Layout Construction

I have progressed a bit further with the layout construction.  The end wall had a chimney breast sticking out of it, so I have now framed it out and boarded it, to give it a better finish.

 

I have no altered the high level shelf to take my staging area.  But as you can see I am keeping all my Stock and Buildings here just now, until I have finished the workshop at the end.  I am no master joinery, but I have managed to put a 6 inch (150mm) facer board around the edges of the layout, it sits about 10mm about the insulation.  When the road plates are added these should just sit below the top of the wood.  Way down the line I will add a curtain of sorts below to hide all the framing below and give it a more finished look.  I plan to have switches around the edge of the layout for turning building lights on and off.  These will be set back so as not to get damaged when moving around.

 

 

 

I have a habit of keep lengths of timber, that might be useful but I am going to have to break this and clear out all the scrap wood.  I only have the Shelves at the end to build in the Workshop and also the helix and all the woodwork will be finish.  I have the weekend off and my boy is at his granny and granddads so I should be able to make a little time to do this. 

 

I am going to have to start a to do list. as I don't seem to be getting any closer to putting any track down.  To save a little money I am going to design High level track platforms to take my track around the layout, as I might need to re-mortgage the house is I am to do it in Kato Track.  The laser cutter at the club rooms will help here. 

 

My Layout plan is coming along well in AutoCAD I now have track and the road plates in position, and I have drawn up a few buildings to see how they can fit into things.  Also now the LED's are here I can start to put buildings together with lights, I am just going have to pick up some detail parts to make them look interesting inside and out.

 

Again you will have to click on this to see it better.  the road system is now in with a few buildings put in to see how they would fit.  the dashed line is where I might build a bridge to join the road system up here.  I have drawn an 8 Car Bullet train in the station to make sure this fits,  10 car trains should fit on each siding ok.  I will bee to buy a few extension pieces to lengthen the station.  Some times you can over plan things, but once I start to build stuff it will be a good reference tool, and can be altered to suit the build.

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My stock level is growing fast, I have made another new addition.

 

KATO E2-1000 SERIES "HAYATE" BULLET TRAIN 4 CAR SET DCC READY

 

 

About the Loco :-

 

The E2 series (E2系^?) is a Japanese high-speed Shinkansen train type operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) on the Tohoku and Nagano Shinkansen high-speed lines in Japan since 1997. They are formed in 8- and 10-car sets. The 8-car sets are used on the Nagano Shinkansen, and the 10-car sets on Tōhoku Shinkansen services. The 10-car sets can be coupled to E3 series Komachi sets using couplers hidden behind retracting nose doors.

 

They operate at a maximum speed of 275 km/h (170 mph) on the Tohoku Shinkansen and 260 km/h (160 mph) on the Nagano Shinkansen.
As of 1 April 2012, there are 53 E2 series sets (14 8-car "N" sets and 39 10-car "J" sets) in service

 

 

E2 series Shinkansen at Ōmiya Station, February 2011
In service	1997–Present
Manufacturer	Hitachi, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Nippon Sharyo, Tokyu Car Corporation
Constructed	1995–2010
Refurbishment	2013–
Number built	502 vehicles (53 sets) (as of April 2012)
Number in service	502 vehicles (53 sets) (as of April 2012)
Formation	8/10 cars per trainset
Capacity	10-car J sets: 815 (51 Green + 764 Standard) 8-car N sets: 630 (51 Green + 579 Standard)
Operator	JR East
Depot(s)	Sendai, Nagano
Line(s) served	Tōhoku Shinkansen, Joetsu Shinkansen, Nagano Shinkansen
Specifications
Car body construction	Aluminium
Car length	25,700 mm (84 ft 4 in) (end cars), 25,000 mm (82 ft 0 in) (intermediate cars)
Width	3,380 mm (11 ft 1 in)
Doors	2 per side
Maximum speed	275 km/h (170 mph) (Tōhoku Shinkansen), 260 km/h (160 mph) (Nagano Shinkansen)
Traction system	(AC) MT205 (24 x 300 kW (400 hp) per 8-car train, 32 x 300 kW (400 hp) per 10-car train)
Power output	7.2 MW (9,700 hp) (for 8-car train), 9.6 MW (12,900 hp) (for 10-car train)
Electric system(s)	25 kV AC, 50/60 Hz overhead catenary
Current collection method	Pantograph
Safety system(s)	ATC-2, DS-ATC
Multiple working	400/E3 series
Gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in).

