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

[bill937ca]

4 hours ago, railsquid said:

Oh, that's available again? I must obtain one, the straight parts are very useful for making level crossings, "hard standing" etc. too.

Yes, this was a pre-order from Hobby Search. But I imagine you can get it at Tam Tam.

[Skasaha]

I've picked up a decent amount since my last posts here. Please excuse the poor lighting.

 

First, I've picked up a couple spare cases for things like passenger cars, and I've almost filled this one. Will probably get the last 3 whenever I next get something from Rokko.

 

In this photo I have a Kato C12, a Kato ED75-700 and the Orange Hisatsu's HSOR-100. These were all from auctions on Yahoo, although I lucked out a bit - the C12 was both unused and wasn't overpriced, and this particular livery of the HSOR-100, the 'normal' one, is the hardest one to find. I'd guess it's just because it's the oldest.

 

The ED75 came with accessories installed, including the knuckles it'd come with new. So I thought now while I've got zero lighting available that'd be the perfect time for my first go at adding accessories to something, to the C12.

 

I first tried the front snow plow, then cut out and put on the plates. Then it dawned on me to find out if C12-67 ever needed a plow, so I looked it up and found it's on display in a park near Nagoya - no plow. So off came the plow. I then struggled quite a bit with the rear knuckle, as while getting the arnold off isn't difficult there isn't really quite enough room to push the two-part knuckle onto the pin. I still don't know how I did without breaking it. but once it got on the pin I was able to put it back together perfectly. The only part I'm not happy with is that I scratched some of the number plates while trying to put them on, although you probably can't tell without a magnifying glass. Or decent lighting.

 

Also I got Tomix's 8-car set of the Kintetsu Hinotori.

 

I still have a couple more in the mail: Kato's Yamaguchi-go coach set and Tomix's Nishi Kyushu N700S Shinkansen, which both had some reasonably deep discounts on a sale at Hobbysearch recently (about 10k yen each). Meanwhile my wishlists on a bunch of sites continue to grow...

[SL58654号]

@Skasaha Nice accumulation you've got there! I've got the C12 and the ED75 and a couple of 50 series coaches myself. 

[bc6]

Just picked up today the TOMIX JNR Railways Crane car and flat car for my maintenance train.

I also picked up my Joban Ueno Tokyo Line E531 Series set.

 

 

[Skasaha]

On 10/8/2023 at 9:13 PM, Skasaha said:

I still have a couple more in the mail: Kato's Yamaguchi-go coach set and Tomix's Nishi Kyushu N700S Shinkansen, which both had some reasonably deep discounts on a sale at Hobbysearch recently (about 10k yen each). Meanwhile my wishlists on a bunch of sites continue to grow...

 

Lo and behold, they showed up today.

 

The Yamaguchi coach set had a hiccup with one of the couplers having been shaken off in transit. Very fiddly but nothing I can't put back.

 

And a home for the new loose locos from my recent post. I find this very convenient as most of the times I'm running stuff it'll be at an event rather than at home.

[SL58654号]

3 hours ago, Skasaha said:

 

Lo and behold, they showed up today.

 

 

Nice photo and collection! I have the C12 and Yamaguchi-go set by Tomix. 
Between the SL and the Kyushu Shinkansen, I'm not sure which loco is more emblematic of Japan and its railway culture. 

[railsquid]

On 10/7/2023 at 8:46 PM, bill937ca said:

Yes, this was a pre-order from Hobby Search. But I imagine you can get it at Tam Tam.

 

Got one from Yodobashi Camera, they must have been new in as there weren't any last time I checked. Got me a bunch of points thanks to replacing the household A/C units earlier this year, so it was "free" in that I walked out with it without handing over any money. Don't need it right now, but from experience with these things, no doubt a couple of years down the line I'll suddenly need various bits from it and they'll be as rare as hen's teeth again.

[tripel7]

Ordered on eBay last week, already arrived.

