World Kougei EF53

[Martijn Meerts]

Some initial shots of the World Craft EF53 kit.

Image 000-1:
Manual page 1.

Image 000-2:
Manual page 2.

Image 000-3:
Manual page 3.


This is already looking a LOT more complicated than the Mio Tsukushi car ;)

[Martijn Meerts]

Image 001:
The box.

Image 002:
The label.

Image 003:
The opened box.

Image 004:
The contents. There's quite a few sheets of brass, which I'll take pictures of when I really unpack everything. There's probably 4 or 5 large sheets, and then another 5 or so smaller ones.

Image 005:
Crappy closeup picture of some bogie detail. Obviously I need to re-take this picture after taking the parts out of the bag :)

Image 006:
Several small detail bits. The little red things are most likely the tail lights, they're not even 1mm long, so you can guess how small all that stuff is ;)

Image 007:
Closeup of the number plates and various other plates.

[Sir Madog]

Wow!

I am more than impressed by the quality of the parts, but I can tell you now, that I will not be able to assemble such a kit.

Keep those posts coming as you progress!

[Claude_Dreyfus]

Good heavens...that is complicated!

I would dearly love to have both the skill and patience to construct one of these models; but they are one heck of a lot of money for something I could easily screw up. I'll watch your progress with a great deal of interest - and not a little envy - secure in the knowledge that if I do succumb to the undoubted charms of the EF53, Micro Ace are there to help me...

[westfalen]

Opening the box looks like the only part of the job that would fall within my skill level. No wonder their assembled models are so expensive.

[Martijn Meerts]

Actually, the things I'm worried about the most, is the painting, and installation of lights. The EF53 should be fairly easy to install a decoder and lights into, heck, I bet there's room for a sound decoder with a decent speaker in there. Considering it has 2 motors though, they have some sort of design which allows for power pickup from the wheels. The Mio Tsukushi likely doesn't have that design, so installing lights in that one will be a lot more difficult. But, that's a first guess.

As for the painting.. My airbrush skills are still lacking, or at least are inconsistent. I need to practice a bit more. Also, finding the correct colors is going to be tough. I have no idea if colors are mentioned in the manual at all actually.

If I enjoy building these things, and get reasonably good at it (I have 2 more kits on pre-order, a mail car and a snow plow), I could considering offering to build them for people who want one but don't feel comfortable building them, and can't afford a pre-built one. I'm definitely going to order a steamer as well once they announce one again, they all seems to be out of stock right now, or at least, they are at HS.

[disturbman]

Someone is going to have to buy some magnifying glass... 

[Martijn Meerts]

Well, couldn't resist checking out all the bits and pieces, and took some pictures. About 2 hours of unpacking parts, repacking parts, taking pictures, importing pictures and processing pictures later, I had a whole slew of stuff ;)

Image 008:
The main shell. This comes pre-folded and ready to go.

Image 009:
Inside of the shell. It's hard to see, but it's fairly thick and it's actually built up of multiple layers of brass.

Image 010:
Closeup shot of the shell.

Image 011:
The cab ends, these need to be soldered onto the shell (I think ;))

Image 012:
Pretty sure these need some folding/bending, can't imagine the windows should be blocked :)

Image 013:
Some roof detail pieces.

Image 014:
Roof detail closeup.

[Martijn Meerts]

Image 015:
Some plates and 2 tiny detail bits.

Image 016:
Parts for the bogies.

Image 017:
Detail of 1 of the bogieparts.

Image 018:
Even the wheels come in parts ;)

Image 019:
The 2 motors and worm wheels. The motor are actually fairly small, but with 2 per bogie, I guess it should run fine.

Image 020:
Weight for the cab ends, including a little seat molded right onto them :)

[Martijn Meerts]

Image 021:
Various detail parts, the little red light things are actually only 1 mm long ...

Image 022:
Quite nicely detailed pantographs.

Image 023:
Small wheels, springs, tubes, wire...

Image 024:
Various tubes, wheel bits, and a bag of screws which I really didn't feel like opening ;)

Image 025:
Various gears, couplers, and washers.

[Martijn Meerts]

Image 026:
Approximately 0.5mm thick brass sheet with parts for the main support structure.

