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

[Yavianice]

As long as you don’t go into European models all is well. Japanese models are cheap compared to European models [emoji4]

[Philphil]

Why do you guys think all those European trains are so expensive?

[cteno4]

I think part is scale of production, japan is a very big model train market, bigger than Europe most likely.

 

jeff

[ToniBabelony]

Japan is the presumably the largest model train market in the world, even when you combine all the rest together. Mr. Kato once said something like that. Not sure if it still holds up.

 

Anyway, today my MoHa 484s and headmarks came in for my ancient Kato 10-119.

 

 

I could run it as a full 9 or 10 can consist now, but I'm choosing to run it as a 6-car formation on a generic Express (急行) service. All the flexibility and none of the questions. :P

[Kiha66]

All aboard the Generic Express!  Looks great tony, its hard to tell that its such old model.

[ToniBabelony]

27 minutes ago, Kiha66 said:

All aboard the Generic Express!  Looks great tony, its hard to tell that its such old model.

 

I'll be doing a bir more touching up here and there, like adding silver details and repainting the roofs. I'll probably won't have to get a Tomix HG set after all that is done, plus I'll have a unique model :)

[Philphil]

That's quite a nice looking 485 series you have there, Kabutoni!

If they were still regularly running things in that paint scheme, I'd totally pick up a few of 'em. I'm still trying to find an excuse for one... or 10

[Welshbloke]

Interesting part is when you realise how long some Kato tooling has existed for. Aside from motors, wheels, pantographs and very slight variations in paint shade there seems to be almost no difference between my old 153 Series and more recent production. Evidently they got it right the first time!

 

I wouldn't be surprised to see the 153 Series next in line for the close coupler and LED treatment, they retooled the 165 Series recently despite having released a batch from the old tools only a year or so before and it has been quite a while since the last 153s...

[Philphil]

So I've done some calculations recently... Does a 100,000+ Yen order count as a pretty good sized one?

[Das Steinkopf]

6 hours ago, Philphil said:

So I've done some calculations recently... Does a 100,000+ Yen order count as a pretty good sized one?

 

It's not the cost of the order that counts, it's what's in the order and what you can and do with it to achieve the goals that you have set for yourself layout wise. My last trip to Japan I came back with a medium suitcase full of stuff for around that sum of money, I spent about ¥25,000 on rolling stock and the rest was either on buildings, tracks and detail parts.

Edited October 18, 2017 by Das Steinkopf

[cteno4]

15 hours ago, Kabutoni said:

Japan is the presumably the largest model train market in the world, even when you combine all the rest together. Mr. Kato once said something like that. Not sure if it still holds up.

 

If memory serve me right, Bill on the forum did some rough numbers on the big model train revenues and came up with a similar thing of japan being bigger than the rest of the world combined.

 

i think he also found a very large number like 9 million model train hobbyists.

 

jeff

[cteno4]

6 hours ago, Philphil said:

So I've done some calculations recently... Does a 100,000+ Yen order count as a pretty good sized one?

 

Well it depends, I rarely do big orders in one big one as if you go past 1.5kg you have to ship ems and that can get very expensive for a heavy box. I tend to do more smaller orders and ship sal to save a lot in the long run on shipping. Also ems insurance that's free stops at 20000 yen. If you want more you need to arrange with the shop to add that and you will need to pay for it. 100000 insurance only costs 200 yen but I'm sure it requires a bit more paperwork by the shop and need to make sure to get that done if you are concerned about that.

 

while I've never had a package from japan to the us ever go poof, I would not suggest tempting fate with $1000 in one box. 

 

Ive shipped hundreds of boxes sal over the years and it's added up to several thousand dollars in shipping savings so I'm very well self insured as well as being able to spend most of that on more trains! ;-)

 

cheers

 

jeff

[ToniBabelony]

Just now, cteno4 said:

If memory serve me right, Bill on the forum did some rough numbers on the big model train revenues and came up with a similar thing of japan being bigger than the rest of the world combined.

 

i think he also found a very large number like 9 million model train hobbyists.

 

Hmm... That is also possible... If there is no citation (especially from me), don't take it as a fact xD

 

10 hours ago, Philphil said:

That's quite a nice looking 485 series you have there, Kabutoni!

If they were still regularly running things in that paint scheme, I'd totally pick up a few of 'em. I'm still trying to find an excuse for one... or 10

 

This is my excuse. Seeing the T18 formation on one of its last runs in 2015.

 

 

This was on the Mito line as a Rapid on the Daifuji-Ashigara Matsuri-gō. This exact formation was released by Tomix in a HG edition which I could also have gotten. Still, the Kato model seemed a bit more attractive to me. Probably because of the price which makes modifying it not feel like something bad or scary.

 

10 hours ago, Welshbloke said:

Interesting part is when you realise how long some Kato tooling has existed for. Aside from motors, wheels, pantographs and very slight variations in paint shade there seems to be almost no difference between my old 153 Series and more recent production. Evidently they got it right the first time!

 

I wouldn't be surprised to see the 153 Series next in line for the close coupler and LED treatment, they retooled the 165 Series recently despite having released a batch from the old tools only a year or so before and it has been quite a while since the last 153s...

