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

[ED75-775]

On 2/19/2023 at 5:09 AM, bill937ca said:

And with Tomytec, there will always be another tram to buy. 🙂 A little longer between Modemo offerings.

Or hunt down, as may be the case. I made the recent mistake of discovering that Yahoo! Auctions has a dedicated N gauge tram category, and found a few trams in that I just had to have. Now I've got another three sitting in Osaka to be packaged up with my Iyotetsu MoHa 2000 - one each Kyoto 900- and 2000-series cars, and a Sanyo 800-series. Together with my other Kyoto 2000-series and the Iyotetsu tram, I'm detecting a very strong West Japan theme here! I did however luck out once or twice on a Toden 6000-series which might have slightly offset that theme...

 

While hunting through YAJ, I have eyeballed some Modemo products but always pass over them in favour of the Tomytec Railway Collection stuff. While I've not seen a lot of Modemo stuff, the vast majority of their offerings tend to be modern-day vehicles (which I'm not as interested in), and the trucks have awfully chunky innards which don't compare to those on the Tomytec models. I don't know why such a little thing would be a turnoff for me, but it is. I can hear you all say it now: picky. I know!

 

With those four trams and over 20 volumes of RM Library and Re-Library collected in Osaka and being boxed, I'm hoping this will be the last Zenmarket package for some time so I can save for my Japan holiday later this year. Of course, once you mark yourself *safe* then you know you're really not...

 

Alastair

[jappomania]

...and finally has been delivered 🤑

 

 

 

this is the first time that I jump "over the limit", but now the end line is really near....

 

Ciao!

Massimo

 

(p.s. photos from auction, but now is mine, so is the same 😋)

[shadowtiger25]

Big package came in today! Note to self, split up packages so value is not over 100k yen. The import fee apparently kicks in at that point..

But it's still a nice haul nonetheless 

 

Most notable is the 3 sets of Seki 3000s

Kato ED 56 (I think I got that right)

Micro ace D51 and snow plow set. Wonderful set with moving and removable parts

Some extra buildings, making my total roundhouse parts at 4, and some extra yard buildings 

Also I'm not sure what this collection of these little SL magazines are but they Have a bunch of color photographs I've never seen before of steam engines working that are great inspiration 

[lighthouse]

A new train for Wakkanai (Soya Line) arrived 😁

 

[Kamome]

On 2/23/2023 at 3:04 AM, shadowtiger25 said:

Kato ED 56 (I think I got that right)

Probably ED76.

 

Did you get a Kyushu type or did you manage to find a Hokkaido ED76-500? These are nice looking locos with a cab gangway door and are longer than their Kyushu counterparts. Ideal for your current Niseko (Sapporo-Otaru leg) or a future Taistesu service (Sapporo-Asahikawa leg)

[cteno4]

On 2/22/2023 at 1:04 PM, shadowtiger25 said:

Big package came in today! Note to self, split up packages so value is not over 100k yen. The import fee apparently kicks in at that point..

But it's still a nice haul nonetheless 

who charged an import fee? Never seen that before from japan to the us, but then never did more than ¥100k in an order. How much did they charge?

 

jeff

[ED75-775]

Just like @lighthouse, I got a new train today too! Left Tokyo on Monday, arrived this afternoon much to my delight as I had today off as a replacement for working Tuesday. I'll split this across two posts so I can do both items in the package justice. All right, This Way to Trains...

 

 

First out of the gates is this: the Tomix 2010 Hokkaido C55. While I've got no intention of trying to model Hokkaido in competition with some of the other forum members, I do love steam locomotives, and having seen C55 1 in Kyoto, it was a foregone conclusion that one would join my collection. According to my Eastern Japan depot book, all three options for this locomotive as standard (C55 43, 47 and 59) were all based in Asahikawa in February 1955, with the former two still noted as being there in May 1969.

