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

[gavino200]

2 minutes ago, disturbman said:

I've always managed to resist it. Though I've been tempted a few times.

Btw, what did you meant by "this kind of train"?

 

I'm ashamed to say, I don't really know how to describe it. Those suburban commuter trains with the curved edges and the door on the front. With a 70s/80s look. I think they're usually DMUs (KiHas?) but this one is an EMU. I kind of like them, but my taste is fairly crass and basic. The flashy modern trains always seem to win out. 

[disturbman]

Heretic!

 😄😄😄

 

"Don't know how to describe it..." You described one of the three classic designs of the JNR era. These are from the 1960s. They can be a bit bland sometime. It really depends on the livery. They were everywhere, as commuter, suburban trains, or as limited expresses. 113, 115, 165 are just the most famous ones. But there were the 711s in Hokkaido, the 715s in Kyushu, the 455s, the 413s, etc...

And the DMUs are Kiha 40s. There are a few design differences between those and the EMUs.

Edited March 18, 2021 by disturbman

[gavino200]

I'm sure I'll start getting some when I take my favorite trains and start collecting their predecessors back in time. It's my new "train-ancestry" obsession. 

[disturbman]

Tell me what are you favorite trains, I'll tell you what past awaits for you.

[gavino200]

1 minute ago, disturbman said:

Tell me what are you favorite trains, I'll tell you what past awaits for you.

 

That's extremely kind of you. But this is my voyage of discovery. I have to do the work myself!!

[disturbman]

All alone aboard the Ancestry Express!

Too bad, I love too dig into the Japanese Internet searching for trains.
 

[gavino200]

 

9 minutes ago, disturbman said:

All alone aboard the Ancestry Express!

Too bad, I love too dig into the Japanese Internet searching for trains.
 

 

Aww! Ok, you can play too! I'll release them one at a time, though. I don't want to get overwhelmed. I'll start a thread and send you a Bat signal @disturbman. I think my first will be the Maranouchi. I just love it. The livery, the sound of the name. It also reminds me of waiting at the Maranouchi exit to meet a friend who I hadn't seen for ten years. I saw it first when we sat in one of the old cars at the subway museum. Then we saw the Kato model a few days later at the Kato Hobby Center and picked it up, so it's also a Kato souvenir. All three of us like it. So, I'm going to try to pick up a historical collection of Maranouchis. I like the design of the new one too, even though I know lots of people don't. 

Edited March 18, 2021 by gavino200

[railsquid]

2 hours ago, disturbman said:

Tomix produced the M1 as well as the M5 & M6 units as a single set (98941 is in stock at HS right now). They used to run in MU2 or MU3. MA also produced the M2 unit in pink livery. It's a nice livery, but pictures of it are rare.

http://www.80sjnr.sakura.ne.jp/901103_165_kuroiso.jpg

 

Interesting, never seen that one before.

 

2 hours ago, gavino200 said:

 

I'm ashamed to say, I don't really know how to describe it. Those suburban commuter trains with the curved edges and the door on the front. With a 70s/80s look. I think they're usually DMUs (KiHas?) but this one is an EMU. I kind of like them, but my taste is fairly crass and basic. The flashy modern trains always seem to win out. 

 

I have a particular fondness for the JNR-era designs as they were still prevalent when I was a student here in the 1990s (though I wish I'd been able to take more photos...). More specifically, having developed a focus on the Chuo Line, my interest has expanded to "anything that ran on it" (which is an alarming variety of stuff, particularly in the late JNR era). At the moment loco-hauled passenger trains are of particular obssessive interest, and I have a longer term plan to attempt to recreate some pre 72/73-series formations, which AFAICS aren't really available RTR.

 

2 hours ago, gavino200 said:

Aww! Ok, you can play too! I'll release them one at a time, though. I don't want to get overwhelmed. I'll start a thread and send you a Bat signal @disturbman. I think my first will be the Maranouchi. I just love it. The livery, the sound of the name. It also reminds me of waiting at the Maranouchi exit to meet a friend who I hadn't seen for ten years. I saw it first when we sat in one of the old cars at the subway museum. Then we saw the Kato model a few days later at the Kato Hobby Center and picked it up, so it's also a Kato souvenir. All three of us like it. So, I'm going to try to pick up a historical collection of Maranouchis. I like the design of the new one too, even though I know lots of people don't. 

