Other Manufacturers - New Releases

[Cat]

New rail-cleaning car with fun shorty styling just popped up from TGW:
https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/11059279

[cteno4]

Looks like an upgrade of their old one.

 

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10637098

 

jeff

[Cat]

4 hours ago, cteno4 said:

Looks like an upgrade of their old one.

 

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10637098

I like the new styling.

[cteno4]

Yes agreed.

 

jeff

[Welshbloke]

Plum appear to be planning a kit for the 115-300 series. Split into packs as usual, will need motor and trailer bogie parts along with couplers, and maybe a new pantograph for each MoHa 114. Looking at the photos I think you no longer need to buy extras to enable this, there's an exploded diagram of a bogie on Hobbysearch which implies you can fit Tenshodo T-Evolution parts in place of the static axles.

 

Very tempted, the difficult part with JDM kits is always finding the right paint colours and the lettering/numbering though. I reckon a three car set will probably come in around £240 at Hobbysearch prices, by the time you've added a couple of motor bogies and the other parts.

[Kamome]

As Tomix produced the 115-300, I wonder whether its worth the bother.

How well do the Plum models run as they're designed as a static model？Tam Tam were doing a full 10 car 201 series in Chuo orange a while ago which was very tempting. The details look great but I wonder how much you would lose once you add the running parts and whether they're too light. I have a Mani 60 from Nihon Seimitsumokei which is a little light and tends to wobble along the track.

 

I'm also not hugely enamoured with the Tenshodo power truck at its current development. It is geared far too quickly. The one in my T-Evolution Kumoru 145/Kuru 144  absolutely flies around the track on very little power. I needed to wire additional pickups from the opposite bogie to stop the thing from stalling and it can still be very jerky as there is minimal voltage increase input required between stopped and scale 60mph with no flywheel to keep momentum on any dirty or rough spots. I've now replaced the Kadee couplers with more rigid Imon Shibata ones between cars as there was a lot of push/pull with the inconsistency of the motor car.   Perhaps multiple Moha's on a heavier train might iron out some of the limitations of these motor bogies. Would be great if Kato could produce a generic motor bogie like they use on their EF510, EF81 and latest 165 series. Those things run silky smooth.

[bill937ca]

Pro Hobby figures and details are being re-released in March

 

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10181305?utm_source=nsl&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20240308_104_news&utm_content=10181305_en

 

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/search?typ1_c=104&cat=rail&target=Make&searchkey=Pro-Hobby&utm_source=nsl&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20240308_104_news&utm_content=make_en

[Welshbloke]

Well, judging by my Tenshodo KuMoYa, KuMoRu/KuRu and four car AClass 205 series they should run ok. I always wire the trailing bogie pickups to the motor and fit the factory ballast weights in the Tenshodo units, the 205 has twin power bogies and as much lead as I could cram under the floor. They don't need much power but I find them pretty controllable on both Kato and whatever the club layout uses by way of power supply, I can certainly make mine roll away at a realistic rate of acceleration and slow to a stand without lurching. I fitted Tomix couplers to the Tenshodo units and the 205 uses the body mounted shibatas which came in the kits, so there's almost no slack and they have proper close coupling with scale-looking couplers.

 

The main trick to decent running kits is weight. The AClass add-on kits for trailers produce vehicles which weigh about the same as a RTR coach (you get two long metal plates to tuck between the underframe and interior), with free rolling wheels and pickup through the axle pinpoints. I did have to think a bit about ballasting the MoHa, but it copes with three trailers comfortably. I was able to rig up directional lighting with SMD LEDs, 1k resistors and some very fine silicone insulated wire (also good for linking pickups) which looks the part.

[cteno4]

8 hours ago, bill937ca said:

Pro Hobby figures and details are being re-released in March

Yes noticed a good hunk of their figures are finally getting remade! I wonder if they will be doing their etched brass stuff as well, they had some nice bits there. I was curious if they are now owned by someone else or still same company just disappeared there for a number of years. That reminds me I have to finish my friend’s little sumo scene to give him.

 

jeff