I Play Hookey from Work! T Gauge Today!

rray Aug 4, 2008

  1. rray

    rray Staff Member

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    Sometimes you just don't feel like getting out of bed to go to work. Had a headache and could not sleep well last night. After I finally woke up, and my headache was over, I was straddled with guilt at not going to work, so the remedy was to go work on models. What to do?

    T Gauge of course! :D

    Let's see, we sand down the car side, laser cut some "Laser Thins" plastic to match NP 594's window arrangement, quickly and sloppily brush paint the sides, crank out some decals, and go to work:
    [​IMG]

    This stuff is tiny, but I think with care, it is do-able. The decals are too hard to cut out off the sheet, and brush painting leaves terrible residue, but the test case model actually worked out. The original car was the Keihintokoku Line's locomotive, which is not powered but has directional lighting.
    [​IMG]

    Now that I know it can be done, I will fine tweek the decals, make different window arrangements, and airbrush up some more car sides.

    [​IMG]
     
  2. BNSF Dash 9

    BNSF Dash 9 TrainBoard Member

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    Whoa, that is tiny!!!

    Nice work! :thumbs_up:
     
  3. MP333

    MP333 TrainBoard Supporter

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    Robert, what exactly is T Gauge?

    Those look great, BTW.
     
  4. rray

    rray Staff Member

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    It's a new train size that just came out in Japan a couple weeks ago. They call it T Gauge, for 3mm track gauge, and it is supposed to be 1:450 scale.

    It just started showing up on ebay a few days ago, but I ordered these sets from Hobby Search Japan.

    The actual size of these cars are the same size as the BNSF GIF in Eddie's SIG.
     
  5. shamoo737

    shamoo737 Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Robert, we should call your Mr Tiny Train for your love of small trains. :D




     
  6. chooch

    chooch TrainBoard Member

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    Robert,
    Well done!!! Are there Loco's for this scale? Are they all Japanese prototypes or is there some US available and are they all non powered?

    Bob
     
  7. rray

    rray Staff Member

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    The sets cost $48 on ebay, from the Plaza Japan store. They are only available as Japanese models. The set of 4 cars has 2 motorized coaches (Ghost Cars) and 2 directional lighted non motorized locos. In other words, the locos are not powered and the coaches are!
     
  8. Chris333

    Chris333 TrainBoard Supporter

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  9. kimvellore

    kimvellore TrainBoard Member

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    Rob that looks neat... did you get the tracks? it will make a great toy train for Z scale if u can chop them up. and even better with DCC.

    Kim
     
  10. rray

    rray Staff Member

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    That's perfect Chris! That's just what I am going to build out of one of these locos!

    By the way, yes, mine run great! It took about 15 minutes of burn-in till they ran good, then I can slow the speed down to maybe a scale 30-50 MPH. They won't run any slower. I think they are acceptable for running at train shows, but other than for roundy rounders, this scale is not that useful. Still, I like a good challenge as much as the next guy! :D

    I got the 120mm loop of track, and am still waiting on my 132mm loop.
     
    southernnscale likes this.
  11. animek

    animek TrainBoard Member

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    Video!!! Video!!! Video!!! Video!!! Video!!! Video!!! Video!!!

    Ben
     
  12. kimvellore

    kimvellore TrainBoard Member

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  13. DPSTRIPE

    DPSTRIPE TrainBoard Supporter

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    Robert,
    Cool. I have a set of cars and track ordered from PlazaJapan and reservations in at Hobby World. Unfortunately, I will be in California before they arrive. Oh, well. Motivation to get my work done faster.
    Dan S.
     
  14. SJ Z-man

    SJ Z-man TrainBoard Member

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    musta been all that plastic we were burning yesterday that gave you the headache. Or dreaming to damn hard about what to cbash those T gauges into.

    I showed Rob my new clear top case but this smaller 11x9 was just a bit too small for the oval track set. Need the 14x11 set.

    The amazing thing is what you get for $50 !!! Trains, track (oval muti segment track set) transformer, 2 auto reverser sensors + cables + adustable timers !!!
    .
     
  15. minzemaennchen

    minzemaennchen TrainBoard Member

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    Well done Robert, but too tiny for me, Z is o.k.!
     
  16. JoeS

    JoeS TrainBoard Member

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    Robert that is too cool! 20 years from now us Z scalers will be complaining like all the N guys do now about how nobody makes some obscure loco or rolling stock and how bad we got it, while the 1:450 guys will have a couple of loco's only and be making everything on their own. Haaaaaaaaa :D
     
  17. HemiAdda2d

    HemiAdda2d Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Wowsers, in the words of Inspector Gadget.
    1:450?!?! That's realllllllly small. They run, too? Far out!
     
  18. Cleantex

    Cleantex TrainBoard Member

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    Hi Robert,
    very nice.

    I am thinking at elevated suburb train. In the background it could create an illusion
    of distance, with some brass parts should be possible.

    Also for this, I took the red one :devil:

    [​IMG]

    To slow down, try out perhaps this circuit. You can feed it up with the asked voltage,
    but AC. You will see big slowdown, without stopping.

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 5, 2008
  19. rray

    rray Staff Member

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    These trains run off a battery powered controller that uses 4.5 volts. There is directional lighting in the end cars too. The other thing that the power pack has, is 2 auto-reverser sensors, and a switch that sets it to time delay 3 seconds.

    If I build that circuit then I need a variable 0-4.5 VAC supply?
     
  20. Cleantex

    Cleantex TrainBoard Member

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    Hi Robert,

    It will work with 4 or 5 Volt fixed AC, you must just regulate the power with P
    and fix switching point once with Tr.
    The pulses will make the rest. I already powered a lot of motors like this, even
    use it for speeding down my 12 Volt Proxxon tools while milling.
    Much more slow as the tools with integrated pulse regulation. Possible to try
    directly on the track, because I dont know the inside of the black box.

    I build an all voltage version in an universal power plug, after throwing out the
    rectifiers.

    [​IMG]


    Anyway I have a set in order, so after arrival, I will try it out.
    Perhaps, if positive, possible to dig deaper in the box electronics.
     
    southernnscale likes this.

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