RMweb Premium Claude_Dreyfus Posted November 18, 2009 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 18, 2009 Perhaps something for the 2010 Challenge. For those that know my modelling tastes, it will come as no surprise that I have an idea for a Japanese model in mind; however this is Japanese with a slight difference... Our two club projects (new layout and conversion) centre on main line operation, which seems to be the norm (but not exclusive) for Japanese modelling. Plenty of Bullets and long commuter trains, which is great and pretty much what the public expects when they see a Japanese model. There is also a very different side of Japanese railways; that of the 'third sector' and minor lines. Third sector lines tend to be partnerships between private companies and local authorities. They are more often than not small concerns mainly dealing with passenger services, although some do have limited freight traffic. This idea is based on a real place - Kanayaguchi - which is in the Kansai region. This was the terminus of the Arita Railway, which closed back in 2002. A very small and rural backwater that went the way of so many lines of this nature; succumbing to local bus competition. It would be set more or less at the time of closure, probably in about 2000. This would be N Gauge, of course, and occupy an area of 1,728 square inches - two boards of 4' x 1' 6'' including fiddle yard. The plan comes from various photographs and a YouTube video, and looks to have 4 points. Although this will not be a slavish copy; more an 'inspired by' model, so there may be a couple of modifications to the plan. Stock: I have a small 4-wheeled railbus from Tomix, and may think about adding something like a KiHa 52 when I go to Warley this weekend. Limited freight will be in the hands of a couple of DE10s - one each from Kato and Tomix. Below are a couple of links to Wikipedia showing Kanayaguchi station, plus the little 4-wheeled railcar that first attracted my interest to the line... http://ja.wikipedia....yaguchi-Sta.jpg http://ja.wikipedia....guchi-Sta-2.jpg Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 009matt Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 Looks like the gauntlet has been laid down Mr Dreyfus. I am trying to twist mr DMJ's arm to contruct an H0m layout and enter too. It will be interesting to see this develop! AS an aside, Focus are selling 1200 x 500x 52.5 foam blocks for 24.99 buy one get one free, I am thinking of using this! Could be a lighteweight potential for Kanayaguchi (A Geordie expression for a good Gucci item?) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnDMJ Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 As an aside, Focus are selling 1200 x 500x 52.5 foam blocks for 24.99 buy one get one free, how does that offer compare with: http://www.trademate...12&Keypart2=122 ? (and free delivery from the local depot - if you use the right courier!) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 009matt Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 how does that offer compare with: http://www.trademate...12&Keypart2=122 ? (and free delivery from the local depot - if you use the right courier!) doesn't show prices to joe blogs like me you need to be posh and have an account! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnDMJ Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 doesn't show prices to joe blogs like me you need to be posh and have an account! Sorry, Joe! what size and / or part number and I'll see if they give me a price (I don't have an A/c with them directly either!) Example: CELLECTA EXTRUDED POLYSTYRENE YELOFOAM X2I 600X2500X50MM (520907) ??17.54 EA btw last time I bought a sheet for Lynnbottom, they charged me less than the web price for a cash sale, so it's only good as a guide! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnDMJ Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 Kanayaguchi (A Geordie expression for a good Gucci item?) Sounds more like a mugger's cry - Can I A' ya Gucci? :icon_lol: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 009matt Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 Sorry Claude - it's the Return of Thread Jackers! Will let you have your thread back. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Claude_Dreyfus Posted November 18, 2009 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted November 18, 2009 Okay, looks like the links I supplied don't work very well...not too sure why For an idea of the sort of effect I am after, just type Kanayaguchi into Google images and you will be confronted with a number of fairly tatty buildings, a little shunter, a few pictures of the 4-wheeler and a very ropey looking Kiha58 single-car DMU. My version of the railcar is a very similar design carrying the livery of the Hojo line. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brisbane King Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 Looks like a great idea. ? The Japanese routes were always my favourite in MTS, back in the day. ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Claude_Dreyfus Posted November 22, 2009 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted November 22, 2009 So, Warley has come and gone, and so has my annual visit to the Japan Model Railways stand - which is never a cheap do . This time it was mainly vehicles, with an emphisis on smaller trucks and minibuses you are more likely to find in the more rural areas of Japan. There was, however, the promised diesel railcar; although not the Kiha 52 I had in mind. This is the Tomix Kiha 40 railcar, and is perfectly in keeping with the sort of line I have in mind. It has already been put through its paces, and is a really nice runner. Now all I have to do is add the detailing bits and transfers! