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

[nscalestation]

On 4/2/2018 at 5:28 AM, chadbag said:

 

 

So KATO has 3 different Thunderbird sets, 10-482,  10-555, and 10-1391.  The 10-482 is an older livery.  I got this from eBay being advertised as 10-1391.   Because it did not match the 3 car add-on set we had I also got the 10-1391.   I did not even know about the 10-555 until about a week or two ago when I started noticing them.   The livery for 10-555 and 10-1391 look very similar if not identical.   Just looking at pics of the two sets in their foam boxes they sometimes look identical and sometimes slightly different, deepening on who took the picture or the quality of the picture.   The 10-1391 appears to have a darker gray or black stripe against the windows while the 10-555 is lighter gray.  10-1391 is "DCC ready" while the 10-555 does not mention that.   So I guess KATO made/makes 3 different liveries of the Thunderbird.    Cool...   Maybe someday I'll have to find a 10-555.    There is an add-on 3 car set for each of these as well.

 

There is an add on set for 10-555 and it is 10-556.  I think the main difference between this set and the one you have is that yours is DCC ready and mine is not.  Mine does have a little switch under car 9 to turn off the head / tail lights if coupled to the add on set.

[ianlaw]

New traction arrived from Modeltrainplus... No pre-unpacking photos though.

Edited April 4, 2018 by ianlaw

[Kiha66]

I love it!  The dd54 is such a beautiful locomotive, I only wish mine ran better.

[chadbag]

2 hours ago, nscalestation said:

There is an add on set for 10-555 and it is 10-556.  I think the main difference between this set and the one you have is that yours is DCC ready and mine is not.  Mine does have a little switch under car 9 to turn off the head / tail lights if coupled to the add on set.

 

Yeah. I think the livery is slightly different as well.  Same basic colors but looking at pics of the two, the large stripe with the windows is darker on the later one.

 

We have the 10-1391 and 10-1392 add on and the 10-482 (no 3 car add on).  Maybe some day I will get the 10-555 (and maybe 556) as well.   The older ones are easy to update with a wired DCC decoder.  Thanks!

 

[ianlaw]

1 hour ago, Kiha66 said:

I love it!  The dd54 is such a beautiful locomotive, I only wish mine ran better.

What make is yours? This is a Kato model. I also have a Microace which runs poor and is prone to derailing...It will be spending a lot of time on depot from now one.

[Kiha66]

I also have the kato one, but the much older model with the rounded windows.  I've been thinking about switching out the power unit for the one from kato's new release.

[chadbag]

Latest eBay "find".  I was the only bidder.  These were twice as much, approximately, on HS when new (released 2014 IIRC).  I paid $114.00 US delivered.  It was listed as new except for a test run and it looks new.  All the decals and small parts still unused as new, documentation inserts new, etc.

 

I don't think I have ever ridden a Hanshin train, but have been to their stations.   Another EMU for my Kansai based collection.  Hanshin is now part of the same holding company that owns Hankyu, Hankyu Hanshin Holdings, Inc.  (since 2006)  Like Hankyu, their trains are standard gauge, not narrow gauge like JR.   Next time I am in Japan, I plan on catching up and riding on Hanshin, Kintetsu, and other Kansai area railways I have not been on before.  I have ridden lots of JR and Hankyu. 

 

 

 

Edited April 4, 2018 by chadbag

[Khaul]

Don't forget the Nankai! Namba is such an impressive building and the trains are nice.

[Tintinfan]

DHL literally threw my AmazonJP order for a DF200-50 through the door - probably got thrown around the whole way in its loose amazon package, the box seemed to be cracking. I suppose it's the price paid for the cheap option! Safe and sound now it joins my 2nd-hand DF200! :D Need to add the detail and do the couplings and the like sometime. A bit suprised that the new one runs faster (7007-4) compared to my 2nd-hand one (7007-1); though louder I prefer the older model at slow speed. Now I've got to go searching for more wagons!

 

 

 

Edited April 4, 2018 by Tintinfan

[chadbag]

2 hours ago, Khaul said:

Don't forget the Nankai! Namba is such an impressive building and the trains are nice.