 

 

First pro out of the box - the tender can be uncoupled from the locomotive a lá Kato, which is something the older C57's don't have. The standard of finish is good, although like all Tomix 4-6-2s, it has that disappointingly 'undernourished' look under the cab. While Kato is particularly good at putting in the prototype detail under here without impeding the swing of the rear truck, Tomix hasn't gotten there yet with just those dangly moulded-on pipes to offset. Being a High Grade model like all other Tomix steamers since the C57, there's a sliding cab roof ventilator, plus a whole host of extra detail parts to add like air hoses, grab irons, flare tubes and different coupler options if that's your thing.

 

 

Even straight out of the box with no attached details, this one looks good! I was surprised to find out from online videos that the C55's marker lights are actually hidden on the running boards behind the smoke deflectors, whereas on other locos they're further forward. I haven't had it running yet so can't comment on its running quality, though I'd say based on past experience and one or two YouTube videos that it will be a good runner. Fingers crossed!

 

 

Oh, and did I mention the Tomix C57? Here's my Tomix C57 135 alongside for comparison. Nice little pairing, eh? Though, let me say it again, I have no plans to go too deeply down the Hokkaido rabbit hole. Much as I love @shadowtiger25's Hokkaido D51s, those things go for ludicrous prices online when they do show up. And besides which, I can't justify my beloved ED75's in Hokkaido either!

Which reminds me, after some applied Wikipedia-fu, the sole ED75 (501) built for Hokkaido service was not the resounding success they wanted, leading to a service life of just 30 years spent mostly on freight trains out of Iwamizawa before winding up in the railway collection of the Otaru City Museum. But that's another rabbit-hole to go down, and I'd rather not... Tohoku, steam and trams for me thank you! Oh, and the odd train I like...

 

Alastair

Edited February 24, 2023 by ED75-775
Correction based on translation of East Japan depot book text

[shadowtiger25]

7 hours ago, Kamome said:

Probably ED76.

 

Did you get a Kyushu type or did you manage to find a Hokkaido ED76-500? These are nice looking locos with a cab gangway door and are longer than their Kyushu counterparts. Ideal for your current Niseko (Sapporo-Otaru leg) or a future Taistesu service (Sapporo-Asahikawa leg)

I managed to find a Hokkaido ED76-500 yes. I wasn't going to get a different one as the only thing I'll use it for is my Niseko. I don't plan on modeling the sapporo-otaru part however. Only Otaru on to the mountain line, but since my layout would involve some operations, it would pull in, then the locos would switch.

 

[shadowtiger25]

3 hours ago, cteno4 said:

who charged an import fee? Never seen that before from japan to the us, but then never did more than ¥100k in an order. How much did they charge?

 

jeff

I was using UPS, and it was like 63 dollars. The package value was about 110k yen. So just over the floor that triggers the import fee. I looked up the rules.

It wasn't really all in one order though. It was a months worth of auctions and the bulk of it was 3 Seki 3000 sets, with 2 engines making up the rest of the bulk and everything else just adding little bits

[shadowtiger25]

1 hour ago, ED75-775 said:

Just like @lighthouse, I got a new train today too! Left Tokyo on Monday, arrived this afternoon much to my delight as I had today off as a replacement for working Tuesday. I'll split this across two posts so I can do both items in the package justice. All right, This Way to Trains...

 

 

First out of the gates is this: the Tomix 2010 Hokkaido C55. While I've got no intention of trying to model Hokkaido in competition with some of the other forum members, I do love steam locomotives, and having seen C55 1 in Kyoto, it was a foregone conclusion that one would join my collection. Plus, according to my Tohoku depot book, all three options for this locomotive as standard (C55 43, 47 and 59) were all based in Asahikawa in February 1955, with the former two still noted as being there in May 1969. So, to my mind's eye and with the help of one photo of C55 50 on the turntable at Asahikawa in March of 1971 (by which time our three options had transferred north to Hokkaido), I'd say these could just as plausibly appear as northern Tohoku region locomotives too.