Image 027:
Wheel detail bits as well as motor mounts amongst others.

Image 028:
Detail shot of the wheel bits.

Image 029:
Various other sheets with what looks like the main lower frame and a variety of details.

Image 030:
Detail shot of the frame sheet of Image 029.

[Martijn Meerts]

Image 031:
Yet another brass sheet with even more details :)

Image 032:
Detail shot of what I guess are the platforms on both ends of the loco.

Image 033:
Various more details.

Image 034:
And even more details, including the guard rails for the platforms on the end.



(Phew.. Those are a LOT of parts ;))

[Sir Madog]

Martijn,

from the pictures i gather that this is a well engineered kit and the parts are of high quality. If it were not N scale, I´d give it a go myself!

[Bernard]

Marti - This is a dual motor engine?
Having the ruler next to the parts really shows how small they are, it's really a detailed kit...I hope you start building it soon I look forward to seeing how you build this kit.

[Martijn Meerts]

Marti - This is a dual motor engine?
Having the ruler next to the parts really shows how small they are, it's really a detailed kit...I hope you start building it soon I look forward to seeing how you build this kit.

Both bogies get their own little motor yes. Considering they're small motors, I should be able to hook both of them up to a single decoder. It'll be interesting to see how it runs though, since there are no flywheels.

Many of the parts are actually so small, I was having a hard time picking them up and putting them back in their plastic baggies, I think I'll need to alter one of my tweezers a bit, and add some 2 sided tape or something when working with the really small bits.

I'm really itching to start this thing, but I should probably do the Mio Tsukushi car first to get the hang of it. While the car wasn't cheap either, the loco is of course a lot more expensive. I'm probably not going to build the entire Mio Tsukushi car before starting the EF53 though, since I need to figure out a good way to add lights to the car.

[Bernard]

Marti - this thread is excellent way for members and guests to determine if the World Kougei brass kits are for them.
There are beautiful, but expensive kits and it would be a shame for someone to buy one without knowing what's involved in building one of these trains. I know my eyesight couldn't handle it.

[Martijn Meerts]

Well, I'm pretty sure these kits are not for the impatient :)

It's going to be fun to document building these things, and hopefully I'll get the hang of it rather fast since I have 2 more kits on pre-order. I do love doing building kits though, and the more difficult they are, the more fun. On top of that, it's going to be cool to see a loco running on the layout that I've pretty much built myself.

Side note: I noticed World Kougei recently announced a Z-scale kit - http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10139112 ;)

[Martijn Meerts]

So, if I post a higher quality version of the manual, could anyone translate it for me? I don't mean the entire history of the locomotive and such, but the building instructions and things to look out for etc.

I tried it myself, looking up kanji by stroke count, and then using google translate, but I'm getting weird results (for example, something gets translate to "wife plate" ;)). There are also some katakana combinations which seemingly don't want to translate well.

Help would be appreciated, not everything is clear from the pictures alone, and I don't really want to mess up either :)

[keitaro]

Lol good luck. Btw are there difficulty ratings set for their models?

Reason I ask is I have a dying will to buy a new armored train kit

[JRF-1935]

Actually, the things I'm worried about the most, is the painting, and installation of lights. The EF53 should be fairly easy to install a decoder and lights into, heck, I bet there's room for a sound decoder with a decent speaker in there. Considering it has 2 motors though, they have some sort of design which allows for power pickup from the wheels. The Mio Tsukushi likely doesn't have that design, so installing lights in that one will be a lot more difficult. But, that's a first guess.

As for the painting.. My airbrush skills are still lacking, or at least are inconsistent. I need to practice a bit more. Also, finding the correct colors is going to be tough. I have no idea if colors are mentioned in the manual at all actually.

If I enjoy building these things, and get reasonably good at it (I have 2 more kits on pre-order, a mail car and a snow plow), I could considering offering to build them for people who want one but don't feel comfortable building them, and can't afford a pre-built one. I'm definitely going to order a steamer as well once they announce one again, they all seems to be out of stock right now, or at least, they are at HS.

