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

[ED75-775]

Still more trains and stuff!

 

 

This time around I went a little smaller because Popondetta Sunmall Hiroshima didn't have as much to tempt me, at which point my wallet is sighing with relief if only for a short time! This all-Kato haul comprised six clear S186 straights for ¥500, a pack of what looked like near-new 20-015 ash pit tracks for ¥440 (RRP ¥550) and a 2016-9 D51 for just ¥7,700 (RRP ¥13,200). And yes, the loco was all complete and running, just needed a change of number plates and I can replace the front guard irons and rear coupler at leisure.

 

There was another D51 there for the same price, but I've left that one be. Though now I have this new locomotive of course, I'm tempted to take it out for a run. So, put your recommendations in folks, where's the best N-gauge rental layout in in the Hakata-Moji areas, and how easy is it to book some time on it?

 

Alastair

[katoftw]

Sorry all I saw was that 30 dollar domino's pizza and fell off my chair in price shock. 🤣

[jappomania]

☠️   now I understand why Naoto san and Fumiaki san were so happy when we met in Bologna and ate the biggest pizza they had ever seen

..... and also why Domino's left Italy 🥲

 

 

[Martijn Meerts]

I know it differs per country, but over here I wouldn’t even call what they serve at Dominos a pizza 😄  

[alain10025]

For a while now I wanted to add a Shinkansen to my collection. I received today a - beautifully packed, as always - parcel from PlazaJapan with the N700S Nozomi (though I am still missing the 10-1699 extension !). I also decided to give a chance to the Kato DX platform with some lighting, I can't wait to see what it looks like ! Oh yes, and a couple of other nice things (signals, passengers...). 

 

Edited June 14, 2023 by alain10025

[ED75-775]

OK, getting back on track (literally) after overpriced pizza discussion...

 

New city, new stuff - seems to be a common theme at the moment. I wasn't overly awed by Hobby Land Pochi or Popondetta here in Hakata, so I'll be travelling around and doing some more train stores tomorrow. In the meantime, here's my latest haul.

 

 

What that D51 'Slug' was doing in the junk bin I'll never know, it looks too good to be 'junk'. And at ¥8,000 (RRP is ¥13,750) that's a fairly decent discount! The Keihan 800-series on the other hand was ¥10,000 and will pair nicely with my 'other' 800 when that is repaired and stops making funny noises.

 

Alastair

[bc6]

Today in my cart I have a Kato E353 Series 4 car Basic set "purchased" from Hobby Search for a great price. I also purchased a Digitrax DZ123 decoder.

[cteno4]

I’ve never not gotten anything I’ve ordered through the hs website. They take good track on their stock I guess. I’m guessing over a hundred purchases over the last couple of decades ordering from them. That matter any of the major Japanese sources we all usually use have never not come through.

 

jeff

[bc6]

OK kool thanks, I know the weekend is here so Im not expecting any type of change in the status until Monday. 

[Wolf]

6 hours ago, bc6 said:

Today in my cart I have a Kato E353 Series 4 car Basic set "purchased" from Hobby Search for a great price. I also purchased a Digitrax DZ123 decoder.

 

Isnt the E353 suitable for Kato Slide in decoders like EM13? Why go the wired DZ123? Or are these two purchases unrelated, in that case sorry XD

[bc6]

Hey Wolf the DZ123 is for my Tomix Shinkansen not the E353 lol, Thanks for the reminder that I need a EM13 now lol. 

Edited June 17, 2023 by bc6

[SwallowAngel]

On 6/1/2023 at 1:16 AM, Tony Galiani said:

Japan's GDP rises, economists can't figure out why.  Don't think to correlate with JNS Forum member visits.

Tony

Guess I´ll be contributing to that GDP. 

I have just returned from my first trip to Japan and of course I have shown my wallet no mercy...

 

Locomotives/Trains

 

 

 

Kato 2027 Anniversary C50:

Picked this one up from the Hobbyland Pochi in Akihabara. While I adore the proportions of this locomotive, I wish I had found a Kato C57-1. However this serves as a "replacement" just fine, as C50´s are just as beautiful. I also picked it up at a decent price, so no tears were shed when I paid for this beauty...

 

Kato 2017-K C62 (Umekouji Specification / Kyoto Store Special)

As my travels took me to Kyoto (by Shinkansen 😉) I of course had too visit the Kato Store located at the Station. Aaaaaand because I am a sucker for ornamental decorations/liveries on my locomotives, I picked up this beauty. Featuring a gloss coat and a livery the picks out ALL the features, the "swallow angel" makes a great addition to my small fleet.

