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

[Pauljag900]

46 minutes ago, chadbag said:

 

It will be DCC but not before the birthday.  Our layouts now are impromptu table top so I can do DCC or DC, depending on what we need or want to run, and i am not sure I'll have enough time or a place without prying eyes to get it done by the birthday.    For the motor I'll use a D&H DH05 or DH10, depending on what I have available in my stash (not already planned for a train).  Not sure how best to run the front and rear cab lights.  I may have the wife get some FL12 while she is in Japan and hardwire those in or get some NGDCC bipolar decoders (or both) or just wire in function decoders and flip the LEDs and program them etc (the usual routine).  We'll see what I can come up with.

 

I expect the motor decoder to be similar to the Tomix N700 I did so it should be pretty easy.  I'll make sure to document it for posterity.

 

You lost me at the mention of Dcc! 😂😂😂

she s going to love that mate👍👍😀

[serotta1972]

Come on Chad, you can come clean with us and just say it’s yours man. We won’t judge, you’re amongst train friends. 😀

[JR 500系]

Being real busy with the new work... but it doesn't stop the trains from coming in~ 

 

First up, the lovely Seven Stars! Simply love it! 

[JR 500系]

Next up, 2 more parcels with the GSE 7000 and some more buses... and the cute little Gudetama! 

 

 

[chadbag]

So, last night Santa came and when we got home from my uncle's house (where we were for Christmas Eve dinner of Lutefisk and Salmon for the non-believers). he had already been there.  So the kids were allowed to open the gifts last night (more in line with our Norwegian heritage anyway) as my wife is working a shift today at the hospital.

A few train related things were brought.  Besides the "Seven Stars in Kyushu" train, which I previously mentioned and posted pictures of, I received the Tomix Kinokuni Seaside railcar set (I already have the DE10 that matches) and some German stuff which will be in the appropriate thread, my daughter received the Tomytech Gudetama sets (basic 3 car and 5 car add-on, and the parts to upgrade to runnable), and my son got the KATO 10-385 JR 281 Series "Haruka" (Osaka Kansai Airpost Express)

 

The Gudetama picture with the box open and showing the actual trains, the last shot, shows it with the motor unit, wheels, and pantograph upgrades already installed.  It was my first time upgrading a Tomytech set and was not too bad.  (I have one other I've had for a while but have not yet gotten around to installing the upgrades -- Osaka Metropolitan Midosuji line subway)

 

[cteno4]

So it was trains for all! 

 

Ive eaten many an odd thing in my life and lutefisk was one of them. Had to be polite while in a fancy event in Sweden and it was served and I did not want to be the ugly American saying no thanks, so I downed it. Not horrible, I’ve eaten enough pickled whitefish to deal with the texture, but I’ll wait until the next time I have to go to a fancy event in Sweden to go it again!

 

jeff

[chadbag]

@cteno4  Technically what you ate is “lutfisk “ and not “lutefisk”*.  It is the Swedish cousin. 😉

 

*as far as I understand it.  

[cteno4]

To the dyslexic it tasted like jellied picketed wihitefish and a bit of left out salmon! I was fine avoiding it at the massive breakfast buffet at the grand hotel (man do the Swedes put on a buffet) but could not at a luncheon. I had been able to avoid it in Alaska in the past. 

 

natto is more up my line.

 

jeff

[chadbag]

All the lutefisk I've ever had has very little flavor and a jelly like consistency.    I don't need to eat it but as the stuff I've had is quite bland I don't mind it.   I've not had it in country.  Though I did see quite a lot in one of the fish counters at a grocery store I was at in Norway 2 years ago.

 

Be glad you didn't have to eat surströmming. That is a Swedish delicacy you couldn't pay me to eat (and it seems half of Sweden agrees with me).  

Edited December 26, 2018 by chadbag
I is not in

[JR 500系]

12 hours ago, chadbag said:

So, last night Santa came and when we got home from my uncle's house (where we were for Christmas Eve dinner of Lutefisk and Salmon for the non-believers). he had already been there.  So the kids were allowed to open the gifts last night (more in line with our Norwegian heritage anyway) as my wife is working a shift today at the hospital.

