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

[roadstar_na6]

No, not really. Especially the E851 has to be chopped up quite a bit below the roof to make fit for a decoder. Two of the ones I have are DCC because they ran waay to fast on the club layout‘s automated system.

The other two idk, I‘m a DC railroader so I can‘t really offer any help there.

[marknewton]

On 12/24/2020 at 4:01 AM, Steve said:

Few Days, ago, I saw a Documentation from the 70s on YT, in the second half they showed a Branchline with miltiple samples of such strange DMU combinations...

I don't regard them as strange. I once spent the evening listing all the DMU combinations that I could find in the books and magazines I own. There were as many different combos as there were classes of DMU. I can post the list if anyone's interested.

 

Apart from the the DMUs, that film has some great mixed trains as well. The 8620s seen on the Gono line are very fruity! 👍

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[disturbman]

2 hours ago, marknewton said:

I once spent the evening listing all the DMU combinations that I could find in the books and magazines I own. There were as many different combos as there were classes of DMU. I can post the list if anyone's interested.

I would be. It's always interesting all possible ways we can mix up rolling-stock, beyond what the manufacturers show us.

[marknewton]

I'm at work tonight, but when I get home in the morning I'll dig it out and post it. 
 

All the best for the holidays - if you've got them! 😉

Mark.

[Kiha66]

A nice surprise in my stocking!  Amazingly model train stuff had one so no worry about International shipping.  I think this has to be the nicest N model I've ever seen.  The detail is amazing, just look at those brass air lines!

 

[railsquid]

From the "find old picture of train one has ridden on, buy the model" school of purchasing decisions:

 

 

comes another Tomix 52-100 series, this time motorized:

 

Tomix KiHa 52-100 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

However, in a sign that the End Times are upon us, it failed to arrived during the specified, strategically convenient 14:00-16:00 slot and didn't turn up until 17:30...

[Madsing]

Just received a treadmill for n-gauge trains. Really useful during DCC decoder installation and testing.

Purchased from AliExpress here: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33039583960.html

 

One caveat, though, it's really difficult to check in which direction the train is going...

 

At the same time, I am working on a DCC command station for my desk. It's based on the popular DCC++ project. I am using the version developed by the French group called Locoduino (https://github.com/Locoduino/DCCpp) as it supports the ESP32 and I eventually plan to add WiFi support (it already works well with Rocrail using the USB serial port).

 

[marknewton]

1 hour ago, Madsing said:

One caveat, though, it's really difficult to check in which direction the train is going...

You could always do what we do on the big railway - put a small dot of paint on the edge of the tyre so you can see which way the wheels are turning. When I use my rolling road to test powered vehicles other than steam locos I use a white paint marker. It cleans off easily enough afterwards.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

Edited December 27, 2020 by marknewton

[marknewton]

On 12/26/2020 at 6:43 AM, Kiha66 said:

A nice surprise in my stocking!  Amazingly model train stuff had one so no worry about International shipping.  I think this has to be the nicest N model I've ever seen.  The detail is amazing, just look at those brass air lines!

 

The level of detail on this is equal to that of the Tramway 1/80th scale 8620s. Very nice! 👍

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[Sheffie]

You ought to be able to use a marker pen to draw a diagonal line along one of the roller bars. This would form a spiral that shimmies one way or the other, depending on which way the train is going 

[marknewton]

On 12/25/2020 at 11:42 PM, disturbman said:

I would be. It's always interesting all possible ways we can mix up rolling-stock, beyond what the manufacturers show us.

I found my notes this afternoon. There's a couple of scrawly hand-written pages. When I have a quiet moment at work this evening I'll tidy them up for posting. I need to add dates and the lines they were running on.

 

 

As some examples, here's three interesting consists on the Hanwa line in 1978:

 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Trains_at_Sugimotochō_Station#/media/File:阪和線1978-01.jpg

 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Trains_at_Sugimotochō_Station#/media/File:阪和線1978-07.jpg

 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Trains_at_Sugimotochō_Station#/media/File:阪和線1978-22.jpg

 

All the best,

 

Mark.

[JR 500系]

I just got delivered a lovely present over the Christmas Holidays (Yeah DHL rocks) by Rail Rokko, and i think i have a new fav retailer now!

 

 

 

Step into the Island of Hokkaido! (Oh no...) and those lovely Sumikko Gurashi buses!

 

 

 

 

Man the Kiha-283 is really nice! LOVE those LED lights and name board!