 

Bandai B Shorty Shinkansen 0 Series

As I was too poor for a layout large enough for a "proper" Shinkansen, I decided to buy a Kato Shinkansen 0 and threw it into my dryer at a temperature higher than the manufacturers recommendation. I picked up this stubby lad from the Mandarake at Nakano Broadway. Surprisingly it was still sealed and the box was in absolutely immaculate condition. Shedding a tear when I broke the seal, I assembled the kit and motorized it. Subsequently I fell in love with the cute proportions and now crave a Shorty version of my favourite Shinkansens: The 100 Series, 300 Series and 700S (Seriously, I would kill for those)

 

Bandai B Shorty Kashima Rinkai Railway KiHa 6000 Girls und Panzer livery

Aaaand as I have watched and thoroughly enjoyed Girls und Panzer, I had to pick up one of these eventually. I also bought this at the Nakano Broadway Mandarake and I still can't believe I spent money on this for "shits and giggles"...

 

Passenger Cars and Wagons

 

 

Kato MAITE 58 2

I also snatched up this beauty in the Kato Kyoto Station Store. I bought this due to the lack of an observation car in my fleet. And now (with some imagination)

 I can run my two C62-2's in a double header pulling the "Tsubame Express". I just pretend the second C62-2 is C62-18 and vòila a still inaccurate rendition of the top-link express we all know and love...

 

Kato OHA 31

As an aftermath of my C50 purchase I had to buy these two coaches. They compliment the C50 and make a great addition to my rolling stock.

 

Tomix OHA coaches

Bought these two coaches from the Hobbyland Pochi in Akihabara from the "Junk" section. 

 

Tomix Trainbox wagon

Picked this up from the Kyoto Railway Museum as another "shits and giggles" item... (I should definitely stop my humour from making financial decisions...)

 

Others

 

Parts

I also picked up some Assy Parts from the Kato Shop in Tokyo, but I'm too lazy to make a picture of those. Mostly couplers and chassis for the Shorty's. However I also snatched up some snowplows for future use. 

 

Maglev Model

 

 

And last but not least I picked up this static model from the Nagoya Maglev Park. This was a gift for my younger brother and floats on magnets, making it a neat little display model.

 

 

TL:DR

-I picked up some lovely models

-I significantly expanded my fleet

-I helped the japanese economy

-I will from now on stop my humour from making financial decisions (maybe)

-My wallet has officially divorced me and has turned in our divorce papers

-I spent two fantastic weeks in Japan

 

Anyway, that is all. I'll post here once I find a new wallet and make another irresponsible financial decision...

Cheers 

Edited June 17, 2023 by SwallowAngel

[bc6]

I ordered a bunch of these terminals for my NCE Power Cab.

 

[ED75-775]

23 hours ago, SwallowAngel said:

Anyway, that is all. I'll post here once I find a new wallet and make another irresponsible financial decision...

My wallet has learned it can't run from me, otherwise I start stressing out and turning things upside down to find it. But I'm sure it's not overly happy with me right now, as it's also been shown no mercy, although in more recent times it has received something of a breather since Kyushu has proven to have fewer hobby stores with attractive goods on hand. Still found a few things to add to the list, but no pretty pictures as they're all bagged up:

- One set Kato 23-133 platforms from Yodobashi Camera in Hakata (¥1180)

- One MicroAce A2281 KiHa 42600 set from Mandarake Hakata (¥8000)

- And today's latest buy, the Kato 7011-4 DE10 Kyushu vers. which came from Nikkyosha Model Shop in Kumamoto today. (¥7920)

 

The DE10 was a spontaneous buy as I'd snapped DE10 1207 on the rear of the SL Hitoyoshi and decided I wanted to buy one. The chap at Nikkyosha was really nice and very helpful - didn't realize he also offered card payments, as his EFTPOS terminal hides in the back room and I had to ask politely about that when I discovered I did not have enough ¥1,000 bills for what I planned. Things worked out, I got my DE10 and it will become 1207 in honor of today's locomotive.

 

Have to say, for a small model shop Nikkyosha seemed to have a decent selection, maybe one to watch down the line.

 

Alastair

[Kamome]

5 hours ago, ED75-775 said:

Kyushu has proven to have fewer hobby stores with attractive goods on hand.

