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

[katoftw]

All bits togethers

[gavino200]

On 7/25/2018 at 1:51 PM, chadbag said:

Got my first ZenMarket.JP parcel.   They don't tell you the cost estimates for shipping beforehand.  I chose DHL.  That was the second cheapest, and was beat bye Fedex by some 7 cents.  SAL Parcel (it was over 2kg) and all the others were more expensive -- often significantly.  And DHL got it to me in about 2 days.  First non-Amazon DHL from Japan.

 

I won't be doing a lot on ZenMarket because I am not supposed to be getting new stuff -- self imposed moratorium -- and I can get my SIL to get me stuff and keep it and periodically send it, which may save over time...

 

Anyway

 

The box -- well wrapped, and a small box just big enough to fit stuff (important for dimensional weights for international shipping)

 

 

 

KATO Cassiopeia EF81 and 10-399 "CASSIOPEIA" car set came together and with Japan GST and domestic shipping was around US$ 75.  DD51 was separate and with domestic shipping was around US$ 34.

 

 

 

 

Some MicroAce HB-E300 "resort liner" 2 car sets.  They were separate listings from the same guy and together with domestic shipping were US$ 124 all together.  Will add to  my KATO HB-E300 4 car set (with the trees)

 

 

 

 

Greenmax Nanohana KiHa 200 with motor car.  And separately a Greenmax KiHa 220 motor car.   I already had a double trailer Nanohana and wanted a motor car.  About US$ 76 with domestic shipping.   The KiHa 220 was from a broken up set and came with some couplers and small pieces and was about US$ 34 with domestic shipping.  I got that to use with my doble trailer SSL and Red KiHa 200 cars.

 

 

 

 

 

The Cassiopeia is a cool train. But it's always seemed very weird to me. It's like the whole train is coherently designed, but then it's pulled by a loco with a totally different livery. And also there's a giant window at one end that looks like it should be at the front of the train, but then there's a loco blocking it. I'm curious what the idea here was. Why didn't they just give it a nice sleek silver loco with the same paint scheme? Is it one of those trains that goes from district to district being pulled by locos from different regions as it goes? Sort of like the Orient Express I guess? 

 

Don't get me wrong, I like it. It's a cool train. It just boggles my mind. 

[katoftw]

Cassiopeia did have many locos of various designs pulling it. The last Cassiopeia coach set was paired with matching silver EF510 locos. But also was pulled along by older locos liked exampled which matched older blue train style coaches.

Edited July 28, 2018 by katoftw

[Ultratram]

21 hours ago, katoftw said:

All bits togethers

Katoftw, one thing about the older economy kits is that these newer power units are a little different and your model will need a simple modification to get it to fit....

 

You will see on my kumoyuni74 I had to add bits of plastic styrene. About 5mm from the base of the car to the bottom off the styrene. The original mating surface shouldn't interfere with power unit so leave it alone.

 

The motor and bodies on these econo kits are never a tight fit so be careful to not let the motor drop out while picking it up 😁

[Welshbloke]

The end windows on the Cassiopeia are a lounge and a bedroom respectively. Each is obstructed by a loco in one direction but gives a view along the tracks behind the train on the return run.

 

There's also the KaYa 27-500, a combined generator van and on train shop which occasionally replaced the lounge car. I have no idea as to when it was used and why, but have seen footage of it on YouTube.

 

 

 

[scotspensioner]

My idea is that the lounge generator car had to be withdrawn for maintenance regarding the generator set and the Yaha van was the stand in vehicle.

[Kamome]

13 hours ago, gavino200 said:

Why didn't they just give it a nice sleek silver loco with the same paint scheme? Is it one of those trains that goes from district to district being pulled by locos from different regions as it goes?

Hey Gavino

 

The original EF81 with the pop art-esque paint scheme was later replaced by a pair of EF510-500s painted in the silver Cassiopeia livery from about 2010 onwards . (509 and 510 to be exact.) These were later sold off to JRF and lost their star and stripes. 

 

The lounge end sat behind the loco towards Aomori. This meant the luxury suite was at the rear of the train when traveling northbound. Between Aomori and Hakodate the train changed direction so it was only this section (northbound)when the luxury suite sat behind the loco. (Usually an ED79)

 

I assume Southbound, the luxury suite would see a lot of loco.

 

 

[scotspensioner]

20 hours ago, gavino200 said:

 

The Cassiopeia is a cool train. But it's always seemed very weird to me. It's like the whole train is coherently designed, but then it's pulled by a loco with a totally different livery. And also there's a giant window at one end that looks like it should be at the front of the train, but then there's a loco blocking it. I'm curious what the idea here was. Why didn't they just give it a nice sleek silver loco with the same paint scheme? Is it one of those trains that goes from district to district being pulled by locos from different regions as it goes? Sort of like the Orient Express I guess? 

 

Don't get me wrong, I like it. It's a cool train. It just boggles my mind. 