 

 

 

 

 

The Kiha-183 is really super too! I had my eye on this set for a while, since it has two differrent cab car designs and even a high decker Saro car! The Tokachi logo lights up beautifully..... 

 

I have to highlight this, Tokonami san at Rail Rokko really pays attention to detail and takes VERY good care of the train sets that you get from him... I mean, which other retailer actually takes the effort to install those small little foam in between the cars and the outer foam to ensure they do not move during shipping! SUPERB service if i must say!

 

 

 

Needless to say... i'm gonna stay more with RR! (Rail Rokko) Hope to visit Tokonami san in person next year!

[gavino200]

Just received my 2021 Kato catalog. It's almost the same as all the other years, of course, but it's become a yearly ritual to look through it, and like watching the little collection of them growing on the shelf. Unfortunately, I seem to have misplaced 2020. If it doesn't show up, I may have to look for another copy. 

 

[Sound Dude]

Christmas and Birthday presents!

 

Tomix Kintetsu 80000 (and light kit to install)

KATO  883 Sonic

KATO KIHA110 + add-on

2020-2021 Tomix Catalogue (I alternate each year between Kato and Tomix)

 

 

[roadstar_na6]

@Sound Dude, anything in the Tomix catalogue that is not yet announced?

[Yavianice]

What is it with Tomix and silly foam organizations?

[JR 500系]

7 hours ago, Yavianice said:

What is it with Tomix and silly foam organizations?

 

I think you are referring to the Honotori with the 2 empty spaces in between? There had been some discussion on this online and it seems Hinotori did run in a 8-car formation, but Tomix only produced the 6-car consist... MAYBE, and only MAYBE we can see a 2-car add-on in future? 

[Kamome]

2 hours ago, JR 500系 said:

There had been some discussion on this online and it seems Hinotori did run in a 8-car formation,

I think the initial sets delivered were 6 car but the plan is to have 3x 8 car sets as well. I’m sure there will be the 2 add in cars once they enter operation.

[Yavianice]

@JR 500系 Ooh, didn't know there was going to be an 8 car version. I wonder if they also have the appropriate decals with it (for a 6 and 8 car version) otherwise what is the point in shipping it with 2 empty spaces... Perhaps they will do a HG version (with TN) like they did with the Shimakaze. 

[Yugamu Tsuki]

Now if I can only remember what they were...

[James-SNMB]

Just got my matching pair of LEX trams from HobbySearch this afternoon! (Hooray for DHL speed, boo for the cost/duty charges... but it's this or nothing right now I guess.)

 

I just finished testing them out and they sure are smooth operators! Compared to my Portrams, which hum nicely as they roll around the track, these are just about dead silent. They seem to be geared lower too, and they run much slower than the Portrams at the same voltage. So I guess so much for having them share a track and chase each other around. The LEX's I got are actually slightly different speeds from one another too, with one running about 10-20% slower than the other at the same voltage. Maybe they'll even out after some running, maybe not. I imagine some variation is to be expected. (For what it's worth, my Portrams used to be very similar in speed until a month ago or so, and one is now running at about half speed.) Long term, I plan to automate the tram loop with stops, so perhaps I can manage it with some programming to handle the multiple trains at different voltages. Either way, I'm pretty happy about these guys!

 

It is a bit of a bummer that they don't have lighting installed, which I expected from the listing, but still. Considering it's just the standard lighting kit, would it really have added to the cost just to do it at the factory? I had a look at the instructions, and it looks like the module is meant to be oriented vertically rather than the typical horizontal install, so I imagine it blocks the view looking down the aisle. So maybe that's why they omitted it? I don't know. I have a couple of spare lighting modules so I'll give it a try one day. The lights are one of the coolest things about the Portrams, so I'm looking forward to lighting up these LEXs.

 

[katoftw]

Just directional lighting. No interior lighting.

[James-SNMB]

Yes, you are correct. I should have specified that I was referring to the absence of interior lighting from the factory. Which upon reflection is typical, and the Portrams were an exception.

[lighthouse]

Now, it is the last package of the year 2020...

 

Kato 3066-8 EF81 *Hokutosei* (1x)

 

 

Kato 7008-F DD51 *Hokutosei* (4x)

 

 

 Thats enough to haul my trains 😅

[Drunkenclam]

I've been a bit short on time and just can't work out where all my houses are going. But sort of made a decision. But needed one more Kato 23-405 house. Not fussed on colour. Seems everyone in the world is sold out. Except Osborne Models in Devon. So placed my order yesterday.

 

 

Just need to work out what to follow it where the road cinks out to the edge of the baseboard.