A few train related things were brought.  Besides the "Seven Stars in Kyushu" train, which I previously mentioned and posted pictures of, I received the Tomix Kinokuni Seaside railcar set (I already have the DE10 that matches) and some German stuff which will be in the appropriate thread, my daughter received the Tomytech Gudetama sets (basic 3 car and 5 car add-on, and the parts to upgrade to runnable), and my son got the KATO 10-385 JR 281 Series "Haruka" (Osaka Kansai Airpost Express)

 

The Gudetama picture with the box open and showing the actual trains, the last shot, shows it with the motor unit, wheels, and pantograph upgrades already installed.  It was my first time upgrading a Tomytech set and was not too bad.  (I have one other I've had for a while but have not yet gotten around to installing the upgrades -- Osaka Metropolitan Midosuji line subway)

 

 

I love the Gudetama and the Kinokuni too! The Kinokuni is really unique as a tourist train, and the colours are nice. I'm glad it won the ruffle! 

 

Did you notice the words: 'For sale in Japan only' on the rear of the Gudetama box?  😛

[Das Steinkopf]

33 minutes ago, JR 500系 said:

 

Did you notice the words: 'For sale in Japan only' on the rear of the Gudetama box?  😛

 

 They're a little bit late for that one! 

[chadbag]

12 hours ago, JR 500系 said:

Did you notice the words: 'For sale in Japan only' on the rear of the Gudetama box?  😛

 

I noticed that as well last night!

 

And technically they probably fulfilled that as the vendors are in Japan and the sale happened in Japan.  Gudetama just happened to catch a flight soon thereafter.  I think that is a restriction on it being wholesaled to outside Japan and sold in a store outside of Japan due to Tomy's Sanrio license only being valid in Japan.  But IANALAIDPOOTV

 

Edited December 27, 2018 by chadbag

[cteno4]

4 hours ago, chadbag said:

IANALAIDPOOTV

 

Ha never saw that one done that way before!

 

Must be ok for a store in japan to sell to customer overseas as its been out thru all the usual suspects and they seem to listen to when export restrictions are put on them. I’m glad I got it, fun painted train! But not cheap for a tomytec, going to be like $165 all told w.o a casket.

 

Jeff

[Drunkenclam]

Funny enough my Maison Ikkoku Pachinko machine also shows the "For sale in Japan only in English" 

 

It's a pachinko. So not really availble in retail shops to being with. 

 

 

 

[cteno4]

My Nishi-Nippon Railway Type 3000 "TABITO” showed up today. Nice painted train! 

 

It’s a pricier tomytec (but the painted ones seem to be going up lately) and I got it as it just happened to show up cheap on amazon.jp as a you may be interested in and usually don’t buy many trains from amazon.jp. Shipping was cheap and I found out why, they shipped it in a skinny padded envelope! Everything I’ve ever gotten from amazon.jp has always been in a box and shrink wrapped To a base (and good they did as most dhl show up here a bit bruised on the box surprisingly). Amazingly only one side of the tomytec box was crushed and the train ok (couple of couplers knocked loose but that happens). I was a bit shocked at this as usually Japanese shipping packaging is done so nicely. This was fulfilled by amazon.jp, not a third party. Sent in a note on the packaging as one box of any weight dropped on it or this being under a pile of heavier boxes and it would have been a pancake! I’m guessing since so light it traveled with the light document envelopes.

 

cheers

 

jeff

[chadbag]

I've had a couple things show up in the padded envelopes from Amazon JP.  Usually things are in boxes, shrink wrapped to a cardboard base, as you said.   Last one that showed up that way was the TaKi 43000 set.  Luckily no damage.   When I remember I try and provide them feedback on the inadequacy of that form of packaging.