 

 

First pro out of the box - the tender can be uncoupled from the locomotive a lá Kato, which is something the older C57's don't have. The standard of finish is good, although like all Tomix 4-6-2s, it has that disappointingly 'undernourished' look under the cab. While Kato is particularly good at putting in the prototype detail under here without impeding the swing of the rear truck, Tomix hasn't gotten there yet with just those dangly moulded-on pipes to offset. Being a High Grade model like all other Tomix steamers since the C57, there's a sliding cab roof ventilator, plus a whole host of extra detail parts to add like air hoses, grab irons, flare tubes and different coupler options if that's your thing.

 

 

Even straight out of the box with no attached details, this one looks good! I was surprised to find out from online videos that the C55's marker lights are actually hidden on the running boards behind the smoke deflectors, whereas on other locos they're further forward. I haven't had it running yet so can't comment on its running quality, though I'd say based on past experience and one or two YouTube videos that it will be a good runner. Fingers crossed!

 

 

Oh, and did I mention the Tomix C57? Here's my Tomix C57 135 alongside for comparison. Nice little pairing, eh? Though, let me say it again, I have no plans to go too deeply down the Hokkaido rabbit hole. Much as I love @shadowtiger25's Hokkaido D51s, those things go for ludicrous prices online when they do show up. And besides which, I can't justify my beloved ED75's in Hokkaido either!

Which reminds me, after some applied Wikipedia-fu, the sole ED75 (501) built for Hokkaido service was not the resounding success they wanted, leading to a service life of just 30 years spent mostly on freight trains out of Iwamizawa before winding up in the railway collection of the Otaru City Museum. But that's another rabbit-hole to go down, and I'd rather not... Tohoku, steam and trams for me thank you! Oh, and the odd train I like...

 

Alastair

Well, for me if I was to go outside of Hokkaido it would be a rabbit hole.

Really trying to not be tempted by a type 0 and type 500 as I don't know what I'd really do with them other than have them.

And that just means more D51s for me! But seriously I have I think a total of 3 now with one I just picked up (funny how if they have the numbers on them the resellers won't touch those auctions) with an extra one that came with a mrico ace rotory snow plow. But that one with the white on the running board and red painted rods I'm not sure if I'll really use it outside of a static model and occasionally take it to an Nscale club to run it qith the snow blower.

 

BTW that reminds me, do you know of anyone who made a Hokkaido style C57? 

Edited February 24, 2023 by shadowtiger25

[lighthouse]

 

Quote

Plus, according to my Tohoku depot book, all three options for this locomotive as standard (C55 43, 47 and 59) were all based in Asahikawa in February 1955, with the former two still noted as being there in May 1969. So, to my mind's eye and with the help of one photo of C55 50 on the turntable at Asahikawa in March of 1971 (by which time our three options had transferred north to Hokkaido), I'd say these could just as plausibly appear as northern Tohoku region locomotives too.

 

Hi Alastair, thanks for the informations about the original vehicle. The same informations I got in the past too.

I have found in my Hokkaido photo collection a photo with C55-47 and the same car compilation like the car set of Tomix. But, there is a DD51-500 at the rear of the train. (the collection i made took me more then 5 years of searching)

 

 

Edited February 24, 2023 by lighthouse

[lighthouse]

20 minutes ago, shadowtiger25 said:

Well, for me if I was to go outside of Hokkaido it would be a rabbit hole.

Really trying to not be tempted by a type 0 and type 500 as I don't know what I'd really do with them other than have them.

And that just means more D51s for me! But seriously I have I think a total of 3 now with one I just picked up (funny how if they have the numbers on them the resellers won't touch those auctions) with an extra one that came with a mrico ace rotory snow plow. But that one with the white on the running board and red painted rods I'm not sure if I'll really use it outside of a static model and occasionally take it to an Nscale club to run it qith the snow blower.