 

Between 2010 and 2015 the EF 510 s in silver livery were designated for the train between Ueno and Aormina.North of Aormina the Seikan Tunnel was traversed behind anED 79 while between Hakodate and Sapporo,a pair of blue DD51s were used on this non electrified section.Before and after this period various class EF81S were used as well as EF 64s

Ueno to Aormina is JR East North to Sapporo is JR Hokaido

[lighthouse]

Aormina? Surlely you mean Aomori? Yes its right, Ueno - Aomori EF510-500, Aomori - Hakodate ED79-0, Hakodate - Sapporo 2x DD51-1000

[Welshbloke]

This works out well for those of us who also bought a pair of DD51s and an ED79 to share haulage of a Twilight Express. My DD51s will have a Cassiopeia headboard at one end and the Twilight at the other, the ED79 only came with a Cassiopeia one.

 

Oh, and I ordered the TN couplers to fit the Twilight out within the set. The outer ends will stay Rapido as I need some weird ones for the EF81 which weren't bundled with it, also for the EF510 when I get that far. I know the part numbers but the only ebay seller with any is Plaza Japan who still owe me parts ordered almost three weeks ago and not dispatched, so you can understand my hesitance to place another order until they fulfil that one!

[scotspensioner]

1 hour ago, lighthouse said:

Aormina? Surlely you mean Aomori? Yes its right, Ueno - Aomori EF510-500, Aomori - Hakodate ED79-0, Hakodate - Sapporo 2x DD51-1000

Yes I meant Aomori.  Put it down to enthusiasm!

I have the three big trains as I call them,the Cassiopeia,the Hokutosei and the Twilight Express all picked up pre owned from Hattons and by Kato.Definitely not in the script when I started!

Hell,I bought a Kato 10-1177 Gold Line Asakaze basic set to begin with to give my EF510 a suitable train to pull to begin with!!

 

Edited July 29, 2018 by scotspensioner
Additional details

[gavino200]

36 minutes ago, scotspensioner said:

I have the three big trains as I call them,the Cassiopeia,the Hokutosei and the Twilight Express all picked up pre owned from Hattons and by Kato.Definitely not in the script when I started!

 

If you get an EF-510 in silver livery, you can use it for the Cassiopeia and the Hokutosei.

 

 

[scotspensioner]

22 minutes ago, gavino200 said:

 

If you get an EF-510 in silver livery, you can use it for the Cassiopeia and the Hokutosei.

 

 

And if you have a blue one the reverse applies!   There's plenty on YouTube showing the various combinations thereof!!!!

[katoftw]

Mandarake have a couple of EF510s in both old and new numbers blue colour currently for 4500 each

[AllScales]

Ok, so the postman tried to deliver on Saturday but I didn’t get around to picking it up until yesterday: My Kato Düwag three coach tram...

 

I might even get around to running it tonight!

[Pauljag900]

42 minutes ago, AllScales said:

Ok, so the postman tried to deliver on Saturday but I didn’t get around to picking it up until yesterday: My Kato Düwag three coach tram...

 

I might even get around to running it tonight!

Hope you re gonna share it 👍👍😀

[Kiha66]

A friend somehow ended up with a box of 1:144 Japanese helicopter models, which he kindly passed on to me.  I guess my next module will be an air field, at least it gives a destination for my taki's!

Edited August 1, 2018 by Kiha66

[Kiha66]

One of the 12 models in the box, it even came with some kind of candy as well!

[cteno4]

My panda train showed up. I stumbled across it a couple months back on amazon.jp for a super cheap preorder. They came in 500¥ less then at shipping. Dhl was also cheap at 1200¥, but I sort of got my money’s worth on the shipping as it arrived like someone jumped on the box! But luckily the sturdy Japanese train boxes held up well and came thru with just a little crimp in the cardboard sleeve!

 

really is a beautiful train with very nice graphics, details and close couplers. Evil panda face on the front to boot!

 

cheers

 

jeff

[cteno4]

6 minutes ago, Kiha66 said:

One of the 12 models in the box, it even came with some kind of candy as well

 

Use to be a way to avoid taxes, it was candy with toy surprise! Don’t try the candy, they can be hideous.

 

jeff

[Kiha66]

5 minutes ago, cteno4 said:

Use to be a way to avoid taxes, it was candy with toy surprise! Don’t try the candy, they can be hideous.

 

Interesting, thanks for the history and the warning!  Now I'm tempted to try it just to see how bad it is...

 

Made a quick and dirty airfield, might need to get a fuel truck at some point too.

Edited August 1, 2018 by Kiha66

[cteno4]

Use to be the dare at club lunches when someone had something like this to eat the candy. Kind of like dares to eat tide pods... I have a bag of them around somewhere if you find you like them!

 

jeff

[chadbag]

The Panda train is really nice.  Mine arrived Monday (yesterday).  My daughter was taken with the box/sleeve...  I am anxious to photograph and video it and run it!

 

It was one I had pre-ordered months ago and therefore does not count against the moratorium.

[JR 500系]

Yeah the Panda is really nice! I am glad I got this over the Tomix, those amazing couplers and the printed sleeve all makes waiting worth while!

 

 

[TimWay4]

I'm a bad person and shouldn't be allowed to have my own money -_- I walked into work, sat down opened the website to the store I buy from and bought a MicroAce Series 922-0 4 car Doctor Yellow set for the grand Total of £80 ($103/11,504 yen) Should arrive on Monday.Hopefully next week my Panda Train will arrive to.