Martijn
  Congrats on your N scale brass modeling skills.  That is a beautiful kit!  I tried a couple of O scale brass kits, but found that without a resistence soldering iron, I had to use multple clip on heat sinks and also a lot of cut up old T shirt strips soaked in ice water to drape over the model to stop the heat transfer.  I doubt if I'll try an N scale brass kit due to scale and my aging eyesight.
  Airbrushing was intimidating to me at first, until I learned a few secrets from a Professional Artist friend of mine.  A basic Paasche single action airbrush with the #1,3,5 tips is all the average modeler needs.  A double action brush is for Pro's and not recommended.
  I started using the #5 tip (wide open) for priming using the Floquil primer grey, but that became too expensive so now I use the auto primer grey in spray cans from Wal-Mart for $1.99.  After 1 coat I use a hair dryer to speed up the drying process, and use the hair dryer for any subsequent coats to cut down on drying time.  Works well,reduces imperfections like air bubbles, and really speeds up the painting process.  Hours compared to days.
  For stripeing,or other fine details, like window framing, just airbrush a clear  sheet of decal paper with the color desired and cut using an X-Acto knife and apply the decals - saves a "helluva" lot of time in masking your model to spray paint.
  One other thing I've learned is that most model paint schemes is a 4 to 1 ratio - e.g., PTC green is 4 parts Floquil Coach Green and 1 part Steam Color Black.  Don't know if this applies to Japanese trains, but at least a good starting point.
Hope this helps,
Rich C

   
 
 

[Martijn Meerts]

Lol good luck. Btw are there difficulty ratings set for their models?

Reason I ask is I have a dying will to buy a new armored train kit

I don't think they have different difficulty grades, but obviously locomotives are more difficult than cars. I have 2 cars now, and 1 locomotive, and the locomotive has a LOT more parts, plus you need to build the entire drivetrain for the thing.

Actually, the things I'm worried about the most, is the painting, and installation of lights. The EF53 should be fairly easy to install a decoder and lights into, heck, I bet there's room for a sound decoder with a decent speaker in there. Considering it has 2 motors though, they have some sort of design which allows for power pickup from the wheels. The Mio Tsukushi likely doesn't have that design, so installing lights in that one will be a lot more difficult. But, that's a first guess.

As for the painting.. My airbrush skills are still lacking, or at least are inconsistent. I need to practice a bit more. Also, finding the correct colors is going to be tough. I have no idea if colors are mentioned in the manual at all actually.

If I enjoy building these things, and get reasonably good at it (I have 2 more kits on pre-order, a mail car and a snow plow), I could considering offering to build them for people who want one but don't feel comfortable building them, and can't afford a pre-built one. I'm definitely going to order a steamer as well once they announce one again, they all seems to be out of stock right now, or at least, they are at HS.

Martijn
  Congrats on your N scale brass modeling skills.  That is a beautiful kit!  I tried a couple of O scale brass kits, but found that without a resistence soldering iron, I had to use multple clip on heat sinks and also a lot of cut up old T shirt strips soaked in ice water to drape over the model to stop the heat transfer.  I doubt if I'll try an N scale brass kit due to scale and my aging eyesight.
  Airbrushing was intimidating to me at first, until I learned a few secrets from a Professional Artist friend of mine.  A basic Paasche single action airbrush with the #1,3,5 tips is all the average modeler needs.  A double action brush is for Pro's and not recommended.
  I started using the #5 tip (wide open) for priming using the Floquil primer grey, but that became too expensive so now I use the auto primer grey in spray cans from Wal-Mart for $1.99.  After 1 coat I use a hair dryer to speed up the drying process, and use the hair dryer for any subsequent coats to cut down on drying time.  Works well,reduces imperfections like air bubbles, and really speeds up the painting process.  Hours compared to days.
  For stripeing,or other fine details, like window framing, just airbrush a clear  sheet of decal paper with the color desired and cut using an X-Acto knife and apply the decals - saves a "helluva" lot of time in masking your model to spray paint.
  One other thing I've learned is that most model paint schemes is a 4 to 1 ratio - e.g., PTC green is 4 parts Floquil Coach Green and 1 part Steam Color Black.  Don't know if this applies to Japanese trains, but at least a good starting point.
Hope this helps,
Rich C

Soldering the brass is indeed near impossible with the soldering iron I have now. Not strange though, considering my iron is designed for small electronics, not large brass parts ;)

I'm wondering if one of those mini torches would work to solder the brass, or at least the larger parts. Small detail parts can be glued on using either epoxy or superglue. Might be possible to just use epoxy for the entire kit as well.

