Japanese model railway culture

[Irish Padre]

Just idle curiosity here really! I've heard that Kato and Tomy track is often used by Japanese model railroaders to build elaborate temporary layouts. Just wondered if any members had experience of doing this. My current circumstances mean that my layouts have an ephemeral existence on the dining room table, and just wondered if anyone out there, especially in Japan, was also doing that sort of thing? Can take a while to set up but it's great fun and definitely beats having no layout at all!

[railsquid]

I've seen videos of fairly extensive layouts-on-the-tatami, if I can find some I'll post them. On the other hand there's quite a lot of literature devoted to building actual fixed layouts, albeit usually small enough to fit on 60x90cm baseboards (or multiples thereof) and there are certainly enough scenic elements available which would require a proper layout, so it's not like they don't exist.

 

Personally I find the Kato/Tomix track systems excellent for a temporary layout while I dither on what to actually build; they're very good for "prototyping" and after much experimentation I finally have an idea what I want to build on the "main" part of my layout (currently working on a small part on a shelf, see here for details). This is part of my current temporary set-up:

 

[Irish Padre]

Thanks Railsquid - that's very helpful. I love the tatami philosophy as I just can't have a permanent layout. This is the sort of thing I enjoy doing - setting up a main line with various configurations of branch line and industrial trackage....

[Kabutoni]

The Kato and Tomix systems have been developed for temporary layouts, as the majority of the Japanese model railroader makes temporary layouts. There are however also a lot of permanent layouts, but these aren't representative of the majority.

 

P.s. this guy has some creative and interesting temporary layout ideas with Tomix track: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLsEIkMCTQtroXeKXfexHpg You have to plough through some of his not-railway related stuff, but then you come across little gems of inspiration.

Edited October 16, 2015 by Toni Babelony

[railsquid]

Here's some floor layouts I came across while researching train-mounted cameras:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azSbvnQQ4As

[cteno4]

Padre,

 

Yes it's pretty common to do this in Japan. Our club did things the Japanese temporary layout way for the first 5 years on our show layout.mwe would build the layout on the fly at each show and tear it all down again at the end of the weekend. We went thru a slow evolution on the track plan and finally settled on one and printed it out an put that on our module bases to help make the setup go faster.

 

http://www.japanrailmodelers.org/pages/layout/layout.1.0.html

 

This did take a lot of time and effort to setup plus keeping track of a lot of bits and pieces, so we finally went to a sectional layout design.

 

The German Japanese model train club IG nippoN also has meet ups where they build a large layout for a weekend get together.

 

http://www.jnsforum.com/community/topic/8439-ig-nippon-鉄道模型マニアの会-201402/

 

Barry Lowell did a great article on doing temporary layouts like this and utilizing the little scenery bit techniques from war gaming. With a colored cloth base and lots of scenery bits a temporary layout can look quite final! It's also am easier way to do scenery in little bits being faster and let's you try lots of scenery techniques.

 

http://www.japanrailmodelers.org/pages/modelingjapan/tempoary.html

 

Cheers

 

Jeff

[Irish Padre]

Thanks everyone - that's really inspiring! I could have a permanent layout if it was a 2' by 1' plank but it's much more fun watching limited expresses roar through a Kato overhead station with double track - and the next day try a brand new track plan!

[velotrain]

 This is the sort of thing I enjoy doing - setting up a main line with various configurations of branch line and industrial trackage....

 

Padre - are you planning to load the freight cars in the photo onto the Ark?

[cteno4]

Padre,

 

Take a look at Barry's article, perfect for your needs! Heavy cloth works well to give a more earth like surface easily and great to hide wires with.

 

Jeff

[katoftw]

Playing on the floor is nothing new.  I bet you'll find we've all done it once.  And most would have started on the floor or dining table before graduating to fixed layouts.

Edited October 17, 2015 by katoftw

[railsquid]

I discovered it when I moved in Japan few month back, those temporary layout are great to me as I do not have fix home at the moment.

I looked at both Kato and Tomix system, which one has your preference?