 

Yes!

 

I've ridden the Rapi:t a couple times to and from the airport when my son and I flew to Korea for a few days 2 years ago.   I need to check out the rest of their system.

 

Edited April 4, 2018 by chadbag

[chadbag]

17 minutes ago, Tintinfan said:

DHL literally threw my AmazonJP order for a DF200-50 through the door - probably got thrown around the whole way in its loose amazon package, the box seemed to be cracking. I suppose it's the price paid for the cheap option! Safe and sound now it joins my 2nd-hand DF200! :D Need to add the detail and do the couplings and the like sometime. A bit suprised that the new one runs faster (7007-4) compared to my 2nd-hand one (7007-1); though louder I prefer the older model at slow speed. Now I've got to go searching for more wagons!

 

 

 

 

Wasn't the product wrapped to a cardboard insert and hence tight in the box?   I've gotten a ton of DHL shipments from amazon.co.jp this year and while a few of the boxes were damaged, the goods inside were always fine due to the way they are packed with the plastic wrap securing them to a piece of cardboard cut to fit the box.

[Tintinfan]

1 minute ago, chadbag said:

 

Wasn't the product wrapped to a cardboard insert and hence tight in the box?   I've gotten a ton of DHL shipments from amazon.co.jp this year and while a few of the boxes were damaged, the goods inside were always fine due to the way they are packed with the plastic wrap securing them to a piece of cardboard cut to fit the box.

 

That kind of packaging sounds more appropriate. The model was inside a 35x25cm brown envelope lined with smoth bubblewrap (which probably helped it move around more than anything). The moment I recieved the parcel I felt it move along the length of the envelope, was pretty nervous!

[chadbag]

1 hour ago, Tintinfan said:

 

That kind of packaging sounds more appropriate. The model was inside a 35x25cm brown envelope lined with smoth bubblewrap (which probably helped it move around more than anything). The moment I recieved the parcel I felt it move along the length of the envelope, was pretty nervous!

 

Ah.  I maybe have had one Amazon.co.jp in an envelope. I would provide feedback to amazon about your experience.  They are pretty good about taking feedback.

 

 

[Das Steinkopf]

4 hours ago, chadbag said:

I don't think I have ever ridden a Hanshin train, but have been to their stations.   Another EMU for my Kansai based collection.  Hanshin is now part of the same holding company that owns Hankyu, Hankyu Hanshin Holdings, Inc.  (since 2006)  Like Hankyu, their trains are standard gauge, not narrow gauge like JR.   Next time I am in Japan, I plan on catching up and riding on Hanshin, Kintetsu, and other Kansai area railways I have not been on before.  I have ridden lots of JR and Hankyu. 

 

Have you ever taken a ride out to Biwako on the Keihan Keishin and then along the Ishiyama Sakamoto, as mentioned numerous times before a number of the forum members are big Keihan Otsu-sen fans.

[chadbag]

11 minutes ago, Das Steinkopf said:

 

Have you ever taken a ride out to Biwako on the Keihan Keishin and then along the Ishiyama Sakamoto, as mentioned numerous times before a number of the forum members are big Keihan Otsu-sen fans.

 

No.  Only been in the Kyoto area a couple times and was with family visiting shrines, etc (whatever they planned).  I'll have to put that on the list to do next summer (2019 -- we hope to go next year to Japan to visit family again).  Thanks!

[Suica]

Tomix KiHa 183 Series Taisetsu Set A & B

Had to get those since I can build a nice Okhotsk formation with them.

[bill937ca]

Modemo NT104 Enoden 1500

 

Kato 10-1143 Eidan Chikatetsu Series 6000

 

Edited April 5, 2018 by bill937ca

[EH500 (12)]

On 4.4.2018 at 11:17 PM, Tintinfan said:

DHL literally threw my AmazonJP order for a DF200-50 through the door - probably got thrown around the whole way in its loose amazon package, the box seemed to be cracking. 

You should contact amazon about that. Best case you get a new one for free.

Edited April 5, 2018 by EH500 (8)

[AllScales]

My ED459 turned up with all the bits and pieces.