For the airbrush, I currently have a Harder & Steenbeck Infinity, which is a dual action airbrush. I've been considering getting a cheap-ish single action airbrush though, mainly for priming and larger parts that don't need the precision of the Infinity. Painting the models is still a ways off though, need to build them first 

[keitaro]

hmm yes seems to difficult to me shame as some of these new ones are really interesting but in kits only 

the green max kits are just plastic clipons right with basic asembly for motor and bogies etc?

[Martijn Meerts]

hmm yes seems to difficult to me shame as some of these new ones are really interesting but in kits only 

the green max kits are just plastic clipons right with basic asembly for motor and bogies etc?

World Kougei usually also releases all their models as completed versions sooner or later, but they tend to be 3-4 times the cost of a kit.

The Greenmax kits are all plastic as far as I know, I haven't tried any of them. They might need some glue to put together though instead of just clipping them.

[JRF-1935]

Lol good luck. Btw are there difficulty ratings set for their models?

Reason I ask is I have a dying will to buy a new armored train kit

I don't think they have different difficulty grades, but obviously locomotives are more difficult than cars. I have 2 cars now, and 1 locomotive, and the locomotive has a LOT more parts, plus you need to build the entire drivetrain for the thing.

Actually, the things I'm worried about the most, is the painting, and installation of lights. The EF53 should be fairly easy to install a decoder and lights into, heck, I bet there's room for a sound decoder with a decent speaker in there. Considering it has 2 motors though, they have some sort of design which allows for power pickup from the wheels. The Mio Tsukushi likely doesn't have that design, so installing lights in that one will be a lot more difficult. But, that's a first guess.

As for the painting.. My airbrush skills are still lacking, or at least are inconsistent. I need to practice a bit more. Also, finding the correct colors is going to be tough. I have no idea if colors are mentioned in the manual at all actually.

If I enjoy building these things, and get reasonably good at it (I have 2 more kits on pre-order, a mail car and a snow plow), I could considering offering to build them for people who want one but don't feel comfortable building them, and can't afford a pre-built one. I'm definitely going to order a steamer as well once they announce one again, they all seems to be out of stock right now, or at least, they are at HS.

Martijn
  Congrats on your N scale brass modeling skills.  That is a beautiful kit!  I tried a couple of O scale brass kits, but found that without a resistence soldering iron, I had to use multple clip on heat sinks and also a lot of cut up old T shirt strips soaked in ice water to drape over the model to stop the heat transfer.  I doubt if I'll try an N scale brass kit due to scale and my aging eyesight.
  Airbrushing was intimidating to me at first, until I learned a few secrets from a Professional Artist friend of mine.  A basic Paasche single action airbrush with the #1,3,5 tips is all the average modeler needs.  A double action brush is for Pro's and not recommended.
  I started using the #5 tip (wide open) for priming using the Floquil primer grey, but that became too expensive so now I use the auto primer grey in spray cans from Wal-Mart for $1.99.  After 1 coat I use a hair dryer to speed up the drying process, and use the hair dryer for any subsequent coats to cut down on drying time.  Works well,reduces imperfections like air bubbles, and really speeds up the painting process.  Hours compared to days.
  For stripeing,or other fine details, like window framing, just airbrush a clear  sheet of decal paper with the color desired and cut using an X-Acto knife and apply the decals - saves a "helluva" lot of time in masking your model to spray paint.
  One other thing I've learned is that most model paint schemes is a 4 to 1 ratio - e.g., PTC green is 4 parts Floquil Coach Green and 1 part Steam Color Black.  Don't know if this applies to Japanese trains, but at least a good starting point.
Hope this helps,
Rich C

Soldering the brass is indeed near impossible with the soldering iron I have now. Not strange though, considering my iron is designed for small electronics, not large brass parts ;)

I'm wondering if one of those mini torches would work to solder the brass, or at least the larger parts. Small detail parts can be glued on using either epoxy or superglue. Might be possible to just use epoxy for the entire kit as well.