I'm hesitating before investing in one system.

I found the Tomix rails looking better, they seems have more rail accessories available, meanwhile I found that Kato seems have better "Shinkansen rail system".

There are any adaptor available to mix the two systems? 

 

Yes, Kato part number 20-045. After having experimented with both, I'm starting to prefer Tomix as it's generally more flexible, including a wider range of points.

[westfalen]

The concept of T-TRAK modules is similar and makes use of Unitrack's ability to be put together and taken apart repeatedly, just with modules rather than individual track pieces.

[Irish Padre]

Padre - are you planning to load the freight cars in the photo onto the Ark?

Well I suppose they are in pairs! :) Thanks for your helpful replies, everyone.

[Welshbloke]

I do it all the time now I have some Kato elevated double track (started with the oval boxed set, then added a couple of packs of extra piers and assorted extra track sections to give a very long oval). I'll probably buy another two pairs of the approach curves and another pack of the 45 degree curves to build an elevated version of the V11 set next.

 

Ground level running works ok in HO with Marklin, but in N it was just a recipe for spending the next three days picking carpet fluff and cat hair out of mechanisms. Just wish Kato offered more radii of elevated double track curves (they make extras to go both inside and outside the ground level double track) and a few other bits and pieces, like elevated pointwork. I understand Tomix do, but it's a bit late for me to change now.

 

My plan is to use one of the elevated station sets with some single track viaduct sections to give a siding on one line (using a #4 turnout in place of the R481-15 reverse curves leading onto one side of the island platform, with single track viaduct straights to give enough clearance to fit three tracks on that end of the station), then possibly use one of the station extension plate sets and a couple of sets of points to end up with three elevated sidings.

[Irish Padre]

Sounds great! My table just isn't big enough for elevated track but I'd love to try it in the future. I

[Welshbloke]

That's why I use the viaduct - the tables aren't big enough for a decent layout and ground level track on the floor is a complete non-starter. That 50mm lift above the fluff keeps the trains happy.

[railsquid]

That's one advantage with tatami and/or "flooring", which are pretty omnipresent in Japan (no wall-to-wall carpeting here outside hotels). Though Chez Railsquid is admittedly devoid of tatami.

[Welshbloke]

It's either rugs or hundred and ten year old floorboards here, neither of which are particularly good for N scale! The viaduct piers compensate for a lot of unevenness as well.

[Densha]

I split the posts about Unitrack vs FineTrack to a new thread because it isn't really related to model railway culture. You can find the Unitrack vs FineTrack thread over here: http://www.jnsforum.com/community/topic/10710-kato-unitrack-vs-tomix-finetrack/

[Welshbloke]

Should have my big oval out over the weekend, will get some photos/videos. I have an eight car 165 Series with a KuMoYuNi/KuMoNi pair on one end in need of a proper run...

[Irish Padre]

I'll look forward to that! Planning some running on the table soon to let my Iida line stock stretch out!

[railsquid]

No place on the floor? Here's a solution:

 

[Welshbloke]

The 117 Series and 165 Series pass at speed

 

 

The KuMoYuNi 74 and KuMoNi 83-800 on the rear end of the 165 Series set

 

 

The two motors on the 165+KuMoYuNi set seem to be settling to run at similar speeds, after a brief time when the KuMoYuNi would start slowly spinning its wheels until the MoHa 165 started moving! Both are brand new and have had a few strategic drops of oil.

[Irish Padre]

Looks brilliant! I ordered a three car Iida set the other night (10-1225) but really need to start running what I've got. The viaduct layout you've got set up looks really good.

[Welshbloke]

It's very easy to assemble, just like normal Unitrack. The sections are held together by an S Joiner and the usual Unijoiners, the S Joiner then clips into the viaduct piers (with the catenary supports sandwiched beween the two).

 

I've added the equivalent of an extra five 248mm straights to each side of the V13 set, I think it's now at the point where I should probably add some extra power feeds so I'll order the parts to do so before I next set it up. Also eyeballing the elevated station set as I already have the platforms and track to fit it.