 

On track it runs terrible, no pulling power, no directional lighting, derails at every corner, but as a konbini it works fine, and its more than reasonable for the 15e I paid for it;

 

 

 

 

 

 

FamilyMart is of course well known from the Abroad in Japan Youtube channel, and I hope to eventually use in a way related to that.

Edited October 14, 2023 by tripel7

[SwallowAngel]

15 minutes ago, tripel7 said:

On track it runs terrible, no pulling power, no directional lighting, derails at every corner,

 

Did you try lubricating it? A liter of WD-40 usually does the trick for my n-gauge rolling stock. 

As for the lighting, there's nothing you can do besides order a new lighting board from the Tomix, unless you're up for SMD soldering...

 

I have my hopes up for this beauty, these are usually good pullers and runners... 

[bc6]

Today I got a helping hands tool that Ive been eying for a while as well as some really tiny solder and some paste flux.

 

 

\

 

[KateM]

Small haul from YAJ.

 

* JR East Kiha E131/E132-500 from the Tomytec Railway Collection. New, I just added four Tomix TN couplers. Will probably stay without motor but will get metal wheels in the future. 

* Tomix Sanriku Railway 36-1200 set. Used but pretty good condition given its age. These are with the infamous spring worm drive chassis so they got treated with a new chassis. Came with the old Tomix interior lights as a bonus.

* Tomix Sanriku Railway 36-100/200 set that provided chassis for the set above. Came with Tomix TN couplers installed which is great, these are hard to come by. Spare bodies might get some use in the future if I start learning how to customize the liveries.

 

 

My workbench has been occupied by Pokémon cards lately as I prepare for a major tournament as a main organizer, more train work is planned for winter. A half-year haul from RGR is scheduled to be sent in time for Christmas. 

[SL58654号]

Here's what the postman delivered today:
My Kokutetsu EL collection continues - probably one of the finest electric locomotives I've obtained so far! (Along with the EF55 and ED19) I got this new EF56 (3070-2) from Amazon for a bargain discount price with a gift card applied. I'm certainly a happy camper with it!
Anyone for the EL Hitoyoshi?

And for a million dollars - can anybody tell what railway the open book lying on the coffee table (third photo) is about? I'm certainly a fan of 外国鉄道. 😄

[Beaver]

11 hours ago, SL58654号 said:

can anybody tell what railway the open book lying on the coffee table (third photo) is about?

 

Waterloo's forsaken outpost upon the moors of Hardy Country way down the Withered Arm.

 

Nightacott, Narracot, Hunnacot's passed.

Right for the North they race.

He's heading straight for Blackmoor Gate.

And setting a pounding pace!

 

(The Lynton & Barnstable. Or at least that page is, I don't know about the scope of the rest of the book.......)

[bc6]

This week was a nice week for incoming N scale stuff for me  Some used Kato track and switches & Kato 20-871 V12 Double Track Up & Down Variation Pack.

 

 

Edited October 20, 2023 by bc6

[SL58654号]

5 hours ago, Beaver said:

 

Waterloo's forsaken outpost upon the moors of Hardy Country way down the Withered Arm.

 

Nightacott, Narracot, Hunnacot's passed.

Right for the North they race.

He's heading straight for Blackmoor Gate.

And setting a pounding pace!

 

(The Lynton & Barnstable. Or at least that page is, I don't know about the scope of the rest of the book.......)

Yes! Give the man a prize! I knew somebody from the UK in this group would get! 
It's simply "The Lynton & Barnstaple Railway" by J.R. Yeomans - D. Bradford Barton Ltd. 

[cteno4]

Where is the dude’s million bucks!!?? 😜

 

jeff

[SL58654号]

12 hours ago, cteno4 said:

Where is the dude’s million bucks!!?? 😜

 

jeff

Hang on. Gotta convert it from JP yen, into Yankee bucks, into British pounds! 

*stuffs money into computer* 

*computer breaks*

 

@Beaver ...Will you take an I.O.U. for now?