For the airbrush, I currently have a Harder & Steenbeck Infinity, which is a dual action airbrush. I've been considering getting a cheap-ish single action airbrush though, mainly for priming and larger parts that don't need the precision of the Infinity. Painting the models is still a ways off though, need to build them first 

I tried the mini-torch once to repair one of my brass steeplecabs and there was so much heat - so fast - the whole front end fell off! 
Rich C

[Martijn Meerts]

I tried the mini-torch once to repair one of my brass steeplecabs and there was so much heat - so fast - the whole front end fell off! 
Rich C

Ouch :)

Maybe a micro torch then 

[JRF-1935]

I tried the mini-torch once to repair one of my brass steeplecabs and there was so much heat - so fast - the whole front end fell off! 
Rich C

Ouch :)

Maybe a micro torch then 

It was quite comical - couldn't stop laughing for about a 1/2 hr. (-:   Maybe a "Super Mini Micro" torch or even a match    Seriously tho if your going to do a lot of brass kits the resistence solderer is the way to go.  Initial expense is high but it will last a lifetime and can be used for other soldering jobs.  Very quick and painless   It's basically a modeler's instant tack welder!
Never used epoxy on brass before - let me know if it works out.
Rich C

[Martijn Meerts]

I tried the mini-torch once to repair one of my brass steeplecabs and there was so much heat - so fast - the whole front end fell off! 
Rich C

Ouch :)

Maybe a micro torch then 

It was quite comical - couldn't stop laughing for about a 1/2 hr. (-:   Maybe a "Super Mini Micro" torch or even a match    Seriously tho if your going to do a lot of brass kits the resistence solderer is the way to go.  Initial expense is high but it will last a lifetime and can be used for other soldering jobs.  Very quick and painless   It's basically a modeler's instant tack welder!
Never used epoxy on brass before - let me know if it works out.
Rich C

I'll try the epoxy on the car I'm building now at some point. I've had a quick look at resistance soldering gear, but I can't find any for sale in the Netherlands. Would be possible to import of course, but I'd prefer to find a shop in the Netherlands, makes it much easier to get support and spares etc.

Also noticed a lot of people building their own, but I'd rather stick to buying one :)

[Sir Madog]

Martijn,

here is a link showing how to build a simple, but efficient resistance soldering unit - maybe this is of help to you. Sorry - the page is in German.

http://www.mec-kirchheim.de/tip1.htm

[cteno4]

Martijn,

i think you will need to make a mosquito net you can work in to catch parts when they go ping off the tweezers! could all funnel down into a little cup to collect the flying parts!

seriously, you can also dip the tips of fine pliers in that rubber/plastic dip stuff that you can use to coat tool handles. makes nice fine, but grippy tweezers. i have seen a few for sale like this for jewelry and watch repair.

i hate that ping noise!

jeff

[Martijn Meerts]

Well.. Having done up some experience with a couple of other kits (not all entirely successful, the Mitsui Wharf loco for example tends to lock up and is quite noisy), I figured I'd get started on the chassis and mechanism of my biggest kit (so far ;)) As can be seen earlier in the thread, this specific loco has 1 motor per bogie, and a LOT of detail all around.


Image 035:
A good pair of nippers is essential. I bought this rather expensive one, but it's very strong and versatile. It's anti-static, so great for cutting components after soldering them onto a board. It's strong enough to cut piano wire (which means cutting the spring steel that come with servo's are easy to cut), and it's small and accurate enough to cut parts from the brass sheets.


Image 036:
1 part of the bogie just cut out. Shows how cleanly the nipper cut the brass. There's just a tiny little bit left in the bottom left corner for example. Only take a few seconds to file it off.


Image 037:
The part from the previous image, but folded. There are partial holes. Holes in 1 side of the folded part, but none in the other side of the folder part. These are what World Kougei calls 'solder holes'. Basically you fill them with solder to keep the 2 sides together after the fold.


Image 038:
The 2 main structural parts of 1 of the bogies of the loco.


Image 039:
Some more tools.. A vise (a really cheap and rusty one, needs replacement.. One on a ball like many camera tripods would be optimal.) The Dremel is a mini torch, runs on butane gas. The open flame heats up the metal real fast, and it gets real hot. Especially small parts turn glowing red hot in seconds. The problem if the metal gets too hot, is that solder won't stick for some reason. Even letting it cool down and heating it up to a decent temperature again won't work. Small parts I glue on with either CA or preferably epoxy.