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Claude_Dreyfus Posted November 24, 2009 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted November 24, 2009 I now have a basic plan for the layout, which has been put togther to the best of my knwoledge from a number of photographs and YouTube clips. The first cheat here that that the goods yard will have both sidings in operation, as opposed to being used seemingly just to dump old wagons. I may take an extra liberty and add another siding in the shed area. Note the lack of run-round loop; however pictures do show a small 0-6-0 shunter was kept here, so we can have a little bit of shuffling of goods wagons for extra interest; if not necessarily prototypical accuracy for the period I have in mind. Certainly the shunter was still at Kanayaguchi after 2000, however probably not in working order. The following photos have been pilfered from Wikipedia Commons... The first shows the station building looking towards the track from what amounts to the carpark - other pictures taken a little further back show the haphazard nature of the parking arrangements!. The small 4-wheeled railbus can be seen in the distance and the whole place has a somewhat run-down appearence - perfect for modelling . At the other end of the platform stands the small loco shed, used to house the line's railbus, as well as what looks to be a small Honda pickup mounted on rail wheels - can't see it in this picture. Again this is an interesting structure, and its location makes for a very compact site....it's as if the designers forsaw the RMWeb 2010 challenge... In my world the Kiha 58 depicted in this view will be replaced by the Kiha 40 in the previous post. It does look a little down-at-heal here and probably made a one-way trip to the scrap yard when the line finally closed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Claude_Dreyfus Posted January 14, 2010 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted January 14, 2010 In the intervening six weeks () or so since I last posted in this thread, I have been doing some thinking - I know; dangerous! As I'm sure I have mentioned ealier, I want this layout to be something long-term; suitable for exhibitions, as well as playing with at home. Quite simply, I have concluded that the original plan was not flexible enough, nor did it really lend itself to a rewarding exhibition experience - both in terms of viewing and operations. I did some initial sketching, and finally came up with a plan that conveyed the spirit of Kanayaguchi, however with a little more interest... Here the layout is a little more open, with an additional platform. I have retained the shed sidings beside the station, although the shed itself has been reduced to single track. This area will be used to stable units as well as the freight engine. The yard has changed to now serve a specific industry. This has moved a little further on and is now in front of the fiddle yard - a better use of space. The extra siding leading to the building immediately prior to the siding crossing the road is a shed for the shunter used by the industry. The identity of the shunter is still to be decided, although I was thinking about modifying a Bachmann 04 - my queries about this was subject to a thread on the old RMWeb. The result of these has suggested I look elsewhere... The line will still be a diesel-operated third-sector line, and the stock will remain the same, although it will enable me to run a few more of my DMU fleet. In terms of progress, I have a confession. I am the world's worst capenter, therefore I have asked for a couple of my club colleagues to build the boards for me. Hopefully they should be ready soon, so I can crack on with building... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonB Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 Looking at the pictures, it seems that the Japanese do not do Run-down-about-to-be-closed-grotty nearly as well as we do here in the UK. !! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Claude_Dreyfus Posted January 15, 2010 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted January 15, 2010 ... The identity of the shunter is still to be decided, although I was thinking about modifying a Bachmann 04 - my queries about this was subject to a thread on the old RMWeb. The result of these has suggested I look elsewhere... The shunter quandary has now been solved with the obtaining of a Micro Ace DD16 from Wellington models. I will be interested to see how this purchase goes as suprisingly it is the first I have made from them... Yes, the Japanese version of a run-down railway is very different to what you see elsewhere. The Arita line was very much on its last legs when these pictures were taken...but that seems to be the way for the railways in general out there. For example, I have seen numerous pictures of Japanese frieght trains and the locos in particular are always clean - especially the electrics. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Claude_Dreyfus Posted March 7, 2010 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted March 7, 2010 Well, it is time to turn the attention back to the 2010 challenge...and my mind has been a whirl of ideas over the last month or so. Still, I now have the baseboards, expertly constructed by two fellow club members who know a thing or two about baseboard construction! When erected they cover an area of 8' x 1'6'' - a total of 1728 square inches. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnDMJ Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 [TIC] that mode of construction looks vaguely familiar, Claude [/TIC] Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Claude_Dreyfus Posted March 14, 2010 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted March 14, 2010 Well, the boards have now been set up in their rightful home, and a short trip down to my local model shop resulted me returning with a few lengths of track, four points and some Kato platforms. The decision has been taken to use code 80 track, as this looks a little more 'narrow' in comparison with code 55 - ideal as I am trying to depict 3'6'' gauge track. The station will now be a three platform affair, with two roads electrified...you can see that the idea is slowly evolving away from my original premise, which is fine...we are still in the planning phase... There will be a three siding yard to provide a little more operational interest. To start with this will be diesel; however when a suitable electric loco becomes available the catenery may go up here. I'm waiting to see if Tomix will re-release the ED62, which is essentially what I have in mind. Currently the track has just been placed upon the boards, as I refine the plan. This is an overall view of the boards. The two-car KiHa 110 is occupying one of the two roads that will have catenery. Looking the other way, the point in the foreground will be in the fiddleyard, whilst the track running beside, to the right, will feed the freight yard. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnDMJ Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 Nice how even the grain in the plywood matches across the baseboard joint! Hadn't noticed it in your previous post! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Claude_Dreyfus Posted April 28, 2010 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted April 28, 2010 Time for another update. Things are moving slowly, however some progress has been made. I am currently working out the station area, which has resulted in me needing to construct the station building and platforms so I can correctly position the track. The platforms and building are from a number of kits supplied by Kato (the rural station set) and makes up a really nice model. I found these kits straight-forward to build, although as always, they will require the attentions of a paint brush; something that will be done in the future. One issue I did come across was the height of the platforms. These (in hindsight obviously!) are designed for Kato Unitrack, which is far higher that the PECO track I normally use. I combination of that, and the fact I ran out of platform, meant I nipped down to my local shop to get some cork strip to raise the track bed. As can be seen from the accompanying pictures both the height and width are just right. As can be seen in these pictures, the format of a three platform station has been settled upon. The main two lines serve the JR Eastern branchline, the third track serves both the little third-sector line, as well as acting as a reversing line for freight traffic. On my line, the JRF leg of the journey will be handled by the class DD51 - the blue locomotive in the picture below, whilst the third sector line will be in the hands of the smaller DE10/DD16 locos...I also have a couple of private railway TDE10 locos that would also put in regular appearences. Passenger trains on the JRE line will be in the almost exclusive hands of the KiHa 110 DMUs, a single car version of which is some of these pictures. This next picture, showing the blue DD51, is a general view of the layout. In the distance can be seen a rake of blue box vans, of the same type as those within the station, which are positioned to determine the maximum train length that can be held within the branch fiddle yard. Now it is time to start working out the electric and laying the track...progress indeed! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Claude_Dreyfus Posted May 3, 2010 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted May 3, 2010 A busy and productive weekend . Firstly, on Sunday, the boards were given a good coating of satin black paint..this was left overnight to dry... Today, I set about laying the track, making sure (a) the correct types of fishplates were fitted, and (B) locations were marked out for the fitting of point motors and wiring. To start with, the cork underlay was layed down. Once I was happy with the location of the station in relation to the front and back of the boards, the underlay was glued into position. Following on from this, the track laying started; making sure we had a correct distance from the platform edges. So far I have completed the station area, as well as the JRE line approach from the fiddleyard. The third sector line platform and approach has also been completed, however the approach is only down as far as the junction for the shed and stabling yard. To complete the yard, I'll probably need another two points, although I should be okay for track. Hopefully this should be complete within the next couple of weeks and then attention will turn to wiring the thing up! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Claude_Dreyfus Posted June 5, 2010 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted June 5, 2010 Well, another month has passed us by...and I have taken advantage of a nice day to make a start on the wiring; the track-work was completed a couple of weeks ago. I have also split the baseboards following the cutting of the two tracks that cross the join. With the points being electro-frog, I have had to add a large number of insulated sections. The draw-back here is that will take quite a bit longer before I can get something running . I'm no expert on wiring, so I suspect this is going to be quite a long job. Anyhow, a few progress pictures now that the trackwork is complete. The station area. Trackwork at the station throat. The fiddleyard is at the top right-hand corner, consisting of two two-track yards. Stabling sidings. On overall view of the whole layout. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnDMJ Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 Looking good, Nick. Now about that wiring ..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Claude_Dreyfus Posted October 11, 2010 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted October 11, 2010 Perhaps inevitably my lack of activity has caught up with me, and as a result I'm withdrawing this layout from the challenge. This is not the end of the layout though. Currently it is being wired up (by a fellow club colleague), and will feature elsewhere on the forum in the very near future... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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