 

 

I will be looking to add the 4 car add on set to the train at some point.  but I have a few like that just now, so this will join the queue like the rest.  I pick this up for £60 and £3 postage, so all good.

 

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More Design, and Road Plates

I have been busy designing my layout in AutoCAD, to see how everything fit's together and how things will look next to each other.

There will be a Road and a Rail bridge between my football stadium and city section on the back wall.  As the club has its laser cutter up and running I thought I would have a go at designing one to fit the gap.  I had a look through Google images to get some inspiration and came across the Story Bridge in Australia.

So I based my design on this and got to sketching.  About 8 Hours later (over a few nights) I had my design finished and to the size to fit the opening in my layout.  I had managed to break it down into a kit I could cut from thin plywood and had made myself a set of instructions.  As I had drawn a section of the Football Stadium I thought I would put both in there correct locations in the section of the Attic to see how it looked.  Well it looked stupid, the Stadium dwarfed the Bridge and it just didn't look good at all, so it was scrapped.

It got me thinking about the football stadium and its size,  as I am building it in the middle of my city I wondered how other buildings would look around it.  So I draw up three buildings to scale that I own and put them into the section to see how it would look.

You may have to click on the picture to see it properly

From left to right, Football Stadium, Aoshima Carpark, and Two Kato High Level Buildings. 

 

 

Looking how the towers and car park size up against the stadium, and once I scratch build some high towers I think it will all look ok.  I will just have to sort something out for the bridge that does not look out of place.

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After buying the High level viaduct station, I have decided to use the Dio Town Road plates in front of it for the road surface.  I really like how they look and give a nice road finish, yes it might look to clean, but I think when I fully detail them, with people, cars and buildings I am hoping they won't look to bad.  I have drawn a plan of my attic, again using AutoCAD, to see how the plates would fit in with my base board size, and it seems they were meant for it as the fit perfect.

 

 

You will have to click on the picture to see it properly, It shows the location of the football stadium and the station across from it, with the track in red running round.  Drawing up the road plates in yellow to scale, I know how many of each type I will need to complete my road network.  The road that will come to the bridge will only be to service the football stadium and will take you into car parks around the stadium.  At the end of the station I have put a road that looks like it is cross the walkway to the other side, where my industrial area will be.  I wanted to create the impression that the road would continue on and join both sides on the layout, I may build a removable bridge for this section at a later date.  With a road plan set I now have a rough idea of building space around the layout, so I can start to build and buy buildings to start make this look like the city I want.

 

If I can find a way to hide the faller wire in or under these plates I might try and have there road system on the layout.  But I will have to look into that.

 

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Some new stock for the layout.

 

I bought a Tomix JREF210 Set of loco and two flat car wagons with containers.  I have been after this loco for ages, but I have only seem it for £100 plus, I found this set from an English Seller for just under £60, So happy with that.

 

About the Loco:-

The Class EF210 (EF210形) is a Bo-Bo-Bo wheel arrangement DC freight locomotive type operated by Japan Freight Railway Company (JR Freight) in Japan.
The locomotives are built at the Kawasaki Heavy Industries factory in Kobe. Based at Okayama, Shin-Tsurumi, and Suita (Osaka) depots, they are primarily used on freight on the Tōkaidō Main Line and Sanyō Main Line, replacing class EF66s.
As of 1 April 2009, 74 EF210s were operated by JR Freight. Nine EF210 locomotives are scheduled to be delivered during fiscal 2009, with nine more scheduled for fiscal 2010.
 