Image 040:
The 'solder holes' filled with solder. These don't have to be perfect, because they won't be visible anymore. In case of the top left one, I heated the metal with the torch for a few seconds, removed the torch, then pushed some solder into the hole. Because the metal is still hot, the solder will melt and flow into the hole nicely. The bottom right one, I heated the metal from the back, and held the solder in the hole while I had the flame still on the metal. This method works better, but again, you'll won't see these soldered bits once the kit is done.

[keitaro]

Well.. Having done up some experience with a couple of other kits (not all entirely successful, the Mitsui Wharf loco for example tends to lock up and is quite noisy), I figured I'd get started on the chassis and mechanism of my biggest kit (so far ;)) As can be seen earlier in the thread, this specific loco has 1 motor per bogie, and a LOT of detail all around.

Same issue here my mitsui is hard to get running smoothly I find the gears need lubing right away and the folding sides need to be perfect and strong so the wheels cannot move about much, so the gears do not move out of position even the slightest movement may cause jamming. I.e. looks at a steamer model you may already have and try woble the wheels left to right? you can't really move much at all just a fraction this is how they need to be. I found on first install mine were too wobbly and the gears would jam due to this movement. 

Once you get past this you get a whole new level of trouble by adding on the pistons and rods  I have almost conquered this. just a matter of getting the rods in perfect position.

good luck on the EF53 

[Martijn Meerts]

Actually, I've already mounted the pistons and rods :) Seems it started running somewhat better after adding them. Ended up using only 2 pins for the rear wheels as well the pins in the center wheels. Front wheels have no pins (I only had 3 pins in the bag anyway :))

I did bend an axle when trying to get the wheels on, that's probably part of the lockups I was getting, plus I dented 2 of the wheels.. But at least I'm learning ;)

[keitaro]

Actually, I've already mounted the pistons and rods :) Seems it started running somewhat better after adding them. Ended up using only 2 pins for the rear wheels as well the pins in the center wheels. Front wheels have no pins (I only had 3 pins in the bag anyway :))

I did bend an axle when trying to get the wheels on, that's probably part of the lockups I was getting, plus I dented 2 of the wheels.. But at least I'm learning ;)

It's an expensive learning curb haha. I have jumped back to the hitachi for now. i am trying to finish the frame and will jump back to the mitsui after making the motor car for the deki.

[Martijn Meerts]

It's definitely an expensive learning curve yes, but as long as you're having fun doing it, it's okay. Besides, even if a model doesn't run well, you can always turn it into a static model somewhere on the layout (it'd be a very expensive static model, but at least it won't be completely wasted ;))

I do wonder how difficult it would be to build a large steamer though. The Mitsui is already quite a challenge with the pistons and rods, and that one only has 3 axles =)

[Mr Frosty]

That looks incredibly daunting. I am just starting on making brass kits myself, but have chosen something a lot simpler (and cheaper) to start with.

[keitaro]

Marti i think the c55 would be difficult but the motor unit looks "possibly" easier.

I'm interested in the c55 just up as a kit but at $300+ no thanks for now lol.

while more parts it does looki abit easier with out the whole metal frame on the side. easier to adjust as the wheels and gears go together then they slide up and a clip goes on the under neath to hold in place.

btw one of these babies completed costs in the $900 range so if you were good at doing it you could make a business of making them and selling for $500 lol

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10170716z/70/1

[Martijn Meerts]

Frosty, as soon as you've got the hang of the soldering, it's not all that bad. Of course there's a lot of small parts, and with all the axles being plastic you need to be really careful putting the wheels on the axle (as I found out the hard way ;))


Keitaro, the chassis of the bigger steamers looks quite simple compared to some of the smaller stuff. More space as well, so it should be okay. The main problem is getting everything lined up correctly with regards to the rods and gears etc. Just a mm off, and it won't run well. I *WILL* get one at some point, but I want to finish the kits I have first, or at least, get them in a running condition and solder/glue all the parts and details.

If you build enough of them to make a business out of it, I'm fairly certain you'll get good at it real quick =)