 

BTW that reminds me, do you know of anyone who made a Hokkaido style C57? 

 

@shadowtiger25 I only knew the Tomix C57-135 and some C57s of World Kougei. But the Tomix one is not exactly the Hokkaido version, because of the white lines and red color on drive rod. Its more the version for the exhibition of Omiya nowadays.

Edited February 24, 2023 by lighthouse

[cteno4]

39 minutes ago, shadowtiger25 said:

I was using UPS, and it was like 63 dollars. The package value was about 110k yen. So just over the floor that triggers the import fee. I looked up the rules.

It wasn't really all in one order though. It was a months worth of auctions and the bulk of it was 3 Seki 3000 sets, with 2 engines making up the rest of the bulk and everything else just adding little bits

ahh I see the personal duty per shipment from japan to the US is now $800. But there is no duty on toys. Did they show the exact duty/tariff? 
 

sure it wasn’t Tennessee sales tax? Importers are now charging this if over certain limits. Tax applied looks about 8.5%, about Tennessee sales tax maybe? Sales tax is now applied irregardless of the import amount of the shipment its if the vendor does enough business annually to the state. I could see the auction trans shippers doing quite a bit of higher priced business to trip this.
 

Also wouldn’t put it past ups from adding some fee that looks like import duty based on price over $800 that is not actually a collected duty by the us.
 

just never heard of anyone paying duties/tariffs on model trains from japan to the us.

 

jeff

[ED75-775]

#stillwaitingforpart2...

 

Turns out, I need to eat some humble pie for dessert, because I got it so wrong about the location of Asahikawa... it is in Hokkaido, and I would've known that if I'd taken the time to point my Papago translation app at the text along the edges of my Eastern Japan depot book. It turns out that instead of covering eastern Honshu, my book covers both eastern Honshu - as far south as Nagano - and Hokkaido up to Asahikawa. Wowch. My bad!

Thanks to @lighthouse for arousing my suspicions that something was wrong...

 

Using a handy online database of Japanese steam locomotives that @Yavaris Forge put me onto some time back, I hunted down the service histories for the original C55s. Turns out, all three finished their working careers in the Asahikawa Bureau, but only C55 59 actually started its working life there; C55 43 started its career in Nagoya and was 'borrowed' from Shizuoka in September 1940 before being permanently transferred two months later, while C55 47 started its life in either Sendai or Aomori and was similarly 'borrowed' by Asahikawa from Sendai in January 1949 before it too was permanently transferred in August that year. I suspect that the whole reason behind the final transfers was that Shizuoka and Sendai depots decided they weren't going to get their locomotives back!

 

With that correction and tidbits out of the way, I had one more piece from that package to follow:

 

  

 

The Tomix 98413 Soya Line local train was purchased for two reasons, 1.) it could go behind either the C55 or C57 135 if I wanted to play prototypically correct, and 2.) because passenger cars. The little box insert slick is a nice touch with the prototype image. This was also the same image that Tomix used to promote the set before its release, and neatly covers the space for both one more carriage and a locomotive.

 

 

Before anyone asks, I balanced this as carefully as possible so as not to scratch any shiny new coaches (and I did check everything else afterwards to make sure no scratches). All are nice models, and should run nicely when I get them running at some point soon. While not High Grade models themselves, these coaches do come with a selection of bits to enhance their appearance, specifically bogie-mounted generators, dummy knuckle couplings and some end-of-carriage parts with brake hoses and coupler trip levers (specifically for the dummy and Tomix TN knuckle couplers), plus one more set of number plates for C55 49 and a rotating spark arrester.

Do me a favour, if you have this set and find the spark arrester, fling it into the nearest rubbish bin. It's ugly as hell. Yes, the real thing may have had them... but they're still ugly as hell.