[bill937ca]

My Greenmax 36 just arrived. Never had an evening delivery before.

[Suica]

Looks like april is gonna be a train month for me again.

Kato 883 Series Sonic has arrived.

[Pauljag900]

Good choice there buddy👍👍😀

[chadbag]

I had a care package from my SIL in Japan arrive.   This contained mostly small stuff I had purchased and had sent to her place or my MIL's place and that they gathered together for me.  Decoders, some freight wagons (mostly things no longer made like KoKi 102/103, 110, etc. and a few others like that that are hard to find any more that I found various places having a couple left at reasonable prices).  It also contained a "used" JR 321 set, 10-287.  The full 7 cars.  This did not have the outer cardboard sleeve, and the book case thingy had some damage, but the train itself looked brand new.  And it is basically the same as the later 10-1121 and 10-1122 sets it looks like and is even DCC ready.  One of those Amazon.co.jp finds that a marketplace seller has and only sells inside Japan.  Whole 3231 set was around 7900 yen or 8000 yen with free shipping (inside Japan).   It also had a KATO 10-540 JR 103 in Orange, Osaka Loop Line, 8 cars that looks new (and was reasonable priced on Amazon.co.jp but only deliverable inside Japan).  So my care package finally arrived.  They had also stuck some ramen, some nori, and some clothes items for the family and the wife.  And some more containers ;)   Don't have pics of all.

 

I also had a direct shipment from Amazon.co.jp.  The 10-1462 HB-E300 "Resort Shirakami".  I ordered that on a whim when I saw it very reasonably priced on Amazon and I liked the livery.  This one, while a new model, is NOT DCC ready, and looks to be a beast.  I took the motor car apart and had problems getting it back together as some of the copper pickup rails had shifted and were shorting out on the metal frame and I had a hard time spotting where.   Finally got it taken care of.  We'll see how the actual conversion goes.   I'll make comments below with the actual pics.

 

First some from the "care package" of accumulated items from the last 3 months that my SIL collected and sent.

 

Mostly looks like food from here.   But there were more train goodies below.

 

 

You can never have too many containers.   if nothing else, an excuse to buy more KoKis.

 

Sorry these two are upside down.

 

 

Various decoders.  I got EM13, as well as the 11/12 series ones.  Hopefully the JNS project for an EM13 compatibility board for D&H decoders works out so that I can stop buying the KATO and use D&H in my KATO DCC ready stuff in.

 

 

 

Now for the HB-E300, which came directly from Amazon.co.jp.  It is a nice looking one (externally)

 

Dang.  Not DCC ready.

 

What is hiding under that brown piece?

 

A light board.  One that does not look like any Digitrax ones I have seen.  I'll have to trace everything and hardwire in a decoder that can hide in the back of the wagon above the brown piece but back where there are not windows.  But the space is tight for extra wires and the motor power tabs are underneath the board where that plastic clip is.  Not as easy as the ones where the tabs stick up and the clip holds them on top of the board.   Getting the lighting right and everything will take some work.    And getting it all back to gather was hard as I shorted the power pickup strips against the body at the ends where they go into those plastic pieces that the truckes/bogies are clipped on to.

 

[Pauljag900]

Wow,that s some parcel ! You re probably gonna get this page all to yourself 😂😂😂😂

Edited April 6, 2018 by Densha
Removed unnecessary quote.

[Kiha66]

3 hours ago, chadbag said:

 

A light board.  One that does not look like any Digitrax ones I have seen.  I'll have to trace everything and hardwire in a decoder that can hide in the back of the wagon above the brown piece but back where there are not windows.  But the space is tight for extra wires and the motor power tabs are underneath the board where that plastic clip is.  Not as easy as the ones where the tabs stick up and the clip holds them on top of the board.   Getting the lighting right and everything will take some work.    And getting it all back to gather was hard as I shorted the power pickup strips against the body at the ends where they go into those plastic pieces that the truckes/bogies are clipped on to.

 

Actually thats a pretty common kato board, not sure if digitrax stocks it as its mostly limited to Japan stuff but NGDCC should make a replacement I believe.