 

I wouldn't say I'm a huge fan of it, but I appreciate that Tokyo Metro does make some effort to come up with nice, distinctive designs rather than minor variations on standardized boxes. Has anyone pledged to release a model yet?

[gavino200]

4 minutes ago, railsquid said:

 

Has anyone pledged to release a model yet?

 

Not that I've heard. But I'm patiently waiting 🙂

[200系]

 

1 hour ago, gavino200 said:

I'm ashamed to say, I don't really know how to describe it. Those suburban commuter trains with the curved edges and the door on the front. With a 70s/80s look. I think they're usually DMUs (KiHas?) but this one is an EMU.

 

They are sometimes referred to as Tōkai type/form (electric) trains, after the first representative of this type of design, the 153 series, which had been introduced on Tōkai  semi-express services (Tōkyō - Shizuoka) on the Tōkaidō Main Line.

As Disturbman already mentioned, the same design was, in a slightly modified form, used for most of the suburban (111/113/115/401/403/421/423/415/413/417/717 and 711 series), ordinary express (153/165/169/451/453/455/457/471/473 and 475 series) as well as specialised school excursion units (455/459 and 167 series) during the 'new performance era' (1957 to around 1979).

Variations of this design were also used, in a highly modified version, on certain electric locomotives (DC: EF62/EF63 (requires some squinting for both) EF64/EF65 (1000 sub-types) AC: EF71, ED75, ED76 (500 sub-type), ED77, ED78 and the ED 79) as well as a large number of DMU's, both express and local types (and in many variations).

 

It is probably one of the most iconic designs of it's era, and also the most successful (in terms of sheer number of units produced, J.N.R. really liked their standardisation during this time frame (or perhaps more accurately, their finances and the workers unions helped this process along)).

 

As such what you are saying is absolute sacrilege! and you should repent this instant!

 

45 minutes ago, disturbman said:

...These are from the 1960s.

 

1950's actually, the first units to use the Tōkai style front, was, if I'm not mistaken, the 153 series which was introduced starting in 1958. They were slightly different though, in that they still had a low cab at that point in time, something they shared with the later 155/159 series and the earliest 401/421 series.

The more familiar, high cab, design was first introduced in 1961 as a measure to improve driver safety in case of a car crossing accident. This design would become the standard for all later units, including the fore mentioned 113 and 115 series.

 

Low cab 153 series:

 

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/国鉄153系電車#/media/ファイル:153series02.JPG

 

High cab, post 1961 design:

 

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/国鉄153系電車#/media/ファイル:クハ１５３－５００番台.jpg

 

 

1 hour ago, disturbman said:

You described one of the three classic designs of the JNR era.

 

Out of interest, what would the other two designs be, in your opinion?

 

I would argue there are at least six:

 

- Shōnan type (80 series, starting with KuHa 86 021/022 (though 023 was the first of the more well known design) in 1950 and the entire 70 series)

- Tōkai type, as mentioned

- Flat front (gable) with a 15 degree sloped windshield (for lack of a better description), better known for the standardised commuter types (72 series KuHa 79 post 1955, 101 and 103 series)

- Bonnet type limited express units (151/161/181 series, 481/483/485/489 series up until 1971)

- More angular high cab limited express units (581/583 series, 183/189 series, 381 series and the 485/489 series built in 1972 or later)

- and of course the 0 series shinkansen

 

And that would only include the period including the early post-war and high performance era.

