Micro-Ace certainly do some nice steamers, and smaller runs of the more unusual prototypes that Kato wouldn't touch. Imagine if they got into US prototype, or we had a US manufacturer like them, we'd finally get all those steamers we've been wishing for.
I have a Tomix Bullet train (series 100) and a blue passenger train, my father-in-law got both of them for me on business trips to Japan. I also have, oops, I mean my son has:tb-wink:, Thomas, Percy, James, and Henry - they count as foreign prototypes, don't they?
POS is short for Paris - Ostfrankreich - Süddeutschland (or Paris - East France - South Germany in English) they can run up to 320kph. In France they run on the LGV Est (HSL East) or LN6 (Ligne nouvelle 6 or New Line 6) that runs between Paris and Baudrecourt (~300km). Work should begin next year to extend the line from Baudrecourt to Strasburg (~100km / 2billion €). travel time will be then further cut by another half an hour or so between Paris and Strasburg. The POS are special TGV build for international travel. They can be found between Paris - Stuttgart - Munich and Paris - Bâle - Zürich. They also made special appearances on the Paris - Frankfurt when the DB had so many problems with her ICE3s. They might also run between Paris and Luxemburg but I'm not sure. The train in itself are made of 19 TGV-R renovated (by Christian Lacroix) sets and 38 "locs". The locs are fairly new even if the look like Duplex's and PBKA's locs. And they are fitted with asynchronic type motors as well as special cab signalisation (KVB and TVM for France, PZB and LZB for Germany, ZUB for Swizterland and ERTMS level 2).
I do too collect Japanese trains. First: EF63 loc, a very special loc that where used to push EMUs up a pass.
Then a special train, a japanese "Joyfull Train" that runs on the Shikoku Island. The "Joyfull Trains" are special tourist train. Here it's a Kiha 185 (diesel) pushing/pulling a wide view carriage. I love this train. It look so strange. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQVJ6rgmpjI"]YouTube - Kiha 185 and Kikuha 32-502[/ame]
Then (this is the fourth post showing my collection) a JR Shikoku 8000 Series. The train runs in three different configurations: 8 cars set and is then split in 3 and 5 cars set. I own two three cars sets, one with the new paint scheme and the other with the new. Photos and videos are from the set wearing the old paint scheme. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AcF3olhBZM"]YouTube - JR Shikoku 8000 Series, Limited Express "Ishizuchi" (Old Painting)[/ame]
I also started to collect BTrain shorties (B is short for Bandai). A very special type of model. It's plastic kit that you have to unsprue and then clip together. The trains are N Gauge but don't respect the proportions. They are shorter and bulkier as normal N Gauge trains. Also they can't run out of the box, you have to buy bogies and motor (made by Kato) which fit the without any modifications. You can also buy undercarriage details and pantographs... A 4 cars set typically cost around 15 bucks or so. Then count the same price for motors plus bogies. Love them. They are very practical if you don't have so much space... I've got several kits: - 683 Kei, Thunderbird - 381 Kei, Super Kuroshio and Yakumo - 223 Kei 2000 - 521 Kei Photos and videos are from the 381 Kei Yakumo. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jn1_RNXt3Eg"]YouTube - B Train Shorty JR West 381 Series, Limited Express "Yakumo" - Test run[/ame]
I'm going to have to look into this. If things look up here in the near future, a March release might be good for me! hhhmm...
There's something about the Kiha Series that I like. I don't really know what, just...something. They come in a lot of neat color schemes, too.
Well, I went and did it. My birthday is in March anyway, so I'll be getting myself a present! lol Maybe I'll have a layout to run it on by then as well.
disturbman - The Btrains Shorties are something that is very unique to Japan. Do you know why they were developed? John - Congratulations on purchasing the EF66, remember when you purchase from Hobby Search they have a rewards points system and you can use those point on shipping or deducting the cost from other items you might want to purchase. I just picked up a ED76 by Tomix. Westfalen - Like the container cars you have hooked up. Is the engine Kato or Tomix and are you running it on DCC? If it's Tomix, how is it converting to DCC?
Bernard, no I don't know why they were developped. I guess at first they were meant only for static display, for collectors who were not willing to put all their money in N scale products. A bit like the Railway collection of Tomy but in a more toy like fashion. I'm wondering if the idea was to also make them runable for those who were interested or if this possibility came later. Don't know. Anyway they really are for collectors. Bandai is producing every japanese train set one after the other. I didn't see any JR Hokkaido train set for the moment but the rest is there. You can find Odakyu romance cars, the Nankai Rapit, some trams, Shinkansens (at least the 0 and 700 series)... However it mainly focuses on the Big Private corporation, JR West and JR East. But you can find a lot of diferent trains, I've even see some JR Shikoku trains. If you are interested you can peek a look here. This guy as a HUGE collection. To flip pages click on the "次のページへ" (bottom right of the blog pages). Anyway every train is a limited production. If you miss one production you will then have to wait until Bandai decides to re-produce the kit... or not. In that fashion B Trains work a lot like for normal japanese trains. Right now the big deal is the 683 Kei Thunderbird. Very nice train but the kit is a bit... hum... ¤¤¤¤y compared to the usual B Train standards. I had a bad experience with this one. Ok. The picture I'm attaching his from my 6 cars JR West 381 Kei Super Kuroshio set. Very nice but it still miss his bogies and motor as well as more accurate pantographs. For your information this train is ~40cm long and can take curves with a 103mm radius without looking out of place.
The container cars are Tomix. The DF200 diesel is Kato and takes the same drop-in decoder that fits the PA1.
I've seen B Train Shorties listed in the Japanese N Gauge magazines but never really investigated them, other than they look like they could take the 4" radius Tomix track. I don't know anything about the history behind them but they look like they could be fun and I would be interested in learning. BTW, thanks for the info on the TGV POS, disturbman.
