Foreign Prototype Models - What You've Got and What's New

M250 Series Container Train

The M250 Series is pretty cool. It runs in 16 car trainsets and has distributed power. Service between Tokyo and Osaka started in 2004 (which I hope makes you feel younger). The containers are for Japanese domestic market and most of the cargo is kind of LCL for small package forwarders. The pictures are from my eight car Kato 10-227 set and I have the eight car 10-228 add on, both of which I picked up on eBay for a steal. The lead unit has one traction tire on each side but on different axles I suspect for better electrical pickup.

M250 Series motor unit



M250 showing the motor



Andy
Tetsu Uma

 

This is a Kato 10-489 "Takara" Container Express and comes in a nine car set. It would look great behind that EF66 and comes with the bookshelf case, too. BTW, the Kato eight car train storage case is part number 10-214 and runs about $16.50. You might be able to find it for less. They come in other sizes as well.



Andy
Tetsu Uma

 

I didn't see that! I should add that to the cars I'm getting.

 

It does look cool, doesn't it, and those flats would double for U.S. flats. Or not. (See next post.)

Andy

 

Keep in mind that in addition to tabs/bolts which fit into the containers Koki type cars (prototype and models) have big gaping holes in the middle through which you can see the underside details when a container is not loaded. The design of the prototype is more of a metal skeleton then a flatcar.

A comparison of the details of Tomix, Microace and Kato Koki 106 cars showing the details when the containers are removed.

1/150 コキ106 集è£ç®±è²¨è»Š(koki 106) 三社製造商大ä¸åŒ!? @ 鶴屋製作所 :: 痞客邦 PIXNET ::

 

I wondered how they kept the containers on. I guess you'll have to cut some containers if you want to use these as U.S. flats too, John. If they didn't have the container holding tabs, you could put some wood decking down to cover the holes.

Those (skeleton) flats look very similar to the ones on garbage trains I see on CSX. Not perfect but a good analog. Paint those containers Waste Mangement (or whatever company it is) green . . . .

 

I'm just going to use them with my ED75. I've watched a lot of videos on You Tube of ED75s pulling container trains, so I thought it would be cool to have a set. Mine are a mix of Kato and Tomix cars.

 

I used to scratch my head every time I saw a new Japanese model wondering how I could make it pass for American. After realizing I was going bald from scratching my head I now just appreciate them as what they are, beautifully done models of Japanese trains.

 

Well I still have my hair . . . and I now when I consider it, I never really set out thinking about how I could make a piece of Japanese rolling stock pass for American. If I ever have these inspirations (and they are rare), they seem to come to me. In the particular case of the 10-214 set, they really do look remarkably like the skeleton frame flats used to carry the containers on the trash trains. Not perfect but a respectable analog. Maybe I can blame my Scotch grandmother but I do like to get two (or better three) for one if I can.

Here's a couple of pictures of the prototype to which I am referring. Can you see the resemblence to the 10-214 set?





Andy
Tetsu Uma

 

There is a resemblance. They could also pass for some Australian intermodal cars.

I think it was after my first trip to Japan and seeing everything in the flesh that I thought "Hey, this place is worth modeling". Unfortunately for my wallet I'm thinking the same thing about the U.K. after visiting there last year.:tb-wacky:

 

I'm running my EF66 with my Asakaze as I write this. I never expected for it to have a working tail sign and tailights OR dining table lights that are LIT! At least I think it's a dining car with tables... Still, it is so very cool!

 

The Cassiopeia and Hokutosei are the same, the Hokutosei with it's newer tooling even has space in the dining car for a Kato drop-in function decoder to turn the table lamps on and off.

 

I haven't been to the U.K. in 25 years and would like to take my wife. I'm afraid my primary interest would be garden railways, Welsh 2' gauge like the Ffestiniog Railway or 15" gauge like the The Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway any one of which would REALLY blow the budget. That and dragging my poor wife to every little railway and museum.

Glad you are enjoying it. Model railroading is a hobby and hobbies are suppose to be fun. As I've mentioned, I started off trying to collect models of each of the trains I rode and well, it kind of snowballed from there.

I ordered the Kato Hokutosei sets (10-831 and 10-832). This will be my first experience with the new tooling. My wife and are talking about going to Hokkaido via sleeper the next time we go to Japan. Maybe we could take one train up and the other down.


Andy
Tetsu Uma

 

I did the RH&DR, buying a round trip ticket gives you unlimited travel all day as well as admission to the model railway at New Romney (which oddly enough is German), I found the same thing on the Severn Valley and North Yorkshire Moors railways. The hardest part was calling it a day and heading back to the hotel, the gift shops are where you can blow the budget.

 

I've never been one to think much about lighting the inside of a passenger car but this has changed my mind. I'm going to have to look into lighting kits for this and my Cali Zephyr.
Now I'm running my ED75 to break it in. It runs smooth, but slows just a bit as it enter a curve.
I'm going to have to see if I can get my hands on a EF58 in blue now. Also, will a D51 go around 12 3/8" radius curves?

 

My D51 will clear 9.75" (or was it 11") curves so the largers ones should be no problem. If you can find one, I recommend the Kato 2016-1 with the new mechanism.

As for the ED75; have you cleaned the track? Also, how close are you to a feeder? I ask because even on my little oval around the Christmas tree at work (8.5" radius and short straights), I needed to use two feeders to make an MT FT run smoothly.

The EF58 is really a beautiful locomotive - a little like a Japanese GG1. I believe I posted some pictures somewhere back in the history of this thread.

Andy
Tetsu Uma

 

You did and I liked it a lot. I'll probably try and find a blue and cream one to go with my Asakaze someday.
I ran the Asakaze in reverse before putting it away. Imagine my surprise when the tail sign and light on the car behind the loco came on! What other surprises are in store??

 

I cleaned the track just before running the EF66 and it was fine. Could just be it needs a bit more breaking in. It seemed that it ran better as it went on. Right now, I'm only using two feeders, but when the layout is finished, I'll have a lot more.

 

I've run both old and new Kato D51's around 11" radius curves on T-TRAK corner modules.

 

Do either of you have a Japanese Pacific or Hudson loco? Those are both nice looking as well.