 

1 hour ago, gavino200 said:

So, I'm going to try to pick up a historical collection of Maranouchis

 

That sounds suspiciously like a b-side cover band: and for tonight's entertainment, I present to you: Tony and the Maranouchis! 😂

 

2 hours ago, gavino200 said:

think my first will be the Maranouchi. I just love it. The livery, the sound of the name. It also reminds me of waiting at the Maranouchi exit to meet a friend who I hadn't seen for ten years. I saw it first when we sat in one of the old cars at the subway museum. Then we saw the Kato model a few days later at the Kato Hobby Center and picked it up, so it's also a Kato souvenir. All three of us like it. So, I'm going to try to pick up a historical collection of Maranouchis.

 

The 500/300 type you mentioned is close to the earliest units to run on the Marunouchi line, as the 300 type cars were the first to run on the line when it opened in 1954 with the 400 and 500 types following closely after this (1956 and 1957 respectively). Though the Kato model reflects the later period, when they ran in fixed 6 car formations with only 500 type cars in the leading positions. So technically, if Kato would ever produce one of the original compositions (*hint hint*), you'd be forced to buy one 😉.

 

In 1962 ten 100 type cars built in 1937 which had originally been built for the Tōkyō rapid railway, (which had built and operated the subway line between Shimbashi and Shibuya, now part of the Ginza Line, between 1938 and 1941) were used on the Marunouchi Branch Line. They were technically the oldest cars to run on the Marunouchi Line, though never on the main line. Unfortunately, As far as I know, no model of the 100 type, as they ran on the branch line, has ever been released*.

There were also a number of Ginza line 2000 series cars used on the branch line, starting in 1968 (they were brought in as replacements for the 100 types) and ending in 1993. Tomytec has released a model of the 2000 series a few years ago: https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10553533

 

* IIRC, Tomytec released a combined set containing a single 1000 type car and a 100 type car, both in their original guise, for the Subway museum a number of years ago. Though no full length set was ever released as far as I know.

[bill937ca]

Kintetsu also has some similar units based on the 153 series profile, many of which were built as late as the 1980s.

[serotta1972]

8 hours ago, gavino200 said:

 

I'm ashamed to say, I don't really know how to describe it. Those suburban commuter trains with the curved edges and the door on the front. With a 70s/80s look. I think they're usually DMUs (KiHas?) but this one is an EMU. I kind of like them, but my taste is fairly crass and basic. The flashy modern trains always seem to win out. 

 

Be careful, I went through a phase when I bought everything that had that front end design, both KiHa's and EMU's. 😁  I never did get a 153 set. 

Edited March 19, 2021 by serotta1972

[disturbman]

6 hours ago, 200系 said:

Out of interest, what would the other two designs be, in your opinion?

 

I would argue there are at least six:

 

- Shōnan type (80 series, starting with KuHa 86 021/022 (though 023 was the first of the more well known design) in 1950 and the entire 70 series)

- Tōkai type, as mentioned

- Flat front (gable) with a 15 degree sloped windshield (for lack of a better description), better known for the standardised commuter types (72 series KuHa 79 post 1955, 101 and 103 series)

- Bonnet type limited express units (151/161/181 series, 481/483/485/489 series up until 1971)

- More angular high cab limited express units (581/583 series, 183/189 series, 381 series and the 485/489 series built in 1972 or later)

- and of course the 0 series shinkansen

The Tokai type, the flat front with sloped windshield and the angular high cab limited expresses. I think these are the most "successful" front designs, are very recognizable, and have had a long-lasting impact on train designs.

As much as I love the bonnet type limited expresses and the 0 series, I don't think those rise to the level of the others. We can still find some of those design choices in more recent trains, in Hokkaido (Kiha 183, Kiha 261, Kiha 283, 789 series), at JR West (Kiha 189, 681 series and its later derivatives), JR Central (313 series) or JR East (E653 series).

[Dinosbacsi]

17 hours ago, 200系 said:

- Flat front (gable) with a 15 degree sloped windshield (for lack of a better description), better known for the standardised commuter types (72 series KuHa 79 post 1955, 101 and 103 series)

The 201 and 205 series would also fall into this category, right? I mean they look significantly different, but the sloped windshield with the gabled front is still there, even though less prominent.