[cteno4]

Currently only 149,852,027.29 jpy, pocket change.

 

jeff

[Kamome]

Pretty much 12 months after its release, finally decided to expand my Tokaido-Sanyo fleet with a Kato 300系. The shop also had a single motor unit from HCK which I’m not really sure if I needed but added as it was the last one. 

 

TBH, I never really gave the 300 series much thought. My first experience of Japan was in 2005-2007 and the 700 and 500 series had relegated the 300 to Kodama and Hikari services. The duck bill of the 700 and the space age canopy of the 500 really looked incredible to me, whereas the more simplistic wedge of the 300 felt dated by comparison. I was generally disappointed when a 300 would show up for a Hikari service and not a 700. I was also lucky enough to travel on the 500 Nozomi service a few times before it had its wings clipped, unfairly, i might add.

 

I had no real clue as to the importance that the 300 played in the development of travel between the major hub cities. As it started the Nozomi service which is now synonymous with the newer and faster services. It’s certainly wasn’t the most amazing of designs but its shape has grown on me over the last few years and I had considered getting a Tomix version until the Kato was announced. 

 

The price was also quite attractive for a 16 coach set, about the same as the upcoming 9 car ocean arrow set from the usual discounted stores. 

 

Probably need to add an N700S to the fleet along with a 700 rail star and a 4 car 100 series Kodama service which I remember seeing around the same time. 

 

[SwallowAngel]

9 hours ago, Kamome said:

The duck bill of the 700 and the space age canopy of the 500 really looked incredible to me, whereas the more simplistic wedge of the 300 felt dated by comparison.

 

Kinda ironic, considering I personally think both the 100's and the 300's design aged like fine wine.

 

I first discovered the Shinkansen system through the 300 in a railway book I had as a child. I was instantly intrigued by the brilliant white and the sharp angles. Same goes for the 100, though I only learned of it later.

In fact I thought both 100 and 300 Series Shinkansen were modern-ish designs, rather than the 80's and 90's designs that they are. Especially now though, as hard angles and minimalism are considered modern, I think both series wouldn't look too out of place in a modern setting.

 

For me, both designs strike a perfect balance between the hard edges of more radical wedge (500, E1, E3) and the more plane-like (0,200) designs.

 

My only complaint I have for the 300's though is that their models are so goddamn expensive. I wish I wouldn't have to sell a leg and my liver to get one...

Edited October 23, 2023 by SwallowAngel

[maihama eki]

I remember the 300 series on the Nozomi service.

 

We had traveled from Tokyo to Nagoya for a work trip - probably in the late 90s. I guess we must have taken a Hikari train to Nagoya - presumably on a 100 series. My boss at the time found out there was a faster service back to Tokyo (Nozomi) and got our tickets changed for the return trip to take the Nozomi. I'm pretty sure that was my first trip on a 300 series.

Edited October 23, 2023 by maihama eki

[Kamome]

12 hours ago, SwallowAngel said:

Kinda ironic, considering I personally think both the 100's and the 300's design aged like fine wine.

I now agree with you. It's definitely an important phase in the evolution of the designs. I just never really considered it until a few years ago and should probably have fonder memories of riding them, as I do with the E1s and E4s. I also remember seeing the 100 series 4 car P formations in their grey and lime green livery and initially assuming, quite wrongly, that these were the original 0 series. Sadly I never rode the 100 series, most of my travel on the shinkansen was to major hubs so the Kodama was never a feasible option and didn't have the luxury to rail fan. I did get to sit in a Grand Hikari upper deck dining car but that was just a stationary display at a depot in southern Fukuoka. Nice to reminisce a little and still remember the 500 at speed having a definite rumble compared to the much smoother 700, which felt a little too smooth, if that makes sense.

