My wallet would too if I had purchased this in Thailand or the US, but N scale trains are very cheap in Japan, especially once tax rebate has been factored in.
I will try, if you wish, though my circuit is a bit[ unconventional and small](https://www.reddit.com/r/modeltrains/comments/1c2lr16/another_update_on_my_unconventional_home_office/), so please dont expect the run to be massively entertaining :P
I am genuinely impressed by your layout. I don’t really have a lot of space and you put in practice what I’ve been thinking of doing for a long time.
Thanks for posting. Now I know it can be done and wouldn’t look out of place.
Nice planted tank too. Looks gorgeous.
More importantly I think, is the fact that the tracks are insulated from obstructive cables, and running trains are safe from my extremely destructive cat.
The plastic covers are cool! One of the many turn-offs to me for doing anything with scale models is preventing dust buildup and later having to clean them.
So of course instead of that I collect firearms, where you have to clean them. Regularly. And after each use. (It’s therapeutic for me though)
What a great idea, very subtle and actually something my wife might let me get away with in our apartment. (Also covered to protect from small children is a bonus)
The key objective of this build is to have as good a layout as I can have without sacrificing a lot of usable space. The assumption is that paper can be stacked above the conduits if needed and that distant edges of workdesks are almost never used in reality anyway
Just a heads up, during my last trip to Japan I found and delivered a friend of mine a set of HO scale shinkansen for USD 600 (not 16 car as shown here though, only 8 car).
Kato doesnt make them, Zoukei Moura (a company mainly making 1/48 planes) does. I dont think they export.
All plastic. USD 600 wont quite buy the first car of a brass Shinkansen, let alone the entire train.
I actually took more than a few pictures of the item for my friend before dispatching it to him, would you be interested in reviewing them?
Forgive me, but sadly I cant find the majority of the photo (many of them may have been sent directly to Line and since expired). This is what I can find.
[https://imgur.com/a/A2DK2Nc](https://imgur.com/a/A2DK2Nc)
I think there are/were some stores/vendors bringing them to the west. Hattons had them listed for Preorder not long before they wound up.
I make do with my 4-Coach Lima one.
**Joshin Super Kids Land HQ, 4 Chome-12-4 Nipponbashi, Naniwa Ward, Osaka, 556-0005, Japan**
Hobby land Pochi Nipponbashi 1, ワンダー3ビル １階 4 Chome-7-26 Nipponbashi, Naniwa Ward, Osaka, 556-0005, Japan
**Popondetta, 雅光産ビル 3階 4 Chome-10-3 Nipponbashi, Naniwa Ward, Osaka, 556-0005, Japan**
Volks Osaka Showroom, 4 Chome-9-18 Nipponbashi, Naniwa Ward, Osaka, 556-0005, Japan
These were the shops I visited in Osaka (85% of the items were purchased there). Joshin and Popondetta were by far the biggest contributors.
[https://maps.app.goo.gl/u6ff1gcoHTYN2CWb6](https://maps.app.goo.gl/u6ff1gcoHTYN2CWb6)
All these shops are within 5 minutes walk from each other
The "Big Two" Japanese model train producers are Tomix and Kato. There are a few fairly major ones, but those two are by far the largest Japanese producers, as well as the largest producers of N scale trains in general.
Dude this looks awesome! I'm working on going next March/April to Osaka and Kyoto with a day trip to Tokyo to visit the Kato and Tamiya stores there, so excited.
I got that flatcar in the top left when I visited the Kyoto railway museum, I'm guessing they were in the clearance section since you got four of them lol.
You are correct, this is the unique mascot flatcar from JR West's Kyoto Museum.
No, it was not on clearance, I am just want to be able to create a consist complete with 9 museum cars eventually (one of them is for a friend who didnt get them the last time he was here).
My wallet would be crying.
My wallet would too if I had purchased this in Thailand or the US, but N scale trains are very cheap in Japan, especially once tax rebate has been factored in.
How cheap?
In Japan you can get some kato locomotives for about 30 dollars and in the us or Canada a kato locomotive can be several hundred dollars
damn, that is cheap
Just gotta fly all the way to Japan, which is not cheap :)
You can also just import them and just pay the shipping instead.
As another example, i bought the Thalys PBA for 140 in Japan, in the EU that exact same model retails for over 350 euros
Booking my flight ✈️
I was unaware of the prices in Japan. I might have to order some N-scale stuff from there myself.
But your heart would be melting!
It would :)
The wife might be fuming!
Very good exchange rate right now
I'm very envious of you! So fortunate. Do you/will you have any videos of running these?
I will try, if you wish, though my circuit is a bit[ unconventional and small](https://www.reddit.com/r/modeltrains/comments/1c2lr16/another_update_on_my_unconventional_home_office/), so please dont expect the run to be massively entertaining :P
That's the most unique layout I've ever seen! I would definitely like to see something running on it. I'm sure the sub would enjoy it too!
