Finally got my first setup running

[SubwayHypes]

its a serious work in progress.  i have large plans.









GOTTA DO A COUPLER CONVERSION!!

my cat McDoogles


using graffiti to identify my converted coupler freight.


I have a V11 setup but it doesnt fit so im only running half the track.  I plan to expand with a V3 and another down the road.  i want to run at least 4 seperate lines.

Right now i only have suburban houses, but i will be developing a downtown area too.  Hopefully, my setup will have a downtown area with high buildings and a large station, and a suburban area with houses and smaller platform station.  i also want a nice storage yard, similar to the SHINJUKU yards that i used to pass by everyday on the Yamanote Line as a kid.

I only have two trains at the moment, e531 joban that i plan to expand with the 8 car green car kit.  I also have a df200 red bear with black tankers.  I want to get the EF66 with sleeper car set next.  My wish list on train lines is too long to even mention, i basically want everything.


i am hoping down the line we see more Tokyo Metro series, like Ginza Line, Hibiya line, Chiyoda line, etc.  i also REALLY REALLY want a Tokyu Series 5050 (toyoko line) however the only kits i can find are un assembled and unpainted from green max!


PLEASE COMMENT THANKS!!!


* it seems my pictures are too wide!!!  sorry!

[Masioka]

This is look very promising! Very nice.

[SONIC883]

Please show us the base for your layout, so we give you some suggestions.

To the grafitti: I never seen grafiti on japanese trains or wagons. Correct me, but so much grafitis like in US or EU you doesnt find in JP

[Masioka]

To the grafitti: I never seen grafiti on japanese trains or wagons. Correct me, but so much grafitis like in US or EU you doesnt find in JP

Nor me. Never. Stickers yes, but graffiti no.

[serenityFan]

Cool, I like the fact that you have so many cars, very metro...
And I also have cats, they seem to be very interested in trains as well ;D

[Bernard]

Subway - You really nice roster of trains, autos, buildings, etc. all the elements of a nice layout. Do you have a track plan and how large do you want to make your layout?

If you are looking for a set of Tokyu series 5050 try posting it in the classified thread in the forum, you might get lucky.

Also there is a thread I started about inexpensive people, trees, & cars from an ebay seller. I order some people and was happy with my purchase. If you mix the these items with the finer ones, you can triple the results to the human eye.

I love the photo of the kitten sleeping next to your train set! One of our cats, Willow, tries sneaking in the train room every chance she can. Not a lot of fun when she got in and jumped on the layout to chase a 500 Shinkensan. She didn't get it but she's determined to get back into the layout room and catch that long fast Japanese mouse.

[CaptOblivious]

I like the graffiti, and it's a handy way to remember that that car is special. Could you tell us a little more about the graffiti? Did you free-hand it, or use decals?

More importantly, you said that car has converted couplers? Converted to what? Micro-trains? Could you tell us a little more about that, too? I've never attempted a coupler conversion on Japanese stock...or at all, really, but I'd like to someday.


And someday, someone will manufacture a model of the 12000 (is that right?) series trains used on the Ooedo line. I used that line daily when I visited Tokyo, back when, and I would love a model just for nostalgia's sake...

[SubwayHypes]

i agree with alot of you about the graffiti, in JAPAN it is VERY rare to see graffiti running on trains because they clean the trains before service.   however, im also intereted in HO US freights, which very often do have graffiti on them, so i guess you can say i kind of broke authenticity by adding some to my freight tankers.   i only did this to help me easier identify which tanker i converted from rapido to knuckle, so i can attach it to my locos easier.   i also dont intent to do any graffiti on any of my N scale trains, mostly because they are very small.  However, im ammassing a smal collectiong of HO freight trains that will be painted to look realistic.   i do all the graffiti free hand, ( i get help by using FLICKR to sort of copy the outlines and colors).  for the tankers i used a small point gel pen, but for HO freights and larger cars i use DECOs.  here are some examples from friends of mine.



about the coupler comment, its actually pretty easy.  My tankers are rapido couplers, as are most freight cars.  my DF200 has knuckle couplers.  i didnt want to change the locomotive to rapido, so i just bought a bunch of knuckle couplers on EBAY, and swapped out one of the tankers.  so now my graffiti tanker has one side rapido to hook up to the rest of the tankers, and one side knuckle to hook up to the locomotive!

and yes, it seems alot ofus have cats on here.   mine seems to be scared of the trains he backhanded my joban line offf the tracks the other day LOL.

[SubwayHypes]

these are some of the japanese lines im DESPERATELTY waiting for!!


Hibiya line, used to ride this literally every day of my life


train on the left is the toyoko line express, any kind of oldschool tokyu line will satisfy me really.  i dont like the new 5050s, i believe the series im after is the 5000?

^^this is the one!!  sometimes they ran these in the subway instead of the grey hibiya lines.  as a kid i used to wait at ginza station and let up to 10 grey trains pass, just so i could ride the red toyoko line!