 

As for the model, I fitted the second motor unit to the recommended car 8. The factory fitted unit is in car 10. As its essentially an extra car 10 motor unit, the seating and partition position is slightly off for a few of the windows. It also wasn't as easy to fit compared to the existing chassis. Kato also suggest it can be fitted to car 9 but the seating will not line up, assumedly much worse than in car 10.

 

The secondary motor has no traction tyres so will either wheel slip or get dragged. I've not yet tested how closely the motors run in terms of speed. From past experiences with Kato E2/E3, E4,E3, E5/E3, E5/E6 combinations, I imagine not very close. I'm not sure if it was a necessary addition, although I do find the 16 car formations on my other Tok-San shinkansen seem a little under-powered on any inclines. I need to construct a test track as before I had purchased the easement incline piers, the E5 and 0 especially used to ground at the top of the hill.

Edited October 24, 2023 by Kamome

[SL58654号]

I obtained another small-time job in the area, and to celebrate I took another stroll into Nikkyosha Model Store. 
At first, I planned to have a glance at and probably purchase the EF61 (3093-3), but that's cheaper on Amazon. What was not cheaper on Amazon was the EF80 (3064-2), and since I like the pinkish hue of its livery, and since it's a Kokutetsu EL, I went for it. It was only ¥7,500 at Nikkyosha compared to over ¥10,000 on Amazon.
What do you think?

Other Japanese EL by KATO I'd like to pick up include:

• ED16
• EF10
• EF16
• EF57
• EF58

And who knows where my collecting will stop?
I never even thought that my non-steam locomotive accumulation would exceed the number of SL in my roster!

And if you'll permit me to dream, this EF50 would be on my must-have list if KATO ever decides to make it.

Edited October 25, 2023 by SL58654号

[chadbag]

On 10/23/2023 at 7:57 AM, Kamome said:

Pretty much 12 months after its release, finally decided to expand my Tokaido-Sanyo fleet with a Kato 300系. The shop also had a single motor unit from HCK which I’m not really sure if I needed but added as it was the last one. 

 

TBH, I never really gave the 300 series much thought. My first experience of Japan was in 2005-2007 and the 700 and 500 series had relegated the 300 to Kodama and Hikari services. The duck bill of the 700 and the space age canopy of the 500 really looked incredible to me, whereas the more simplistic wedge of the 300 felt dated by comparison. I was generally disappointed when a 300 would show up for a Hikari service and not a 700. I was also lucky enough to travel on the 500 Nozomi service a few times before it had its wings clipped, unfairly, i might add.

 

 

Cool.  While I've never ridden a Nozomi of any sort, since we always travel by rail pass, I have ridden the 300 a lot back in the 200x and early to mid 201x as they were put into Hikari service.  Once inside they felt the same as a 700 but like you, I always wanted to ride a 700 and not the 300 as the 700 was "cooler".

 

I did ride a 500 once but only on Kodama service.  Plus the Hello Kitty 500 more recently (which is also a Kodama I believe).  When my son was younger we'd plan trips just to ride certain trains.  We did ride the Lime 100 series once on a Kodama -- specifically traveling a few stations down in order to ride it back.

 

I would like to add a 300 to my stable at some point but it will be awhile.  I like to have the trains I've ridden (plus all the cool looking ones regardless of personal 1:1 scale experience)

[Kamome]

Weirdly my first experience of a Nozomi service was the 500. You could definitely feel a fair bit of vibration once it was at full speed and I remember first feeling a little queasy on the 700 as it was the opposite and super smooth in comparison. The 700 felt like a bit of a step backwards in design although the emphasis shifted to noise reduction as well as speed.

 

The 500 was a bit like riding on an airplane but i’ve not yet had the inclination or courage to ride in the Kitty 500. My oldest son actually took a Kodama 500 to Himeji some years ago, then he was about 4,  and lucked out as it was the Evangelion one. Not being an anime fan myself but riding in the cockpit with a live feed of the journey would’ve been fun. I do see the Kitty 500 quite frequently as it departs Hakata at 7:04 most days so I catch a glimpse on its way to Kokura.