 

 

 

[cteno4]

they responded in an hour thanking for feedback on packaging. someone actually read it and not a cut and paste non answer!

 

in contrast i just got a couple of tomytec jgsdf trucks i had preordered at amiami months ago. they now have a new little origami box that unfolds nicely and even though very thin corrugated cardboard and lightweight is surprisingly tough, very nice! survived sal with nary a ding. kudos amiami nice shipping box.

 

jeff

[Kamome]

Despite still not having received my Nanatsuboshi from Ami Ami*, Santa brought a train for my 4 year old.   

 

I feel really conscious that I’m always discouraging my little boy to touch when he’s just showing interest, as most of the models have lots of easily breakable details. So Santa brought him a Tomix Thomas set to run around the tracks. The detail is minimal and looks robust enough to cope with minor manhandling, so thought a good way to teach him to care for his own train. Already he’s been mimicking me and telling me not to touch as this is his train. He’s generally more interested in using the railing tool to put it on the track then take it off and put it away neatly.

 

I was slightly disappointed with the running quality as he was a bit jumpy. On closer inspection he was swimming in grease so a quick clean up seems to have him running better, not that my 4 year old really noticed or cared. 

 

Scale wise he’s a bit bigger than both my Japanese and British N but his proportions look spot on with the original series models.

 

Does anyone know whether Casco or Tomix produce a specific bookcase for the Thomas range? It would be nicer than the cardboard case it came with.

 

*I had a reply to my enquiry to Ami Ami and it sounds like my Seven Stars won’t be with me until late January. Possibly due to the high demand. I certainly wasn’t one of the first to put a preorder in so I’ll guess I’ll have to wait for the second manufacturing run. So Chadbag and JR500 can gloat for a while longer with their cruise trains. Well done sirs, well done!

[Kamome]

17 hours ago, cteno4 said:

My Nishi-Nippon Railway Type 3000 "TABITO” showed up today. Nice painted train! 

I’ve been really tempted by this, and the Dazaifu Nishitetsu bus. I’m still not sure how I feel about essentially converting a 5 car static model into a running version, minus directional lights, but that printing is spectacular.

[katoftw]

8 hours ago, Kamome said:

*I had a reply to my enquiry to Ami Ami and it sounds like my Seven Stars won’t be with me until late January. Possibly due to the high demand. I certainly wasn’t one of the first to put a preorder in so I’ll guess I’ll have to wait for the second manufacturing run. So Chadbag and JR500 can gloat for a while longer with their cruise trains. Well done sirs, well done!

I'm getting one also.  HS though has forced me to use the more expensive EMS option for shipping and taken payment 2 days ago, but have failed to send the item as of yet.

[cteno4]

I succumbed near the end on a seven stars. It’s heavy enough that EMS was just a bit more than sal. The monolith landed a couple of days ago and got to show it off today at lunch with a club member. It was a splurge but my mom had asked me to get myself something for Xmas on her that I wouldn’t normally buy...  thanks mom! I’ll take it up to show her this weekend, although all the trains look the same to her! 

 

jeff

[GDorsett]

Wish I could afford the Seven Stars set. Kato did an excellent job on it.

[chadbag]

4 minutes ago, GDorsett said:

Wish I could afford the Seven Stars set. Kato did an excellent job on it.

 

You could if you didn't dink around with those *other* scales 😉🤣

[GDorsett]

No, actually my issue is currently in the form of rust. I had said that I would drive my car untill the wheels fell off...and then they actually did fall off. Litterally. Ball joint broke. That was a painful repair.

Believe it or not, I haven't actually made any orders over 5000¥ for several months. (Excepting the Z) Most of my recent train work has been modifying and upgrading existing stock in both HO and N.

[Tanuki]

A couple of recent arrivals:

Kato 115-800 in Yokosuka colours from HS

Tomix 253 Narita Express from Ami Ami

Amazing for this time of year, the Narita Express I ordered about 9:30 pm Sydney time on 28th December. Arrived today 31st at 3:30 pm.