huis Ten Bosch' set colored set... The colors are so brilliant and it brings back memories of riding this line to Huis Ten Bosch park... I wanted the Kiha-200 set in this color but they were sold out, apart from the add-on set. I reckon why not have a Kiha-67, in HG grade even better ~

[Yavianice]

Very cool! Will you also get the kiha 58 huis ten bosch model that will be released in august?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Kiha66]

Woo!  Love the kiha 66/67 sets, and the HG ones are beautiful models.  I have two in the SSL paint, and one in the JNR express colors.

[JR 500系]

Very cool! Will you also get the kiha 58 huis ten bosch model that will be released in august?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

You mean this one?

 

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10454208/50/1

 

Unfortunately no... i'm not a huge fan of the older JNR kihas... I love the HTB color and would like to get one set, but the Kiha-200 which I love was sold out....

[mrp]

I just received some of the new Tomix platforms (with and without lighting) from Ami Ami.

 

4273 Island Platform Set (urban type)

http://www.tomytec.co.jp/tomix/products/n/4273.html

4275 Island Platform Set (urban type) with lighting

http://www.tomytec.co.jp/tomix/products/n/4275.html

 

The 4275 set with lighting comes in a much bigger box - mainly to protect the pre-assembled lamp posts and stairs - and to justify the huge price tag!

 

 

 

Other than the electronics, the actual components of the two sets are almost exactly the same.  They both include the same sets of add-on parts and transfers, which for the lit set means you get extra sets of uninstalled lamps and sign boards.

 

I really like the design of the lighting.  Each of the lit elements (seat signs, sign boards, kiosks, overhead lights, lamp posts) are build around their own miniature 0.6mm thick printed circuit boards.  Along the underside of the platform is a power bus consisting of a pair of spring wires 0.6mm apart, and each element's PCB just press fits between the bus wires.

 

 

Here are some pics of the lamp post.  You can see the PCB with two SMD LEDs sandwiched between the plastic moulded parts.

 

 

At the base of the lamp post, the PCB sticks out exposing the power trace on each side.

 

 

Underneath the platform, that exposed bit of PCB plugs securely between the two bus wires.

 

 

Here's a photo of one of the overhead lights.  The PCB for this is about 6mm x 4mm - very small!

 

 

Because the two products use the same plastic moulded parts, I think it'll be relatively easy to add some basic lighing to the unlit version.  For example, the channel to run power from the base to the ceiling for overhead lighting is still there in the unlit version - it just doesn't have any wire installed.

 

The general finish of these new platforms is so much nicer than the old Tomix 2009 Island Platform (Modern Type).  For a start, the new versions have really nice pre-painted and textured white and yellow platform edge markings.

 

Edited June 5, 2017 by mrp

[nah00]

Two TM-14 motorized chassis for upcoming railway collection releases and a set of Nippon Soda ISO containers from Nariichi-san. Chose ePacket for shipping and they came via DHL in 2 days for $12.67, I'm impressed. 

[Kabutoni]

Thank you mrp for the detailed report on the new platforms. Despite the massive price tag, it seems worth the deal! The revamped detailing on the platforms make me consider these new platforms as well... It looks really really nice.

[mrp]

Thank you mrp for the detailed report on the new platforms. Despite the massive price tag, it seems worth the deal! The revamped detailing on the platforms make me consider these new platforms as well... It looks really really nice.

 

I really like that if you go with the cheap unlit version (1,650円 at Ami Ami) and add your own lighting, you're starting with the exact same components that are used in the lit version.  Surely that should make lighting the platform ourselves much easier.  Tomix even provide the same transparent plastic light guides and transfers for the sign boards from the lit version - and the mouting holes in the platform are all pre-drilled (with blanks provided if you're not using them) - so we should be able to easily mount our own LEDs.

 

Installing platform accessories is also very flexible.  Here's a picture of the platform top.  You can see ten standard rectangular slots for mounting accessories - positioned above the power bus - with locator holes either side.

 

 

Each of these slots can accept:

- a (lit) signboard (3 different heights);

- a (lit) vending machine;

- a double row of seats - with or without signboard;

- a set of 3 of those ubiquitous trash cans;

- or, a blank (if unused);

in pretty much any position - so you can lay out the platform how you like.

 

In the instructions, the signboard is refered to as a プリズム (prism) - I assume because of the prism shaped frosted plastic at the top designed to disperse light coming from the LED underneath.

 

The transfer sheet is also very nice, with station names, modern advertising, exit signs, track number signs, schedule signs, drink machines, platform markings (door positions, escalator markings, etc).  And the quality of the transfers seem exceptional - almost worth the price of the 4273 right there - I haven't seen a such a comprehensive set of modern Japanese station signage anywhere else.

 

Also, these new platforms are slightly higher than the old 4009 - 13.4mm vs 12mm - which lines up with the bottom of the train door much better.  Here's a photo of the old 4009 alongside a regular section of S280 FineTrack.  You can easily see the gap between platform and door.

 

And here's the new platform.  Perfect!

 

Edited June 6, 2017 by mrp

[JR 500系]

Thank you MRP san for these pictures! They are great to view and helps to explain the huge differences between the old and the new platforms, and what defines the huge price tag on the lighted ones probably due to all the wiring and lamps are already fitted and ready for plug and play...

 

All these is making me think about changing my Kato platforms to these new tomix ones....  but then again, I really don't want to go through that phase of having to glue all the people and accessories on the platforms all over again....

 

Edited June 6, 2017 by JR 500系