You’re right about that. Yodobashi camera Hakata used to have a very good selection of railway stock, although once Poppondetta opened in the refurbished Amu Plaza station building, they started to reduce their range to the now, small corner of their hobby and model area. It is pretty pitiful compared to what’s available in a lot of their other stores. Poppondetta Hakata has also seemed to have become less interesting from its former glory. Don’t think i’ve bought anything in my last 3 or 4 visits into Hakata other than the odd Tomytec motor unit or some couplers. 

 

Tam Tam in Haruda, out towards Chikushino carries a good range of railway stuff but is a bit out of the way and there’s really nothing else in the area. It’s in a very run down looking mall called Belleza that probably should really be knocked down. Good prices and the famous, can’t be arsed, Tam Tam customer service.  Definitely not the concentration of good model shops that you get in other cities anymore which is why most of my stuff is bought online these days. ¥500 postage is better than ¥2000 on train fair or similar on the expressway. 

 

Fukaya in Yahata carries a lot of stock in a tiny space although everything is priced at SRP. The chap gets a lot of HO business, especially ordering brass models although he doesn’t keep this stuff stocked, for obvious reasons. Stuff is stacked high in very narrow aisles and his Kato/ Tomix HO is pretty well stocked. 

[bc6]

I really hate Japanese trains lol no I don't, Today I pulled the trigger on the 5 car add on set for the E353 series and a EM13 decoder for the motor car.

 

[mags_minibuilds]

Just came back from a 2 week trip from Tokyo/Kyoto/Takayama. This is my first time doing some intense train shopping. A couple B-Train Shorty additions, HO narrow brass kits, and HO diorama supplies. Some stuff I really wanted so I ordered from RG Rokko and had it shipped to my friend in Kyoto. I visited Ponpondetta, Ami Ami and Imon in Akihabara, Tokyu Hands (now called Hands) for tools, Gallery Sakatsu and Mandarake Nakano Broadway. My two favorite stores were Sakatsu and Mandarake. The folks at Sakatsu are super nice and humble, the store was quiet and calm where I can take my time to look at stuff. Mandarake was crazy crowded but had so much stuff I wanted to bring home at really good prices.

[Giugiaro]

On 6/17/2023 at 5:58 PM, SwallowAngel said:

(I should definitely stop my humour from making financial decisions...)

 

That's how I avoided buying the UP Big Boy.

[Martijn Meerts]

11 hours ago, ZandT said:

Just came back from a 2 week trip from Tokyo/Kyoto/Takayama. This is my first time doing some intense train shopping. A couple B-Train Shorty additions, HO narrow brass kits, and HO diorama supplies.

 

Ooh, some nice kit building tools there. That heat resistant soldering board is really useful 🙂

 

[lighthouse]

MicroAce KiHa 281 arrived last week

 

[mags_minibuilds]

6 hours ago, Martijn Meerts said:

 

Ooh, some nice kit building tools there. That heat resistant soldering board is really useful 🙂

 

 

Yes! When I saw those bakelite strips and boards on Mr. Imon's articles that you had sent me, I knew I had to have them. It took two trips to Imon (different locations) to find the board.

[SL-san]

Just unpacked a delivery from RG-Rokko!

A Greenmax structures kit, Tomytec railroad workers, Kato replacement couplers, Kato Sound Cards for D51 and C12/C56 and of course a Kato Sound Box all neatly packed in RG-Rokko's 49th Anniversary Bag with a complimentary pen.

 

Now all I have to do is learn how to 'drive' the sound of my SLs!!

[SL-san]

Well actually RG-Rokko's 40th Anniversary.

[bill937ca]

Track Magic track fluid for my tram tracks from a local source.

 

Vendor's description:

Track Magic Liquid Track Cleaner - 8-1/2oz Bottle

Deluxe Materials Track Magic is a special cleaning fluid for model rail and slot car tracks electrical contacts and wheels that:
- Maximizes conductivity and reliability
- Works in low power and confined space situations
- Revives old electric contacts and improves new ones
- Is safe on plastic, foam, acrylic and enamel paint
- Is safe in track cleaning vehicles

This product is considered HAZARDOUS. Shipping restrictions may apply. This item may not be shipped by air.

http://www.ovrtrains.com/Deluxe-Materials-AC26-Track-Magic-Liquid-Track-Cleaner-8-1-2oz-Bottle.html

[bc6]

I couldn't help myself so today I ordered the Kato 3 car e353 set. Soon I'll have the 3+4+5 sets ordered from Plaza Japan which has good prices.