 

The real C55 49 was, unlike the trio of (Kawasaki) options available with the C55 locomotive, a Kisha Seizo built locomotive which entered service on 3 March 1937 in Aomori Ward. It transferred to Asahikawa on 9 October 1949, and remained there until withdrawal on 25 March 1972, having starred in two movies along the way. It remained in storage until July that year before being transferred to Wakkanai City for static display at the North Breakwater Dome. The salty sea air took its toll on the locomotive, and it was finally scrapped in 1996, although the main (second) driving wheelset is currently preserved as part of the Wakkanai-Korsakov Line Memorial at the Breakwater Dome.

 

2 hours ago, lighthouse said:

@shadowtiger25 I only knew the Tomix C57-135 and some C57s of World Kougei. But the Tomix one is not exactly the Hokkaido version, because of the white lines and red color on drive rod. Its more the version for the exhibition of Omiya nowadays.

Actually, the white line is not from its time on display at Omiya. While footage from 1974 suggests that the locomotive remained in standard, un-embellished black until withdrawn from regular service on 25 November 1975, both a Sankei News video and an enthusiast website suggest that the locomotive as specially re-activated for the 'final passenger SL' working on 14 December 1975, instead of the proffered D51, had the white lining applied to the edges of the running board and cab. A further search brought up a documentary on the C57 class which briefly shows that the fluting on the rods was also painted red for that trip as well. So in actuality, this model depicts C57 135 at a very specific point in time: December 1975.

 

The Sankei channel, by the way, has eight railway videos from the end of Japanese steam going back as far as 1973 and as recently as 1976, perfect for those like shadowtiger who want to model steam in Hokkaido. Fair warning: the last video shows the cutting up of a 9600 class locomotive so if you prefer your steam locomotive in one piece, you may wish to skip that one. The remainder are happier and show either C57's, D51's or C11's doing what they were made to do.

 

Alastair

[lighthouse]

5 hours ago, ED75-775 said:

Actually, the white line is not from its time on display at Omiya. While footage from 1974 suggests that the locomotive remained in standard, un-embellished black until withdrawn from regular service on 25 November 1975, both a Sankei News video and an enthusiast website suggest that the locomotive as specially re-activated for the 'final passenger SL' working on 14 December 1975, instead of the proffered D51, had the white lining applied to the edges of the running board and cab. A further search brought up a documentary on the C57 class which briefly shows that the fluting on the rods was also painted red for that trip as well. So in actuality, this model depicts C57 135 at a very specific point in time: December 1975.

 

The Sankei channel, by the way, has eight railway videos from the end of Japanese steam going back as far as 1973 and as recently as 1976, perfect for those like shadowtiger who want to model steam in Hokkaido. Fair warning: the last video shows the cutting up of a 9600 class locomotive so if you prefer your steam locomotive in one piece, you may wish to skip that one. The remainder are happier and show either C57's, D51's or C11's doing what they were made to do.

 

Alastair

 

 

Ok, i didn´t know anything about this videos. Thank you for sharing. But I want to reproduce C57-135 into former look before the final run in the future. Or i get a second one for a final run train 🤔

 

EDIT: i found the photo of C55-47 with the Tomix car compilation again:

http://railwayinmemory.sakura.ne.jp/02f_347C_04 [730505] C5747_Kya322+Push-DD5132_Wassamu-stn.jpg

 

 

Link: http://railwayinmemory.sakura.ne.jp/HP025_SouyaLine C55(2).html

 

[jappomania]

7 hours ago, cteno4 said:

ahh I see the personal duty per shipment from japan to the US is now $800. But there is no duty on toys. Did they show the exact duty/tariff?

...

just never heard of anyone paying duties/tariffs on model trains from japan to the us.