 

Yeah, it's quite amazing to see interchangeable parts from old to new models. Maybe that's the reason why Kato sells spare parts so openly.

 

P.s. I have the last tracks for for my traverser on the way, so I can actually finish it and work on a matching module. This leads to cleaning up the spare room for the coming of the next kid. Model trains as a purpose of purposes to purpose.

[Sascha]

Part one of my new layout arrived.

[nah00]

On 10/17/2017 at 5:37 PM, Das Steinkopf said:

 

Regardless of whatever you get into it has the ability to get expensive, freight stock can be just as dangerous as passenger stock, my JRF fleet alone is currently sitting at 10 locomotives, 50 Koki's and 19 Takis, I have a further 24 Koki's and 4 Taki's on pre order and I dare say I will probably end up ordering more and more and more.

 

The Kokis aren't even the worst part. The containers are where i end up spending more money. Re-release of Runtec containers? Shut up and take my money! I assume you went for the Tomix Koki 50000 12 car set? i'm tempted by it just so I can renumber my duplicate Kato ones. Plus more Koki. 

[cteno4]

It's amazing how much a small box of containers counts up to. I realized putting them away at a show and realized the little box has like $200 in it... only tomytec small vehicles can have a denser cost, but not by much.

 

jeff

[bill937ca]

Another Unitram turnout...which I really don't need now that I found my other four Unitram turnouts in a Lionel box. But at least I found them. Now I can dream about a bigger layout.

 

 

Edited October 19, 2017 by bill937ca

[JR 500系]

And we are off to yet another good start!

 

Please follow my building thread as I embark on Takahashi town, revamped!

 

 

[JR 500系]

And a really interesting buy...

 

I have been aiming these for a long time, and bingo I got lucky... twice!

 

The Kyosho buses do look good, and feels really nice since they are diecast. Each bus comes in its own individual display case with a info card and a really nice picture of the original bus, which is a really nice touch... However but I do feel they are a little lacking in terms of detailing... not quite as much as Tomytec does them... but nevertheless my bus fleet is once again enhanced!

 

Side note, buyee tends to only combine parcels together, which may end up with a REALLY HUGE box, and higher shipping costs....

 

I really do like those shipping decals they attach on the box! The Japanese sure are innovative!

Edited October 19, 2017 by JR 500系

[Welshbloke]

 

From a week or two ago, the 185 Series ski train by Micro Ace. Think this probably isn't much newer than the real thing (which ran for a season or two in the early 90s)!

 

It runs noticably slower than other stock I have, not sure if this is by design or if there's something wrong. No funny noises but it tends to surge a bit running in one direction.

[Das Steinkopf]

9 hours ago, nah00 said:

 

The Kokis aren't even the worst part. The containers are where i end up spending more money. Re-release of Runtec containers? Shut up and take my money! I assume you went for the Tomix Koki 50000 12 car set? i'm tempted by it just so I can renumber my duplicate Kato ones. Plus more Koki. 

 

 

 I have to agree with you on that one, out of my 200 odd containers only 60 of them came from train sets or wagons, ironically out of those containers 50 of them are 19D's, with other 150 odd 44% are Tomix, 38% Hogaraka Dou, 7.5% Kato, 5% Poppondetta,, 3% Platz, 2% Greenmax and 0.5% Morita, I also have at least another 30 odd containers on pre order. 

 

With the Tomix Koki 50000's I couldn't help myself, I initially tried to resist as I have 12 of the Kato ones from 10-1393 of which 10 of those I renumbered using the alternative numbers in Tomix 8714. I was going to just use the Kato ones but due to the non compatibility issues with Kato Close Couplers and Tomix TN's I decided to take the plunge, plus the fact that the new Tomix ones have the proper grab rails fitted to them I couldn't help myself. I also have the new Kato Koki 107's and 106's on pre order, this is yet another case of due to compatibility issues with coupling systems I have had to purchase more wagons, I already had a decent amount of the Tomix ones but you know the deal, you can never have enough Koki's.

 

 

 

Edited October 19, 2017 by Das Steinkopf

[Philphil]

Where do you all typically purchase your track from? I'm specificly looking for Kato Unitrack and would love to know what retailer has it for the cheapest price

[cteno4]

Phil,

 

in the us, most of the big hobby shops online are near the same price usually. My kliens (modelrailroadstuff.com) usually has a very good stock and good prices. Every time I have shopped I've found the discounts changed a bit with the big places but not a lot. If you have a trusted source you like to deal with and it's a decent price I would go with them. Also check if you have a local ntrak or Ttrak club as they may have a local supplier that discounts well. We have a local garage dealer (no web site) here that gave our club an excellent price for the new layout unitrak and we could just pick it up when ready as track can get heavy to ship.

 

cheers

 

jeff

[Welshbloke]

Try Amazon, their marketplace section on the UK site has quite a few sellers in Japan. Prices can be variable but there are some bargains out there.

[cteno4]

Trailer collection 8 arrived. I'll split it with another club member (easy as there are 5 different trucks each in two color/companies) this time as I have quite a few already from previous collections. This one is nice with tank containers on 4 of them for something different. Still a decent deal for $10 each for the quality and detail, nothing in the rest of the world beats it.

 

cheers

 

jeff