 

Power type	Electric
Builder	Kawasaki Heavy Industries
Build date	1996–present
UIC classification	Bo-Bo-Bo
Gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Length	18,200 mm
Width	2,887 mm
Height	3,980 mm
Locomotive weight	100.8 t[1]
Electric system(s)	1,500 V DC
Traction motors	AC
Top speed	110 km/h (70 mph)
Power output	3,390 kW[1]
Tractive effort	199 kN[1]
Career	JR Freight
Number in class	74+
First run	1996
Disposition	Still in production

Looking forward to giving this a good run in.

Doctor Shinkansen

 

I have been after one of these for a while and came across this one on E-bay for £58 so i put a wee bid in and won.  I will keep my eyes open for the 4 car add on set to complete it.  I was not really looking to add more Loco's to my collection as i am looking to add more track and buildings,  so i guess the track will be waiting for another few weeks.   There is some info below on the Doc i found on the web, makes for good reading.



TOMIX 'N' GAUGE 92227 JR923 SHINKANSEN 3 CAR SET

 Doctor Yellow (ドクターイエロー^?) is the nickname for the high-speed test trains that are used on the Japanese Shinkansen ("Bullet Train") dedicated express passenger train routes. The trains have special equipment on board to monitor the condition of the track and overhead wire, including special instrumented bogie's and observation blisters.
The 'Doctor' part of the name is obvious from their test and diagnostic function, and the 'Yellow' part comes from the bright yellow colour they are all painted. Some have a blue waistline stripe, some a green one. The original colour scheme of yellow with a blue stripe (applied to the Class 921 track-recording cars) was created by reversing the colours (blue with yellow stripe) used on 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) narrow-gauge track-recording cars.
In build and appearance, they are very similar to production, passenger carrying Shinkansen trains, and line inspection is carried out at full line speed (i.e. up to 270 km/h/168 mph on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen).

From the Japan Times

‘Dr. Yellow’ train keeps line safe, elates spotters

NAGOYA — A seven-car shinkansen line inspection train runs about once every 10 days between Tokyo and Hakata in Fukuoka Prefecture, and rail buffs who spot it claim it brings good luck.
The train has been nicknamed “Dr. Yellow” because of its colour but it is officially called a comprehensive shinkansen test train.
Nobumasa Naruchi of West Japan Railway Co.’s shinkansen management headquarters said it is “what you might call an X-ray train, in that it collects data on deflections of overhead wires and bending of the rails while running.”
The train’s job is to inspect aboveground equipment.
On Jan. 29, the Tokaido Shinkansen Line was halted in Kanagawa Prefecture when an overhead power catenary severed, apparently after being struck by an out-of-place pantograph — an accordionlike device that extends from the train to touch the wire and thus transfer electricity to the train’s electric motors.
The test train that travels the 1,174-km distance between Tokyo and Hakata is popular with rail fans. An urban legend has it happiness comes to those who spot it.
Its timetable is not published. Nevertheless, a Web site details the places and times it passes so those interested may figure out when they can see it. A cheering crowd with cameras was on hand when Dr. Yellow pulled into Shin-Osaka Station en route to Hakata in December.
All of the coaches’ windows are blocked out. Carriages six and seven house large equipment to gauge signals and electricity. A dome in coach five lets inspectors view pantograph connections.
A special platform under the floor of coach four is used to inspect the tracks.
Gear to control the dome and all data collected by the various diagnostic equipment is fed to coach three. Coach two carries a device to check wear on the overhead power cable. Signals and power are monitored in coach one.
“Based on data provided by Dr. Yellow, maintenance workers on the scene fine-tune electric wires and the rails,” Naruchi said. “That’s a rewarding job for us.”

HUSA Transportation Loco

Well i am back from Wunderland Hamburg, had a amazing time.  But will speak about that in my next post.