[railsquid]

Short rake of OHa/OHaFu 42s from the Kato "Kiso" set:

 

Kato Oha / OHafu 46 set by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

These were also in use on the Chuo Line from Shinjuku as late as at least 1982, on relief "Alps" services. So I thought I'd better grab a set while still available.

[Kamome]

Thought i’d missed the boat on some more yard help. Some of the independent shops look like they’ve had a tough time, many of which don’t have any online retail presence. Stage One in Kokura has minimal stock, possibly as few have been coming in for the rental layout, which i guess is the main draw to get additional sales. 

 

Anyway, the last Kato JR freight DE10 they had as the old Tomix version had always been a bit of a rough diamond. Runs well but a bit jumpy on the shunt. The new Kato one takes the detail to new levels. 

 

Any eagle-eyed members may notice the number plates are the wrong way round. Usually white on ends and red on sides. One in Kyushu has this reversed so that’s the number i went with. DE10 1745. 

[Sheffie]

A couple of Tomix apartment buildings (https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/m/10683741) and a whole bunch more Popopro trees. Because when it comes to trees, even more so than with containers, more is more. 

[beakaboy]

my first order with Plaza Japan. DHL was the cheapest option for shipping at 2570yen and arrived within 5 days to my rural address. The panda express is even more spectacular than photos I have seen and at just over 13,000yen , I was very happy. The EF210 was 3580yen and will look nice with my other EF210. I still need to track down a Tomytec TM-03 chassis for a model, but pleased to find the TM-06R

 

 

[katoftw]

Do you find their pricing high? I just started looking at them. Lots of stock available, but 10-15% more price than say AmiAmi.

[beakaboy]

8 hours ago, katoftw said:

Do you find their pricing high? I just started looking at them. Lots of stock available, but 10-15% more price than say AmiAmi.

A lot of product in parts area  that are not available elsewhere .I was looking mostly at their sales items. Got annoyed with AmiAmi adding  New Zealand 15% GST to the order. Plaza Japan and Hobbysearch don't add GST and so far my pcls have not been stopped by customs for GST collection. I make sure my total order price is well under NZ$400 as I think over $400 and they start holding pcls for GST payment. 

[katoftw]

23 minutes ago, beakaboy said:

A lot of product in parts area  that are not available elsewhere .I was looking mostly at their sales items. Got annoyed with AmiAmi adding  New Zealand 15% GST to the order. Plaza Japan and Hobbysearch don't add GST and so far my pcls have not been stopped by customs for GST collection. I make sure my total order price is well under NZ$400 as I think over $400 and they start holding pcls for GST payment. 

HS and AA collect the aussie tax aka 10% gst.

 

Thanks for the info on PJ. I might scrolling their website.

[roadstar_na6]

I doubt it's the sellers who collect any domestic taxes but rather luck/bad luck when the parcel arrives at the destination airport. I've had parcels from ZenMarket, HS, AmiAmi, Mandarake, RG-R and HLJ slapped with GST but I've also had parcels from all of them slip through.

Edited March 22, 2021 by roadstar_na6

[beakaboy]

7 hours ago, roadstar_na6 said:

I doubt it's the sellers who collect any domestic taxes but rather luck/bad luck when the parcel arrives at the destination airport. I've had parcels from ZenMarket, HS, AmiAmi, Mandarake, RG-R and HLJ slapped with GST but I've also had parcels from all of them slip through.

https://support.amiami.com/hc/en-us/articles/360036029732-Notice-regarding-GST-import-tax-for-New-Zealand

[Pauljag900]

Need some new trains and not really been able to make up my mind.I really want the 259 narita express,then I think a locco and coaches,then back again,too many nice trains out there dam it!!

found this locco on eBay as new condition.Does nt look like it’s ever been run.

 

So I bought some coaches from the Uk model shop I use

 

Layout so far,not sure where I ll go from here,

 

[disturbman]

10 minutes ago, Pauljag900 said:

found this locco on eBay as new condition. Doesn't look like it’s ever been run.

How does it run? That packaging looks ancient.