Question on Kato E231 train formation

[Tsubasa]

Afternoon,

just to avoid any possible errors if I should go ahead and buy one eventually: Would I be right in assuming that I would need Kato's references 10-471 and 10-472 for a 10-car Shonan Line E231 set?

Thanks!

[KenS]

I think the answer to that depends on the era you are modeling.  If I read the machine-translated Japanese pages correctly, the original 10-car sets introduced in 2000 had two cars replaced with bi-level cars in 2005.  Kato's 10-472 contains two single-level cars (according to one online auction site I found; Kato's website doesn't provide a picture), and thus would be appropriate for the earlier trains.  Kato also made a two-car bilevel set for the line (10-470), which isn't mentioned on the main page for the suburban sets, but doesn't show as discontinued on the stock list, just as "out of stock". You'd need that for the current trains.

I have one of the 10-471 sets myself, but not either of the others, so the answer to this interests me too.

Also, depending on where you model (if you are trying to be that specific), 15-car trains (10+5 sets) are likely to be more common than 10-car sets, so the second powered set (10-473) would be needed.

The Japanese Wikipedia page for the line has some info on the E231, although I had trouble getting a useful translation of it. It seems to be mostly about where the 10 or 10+5 sets are used.

[dmustu]

Although labelled as a Tokaido line E231, which seems the same as a Shonan line E231, Kato produced 10-520, an 8 car set with the 2 double deck Green Cars, and 10-521, the additional 2 cars to make a 10 car set. I hope that helps.

[clem24]

Those $%&#! bi-level cars are IMPOSSIBLE to find. Especially now that Kato is re-releasing the E231 sets in weird 4 car sets, with a bi-level car included in each one of the sets.