HOW COME NO ONE MAKES ANY TOKYO SUBWAYS!!

wouldnt that be a very cool set to release??   instead of doing outdoor model displays, what if the new trend is to do subway n scale set ups??  can you guys visualize that?  you can have one major, multi level station that has 3 or 4 different lines that all run around a set above or below each other, and they all meet up at the same station for connections??  instead of scenery use alot of PVC pipe or other things to make it look undergroudish.  just my idea.  hes a picture to sort of visualize what im thinking, this pic is from the tokyo subway museum, these trains are in huge scale though.

[Masioka]

i agree with alot of you about the graffiti,  However, im ammassing a smal collectiong of HO freight trains that will be painted to look realistic.   i do all the graffiti free hand, ( i get help by using FLICKR to sort of copy the outlines and colors).  for the tankers i used a small point gel pen, but for HO freights and larger cars i use DECOs.  here are some examples from friends of mine.

I follow the benching scene on Flickr too - one of my favourite photographers is here - http://www.flickr.com/photos/true2death/

[Masioka]

Oh, I managed to find one picture of graffiti on a Japanese train, but I think this was somewhat encouraged. ;)

http://www.geocities.jp/aidusl/img973.jpg

[SubwayHypes]

^^^NICE ALBUM



i definately want to add some SECT WANTO graffiti to some of my buildings, maybe on the back of an industrial shed or something like that.  when i was in tokyo i saw SECT WANTO everywhere i went, BNE too.   a nice realistic touch in my opinion, as long as you dont overdo it and cram graffiti all over the place.   selectively spread it out and it should look good.

heres a interesting article about someone who tagged a SHINKANSEN!
http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=5034
 afew other pictures and links related to japan train graffiti.  i must stress this is extremely rare, as teh punishment for painting a train can exceed 500,000 dollars!  They fine you for every ticket that was lost for taking the train out of service.



^^ really interested read if you can read the small letters, about warm summer nights painting JR trains.

[SubwayHypes]

wow that picture with all the kids writing their names is cool!  was that some sort of send-off ceremony for an old train??

[Masioka]

wow that picture with all the kids writing their names is cool!  was that some sort of send-off ceremony for an old train??

Aparently it's " Vehicle Center of General KORIYAMA famous graffiti train" - not sure why ... just for the fun of it I suppose.

[Bernard]

Subway - I noticed one of your cars is a NYC MTA subway car. Is it in N scale and where did you get it? Reason I ask is because I take that subway everyday.

[Shashinka]

Damn, what a seriously active thread today! Anycase, Second the thoguht of seeing some more of the Tokyo subway stuff as a model. I seem to recall one of the lines run E231 with a strange front end on it. Wonder if it could be scratch built from a Kato body.

[SubwayHypes]

bernard- the subway car is my friends and its HO.  NY MTA cars are pretty hard to find.

according to hobby search they released a tokyo metro series tozai line, which is encouraging because maybe they have more planned in the future!




heres some but you have to build them yourself!

[SubwayHypes]

WELL.....I HAD A FEW BEERS TOO MANY TONIGHT....AND DECIDED TO ORDER THE TOZAI LINE FROM HOBBYSEARCH!!


AHHH......SOMETIMES ONE NEEDS  A LITTLE ALCOHOL TO PUSH THAT "ORDER CONFIRMATION" BUTTON.   YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE RIGHT?

(i have a feeling this is going to be a common occurance...)



im pretty sure any Tokyo Metro releases will be swooped up by me.  alot of people dont really know abot the subways, JR gets all the attention.  but growin up i lived on the tokyo subway lines, taking two or three trains a day to get to destinations with my little Passcard, never buying a ticket.     i cant wiat till a hibiya line drops.  DOOO IT. 

(the old hibiya line -circa 1980-90s) looks almost dead on like the NY subway cars. 

[SubwayHypes]

the tozai set came in, the interior seats are pink just like in real life nice touch, the front lights look better than my Kato trains.

[SubwayHypes]

took some new pics today, im trying to get better at this, using different modes and what not. 

[SubwayHypes]

[bill937ca]

i am hoping down the line we see more Tokyo Metro series, like Ginza Line, Hibiya line, Chiyoda line, etc.  i also REALLY REALLY want a Tokyu Series 5050 (toyoko line) however the only kits i can find are un assembled and unpainted from green max!

Great start!

Micro Ace offers Toyko Metro subway trains.

Plaza Japan currently has 5300 series Asakusa Line 8 car train.

The Tozan line 07 series is available at Hobby Search.  Micro Ace has the Eidan 5000 series Air Condiitioned Remodeled scheduled for delivery this month in 6 car basic or 3 car Kita-Ayase Branch Line version.  I have the 3 car set reserved.

[SubwayHypes]

UPDATE:

The current layout above has been scratched, i moved to a new house and have room for an 8X4 foot table that i need to build.

I have been going over and over in my head about my visions to have a layout with both your traditional city layout, but i want to add an undergound subway theme to it too.   THe subway/underground will be the first level, and the city, trees, yards, suburban commuters will run upstairs.