 

jeff

 

💩see my post above.... 120,40€ for duty and VAT  (so now everybody know why we in Europe can't sell at good price used items..... better to burn it 🔥)

Edited February 24, 2023 by jappomania

[shadowtiger25]

6 hours ago, cteno4 said:

ahh I see the personal duty per shipment from japan to the US is now $800. But there is no duty on toys. Did they show the exact duty/tariff? 
 

sure it wasn’t Tennessee sales tax? Importers are now charging this if over certain limits. Tax applied looks about 8.5%, about Tennessee sales tax maybe? Sales tax is now applied irregardless of the import amount of the shipment its if the vendor does enough business annually to the state. I could see the auction trans shippers doing quite a bit of higher priced business to trip this.
 

Also wouldn’t put it past ups from adding some fee that looks like import duty based on price over $800 that is not actually a collected duty by the us.
 

just never heard of anyone paying duties/tariffs on model trains from japan to the us.

 

jeff

Yeah, none of my other packages have. Unless DHL has worked it in to the price? Either way I don't like UPS.. 

[disturbman]

Peeps, could you please stop quoting the entire post you are answering to and only quote the part/sentence you want to answer to? You can also @ people without quoting if there is a single topic you want to approach.

These automatic and very long quotes are making the forum hard to read/navigate.

Thank you 🙂

[cteno4]

7 hours ago, shadowtiger25 said:

Yeah, none of my other packages have. Unless DHL has worked it in to the price? Either way I don't like UPS.. 

@shadowtiger25 what did UPS list this fee as? I’m just very curious about this as I’ve never seen a duty on toys from japan. From the tariff tables even over the $800 exclusion there should be no tariff. I’m wondering if it’s some insurance for over certain amount by ups. State taxes are just starting to be collected by Japanese shops, but the shop collects the tax, not the carrier.

 

jeff

[bill937ca]

UPS is known for charging "brokerage fees" even when there is no applicable duty due.  I have been paid twice for a class-action lawsuit UPS lost years ago. Inspite of that I believe the practice continues today.

Edited February 25, 2023 by disturbman
unnecessary quote, replying to message above

[cteno4]

Yes I’ve had to pay ups duty brokerage fees on equipment purchased from Canada. In the end there was very little if any duty but charged something like a $40-50 brokerage fee... I was told by the company I was buying the equipment from in Canada that if I didn’t use the service it could be weeks to get the stuff, but if I used ups with this brokerage “service” it would only be days… it may have been because of over the duty free amount but I think there was no duty involved with the equipment ordered, but customs would take time looking hard at the equipment. It did feel like a bit of a scam!

 

AFAIK even over duty free limit toys don’t have a duty coming into the us from japan.

 

jeff

[railsquid]

I was actually bidding on something else, but this fell into the auction basket as well because ridiculously cheap and the previous owner had replaced the couplings (including at the ends) with Tomix TN ones.

 

MicroAce 119 series (Iida Line) by Rail Squid, on Flickr

[shadowtiger25]

On 2/23/2023 at 5:19 PM, Kamome said:

Probably ED76.

 

Did you get a Kyushu type or did you manage to find a Hokkaido ED76-500? Ideal for your current Niseko (Sapporo-Otaru leg)

Hey, competly forgot to ask until I was going to number it. Do you happen to know the road number of the one used for the Niseko and if it should get the mushibishi makers mark or the other one

[lighthouse]

@shadowtiger25 you can use all numbers. There weren't any priority locos for Niseko Exp. Wich number for makers is discribt in the manual of ED76-500.

[Kamome]

8 hours ago, shadowtiger25 said:

Hey, competly forgot to ask until I was going to number it. Do you happen to know the road number of the one used for the Niseko and if it should get the mushibishi makers mark or the other one

Yes as @lighthouse said, i don’t think the were particular loco numbers  that ran the Niseko, but others may have further info. I also believe all were stationed at Iwamizawa, just east of Sapporo.

 

Heres a photo of 517 (manufactured by Toshiba) at Sapporo pulling the Niseko.

https://ahrkzjl149.exblog.jp/18918587/

Edited February 25, 2023 by Kamome