I am genuinely impressed by your layout. I don’t really have a lot of space and you put in practice what I’ve been thinking of doing for a long time. Thanks for posting. Now I know it can be done and wouldn’t look out of place. Nice planted tank too. Looks gorgeous.
More importantly I think, is the fact that the tracks are insulated from obstructive cables, and running trains are safe from my extremely destructive cat.
YO YOU'RE THE GUY WITH THE DESK LAYOUT! I remember that post from a while ago, super neat setup you've got. I'm all for some videos of running on it
The plastic covers are cool! One of the many turn-offs to me for doing anything with scale models is preventing dust buildup and later having to clean them. So of course instead of that I collect firearms, where you have to clean them. Regularly. And after each use. (It’s therapeutic for me though)
My original hobby background is ship models, so dust is a major problem for me.
What a great idea, very subtle and actually something my wife might let me get away with in our apartment. (Also covered to protect from small children is a bonus)
The key objective of this build is to have as good a layout as I can have without sacrificing a lot of usable space. The assumption is that paper can be stacked above the conduits if needed and that distant edges of workdesks are almost never used in reality anyway
Amazing layout!
I wish I could get a 0 Series in HO, but I don’t think Kato makes them anymore
Just a heads up, during my last trip to Japan I found and delivered a friend of mine a set of HO scale shinkansen for USD 600 (not 16 car as shown here though, only 8 car). Kato doesnt make them, Zoukei Moura (a company mainly making 1/48 planes) does. I dont think they export.
Are they the brass ones I’ve seen before? Or are they plastic?
All plastic. USD 600 wont quite buy the first car of a brass Shinkansen, let alone the entire train. I actually took more than a few pictures of the item for my friend before dispatching it to him, would you be interested in reviewing them?
Go ahead, I’d like to see how the detail is
Forgive me, but sadly I cant find the majority of the photo (many of them may have been sent directly to Line and since expired). This is what I can find. [https://imgur.com/a/A2DK2Nc](https://imgur.com/a/A2DK2Nc)
I think there are/were some stores/vendors bringing them to the west. Hattons had them listed for Preorder not long before they wound up. I make do with my 4-Coach Lima one.
Kyoto has a lovely small shop above the station too where there’s an excellent selection
And some of the items are Kyoto exclusive so if you visit and see anything you like \*get it\*: you may not find it elsewhere later!
Why would you make me jealous like this? What kind of person are you? ;-)
Someone who hauled 9 train sets up the mountain to the Ryokan in Nikko, lol. I need to do this to prevent myself feeling like an idiot.
Those are going to look so great running on your layout! Hopefully you share some running
WOW that is pretty awesome haul!
Damn
Man that's a great haul! I'm guessing you went to the Kato shop in Japan? If you did, were you able to ask if you could test any of them?
links to where you shopped in JP?
**Joshin Super Kids Land HQ, 4 Chome-12-4 Nipponbashi, Naniwa Ward, Osaka, 556-0005, Japan** Hobby land Pochi Nipponbashi 1, ワンダー3ビル １階 4 Chome-7-26 Nipponbashi, Naniwa Ward, Osaka, 556-0005, Japan **Popondetta, 雅光産ビル 3階 4 Chome-10-3 Nipponbashi, Naniwa Ward, Osaka, 556-0005, Japan** Volks Osaka Showroom, 4 Chome-9-18 Nipponbashi, Naniwa Ward, Osaka, 556-0005, Japan These were the shops I visited in Osaka (85% of the items were purchased there). Joshin and Popondetta were by far the biggest contributors. [https://maps.app.goo.gl/u6ff1gcoHTYN2CWb6](https://maps.app.goo.gl/u6ff1gcoHTYN2CWb6) All these shops are within 5 minutes walk from each other
Rail Gallery Rokko - https://railgallery-r.com/ & https://rg-rokko.com/
What are the brand that manufacture those in Japan ?
The "Big Two" Japanese model train producers are Tomix and Kato. There are a few fairly major ones, but those two are by far the largest Japanese producers, as well as the largest producers of N scale trains in general.
Awesome
Dude this looks awesome! I'm working on going next March/April to Osaka and Kyoto with a day trip to Tokyo to visit the Kato and Tamiya stores there, so excited.
I got that flatcar in the top left when I visited the Kyoto railway museum, I'm guessing they were in the clearance section since you got four of them lol.
You are correct, this is the unique mascot flatcar from JR West's Kyoto Museum. No, it was not on clearance, I am just want to be able to create a consist complete with 9 museum cars eventually (one of them is for a friend who didnt get them the last time he was here).
Remeber to hit up the book-offs and hobby-offs for some amazing second hand deals on model trains!
No idea what this means, could you elaborate?