While in Hamburgh i picked up this super running locomotive,  It was the colours for me that i was drawn to,  I have been doing a little research in the Loco and will add a rake of frieght wagons for it to pull.  I got some money for my Xmas from the misses and the wee boy, so this was a late xmas present from them at 99 euros.

Piko N diesel locomotive G 1506 Husa

About HUSA Transportation Group

Husa Transportation Group is a Group of companies that has set itself the target of becoming a European market leader in intermodal logistics solutions where rail transportation is the “key differentiator”. With subsidiaries in the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland, Husa Transportation Group is already a major player in the European market for rail freight.

Husa Transportation, which was founded in December 1998 in the Eindhoven region in the Netherlands, consists of several divisions, each of which focuses on its own specific core activity.



I have seen one or two other loco's in this road name, i will be looking to add to my collection.  So my Solo Japanese N Gauge Layout has now also crossed into Europe.............



New Stock

Its been very quite at work, so while surfing Ebay i came across a few bargins, I picked up these......



JR HOKKAIDO "ANA BIG SNEAKER" Kiha 83/84 Diesel 4 CARS SET FROM KATO item N°10-304.



It was only £54.00 ($72.00) which was a bargin if you ask me (this includes the postage from the US.














Joyful Train (ジョイフルトレイン, joifuru torein^?) is the name given to railway rolling stock or train sets operated by the JR Group in Japan primarily for charters, special events, tourist excursions, and other similar purposes.

 The "Joyful Train" concept can be traced back to 1960, when a 1935-vintage SuHaShi 29 dining car was converted into a Japanese-style o-zashiki train with tatami flooring and shoji paper screens on the windows. This could be coupled to regular service trains for use by charter parties. A second car was similarly modified in April 1961.

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The DD51 is a class of Japanese B-2-B wheel arrangement diesel-hydraulic locomotives. 649 locomotives were built between 1962 and 1978 by Kawasaki Sharyō, Hitachi, and Mitsubishi. The class was designed for mainline passenger and freight use with more power than the D51 and a higher maximum speed than the C62 steam locomotive classes. This was achieved by installing two 1,100 hp engines in an 18 metre long centre-cab design, unusual for mainline operation. The V12 DML61 engines were developed from the 6-cylinder inline DMF31 engines used in the DD13 locomotives.

 



Liveries

All locomotives numbered from DD51 2 onwards were finished in the standard diesel livery of orange/red with grey upper surfaces separated by a white stripe. Re-engined locos operated by JR Freight in Hokkaidō sport a livery based on the DF200 colour scheme, with no white stripe. These locomotives are frequently used in pairs double-heading freight trains.
JR Hokkaidō locos are all finished in the "Hokutosei" livery of blue with a gold stripe and shooting star logo. These are used in pairs for hauling sleeper trains (Hokutosei, Cassiopeia, and Twilight Express) between Hakodate and Sapporo.
DD51 592 (now withdrawn), and now DD51 791, was repainted in the "Euroliner" livery of pale blue with dark blue stripes for use with JR Central's "Euroliner" Joyful Train set.
DD51 842 was designated as the Imperial Train locomotive. Whereas regular members of the class have white handrails and edges to the running boards, they are polished stainless steel on this particular locomotive, as are the exhaust shrouds. Based at Takasaki Depot, it is also used for special excursion trains.

Stocklist Extended

The EF81 class of electric locomotives are Bo-Bo-Bo wheel arrangement multi-voltage AC/DC electric locomotives operated on passenger and freight services in Japan

A Bo-Bo-Bo in UIC classification is a locomotive with three independent two-axle bogies with all axles powered. In the AAR system, this is simplified to B-B-B.
The Bo-Bo-Bo configuration is often used to lower axle weight while keeping lateral forces low compared to a locomotive with two three-axle bogies, thus allowing the locomotive to use lightly laid track, in particular narrow-gauge railways.

14 locomotives built in 1986 and 1987 and mostly operated along the Kanmon Tunnel, although some locomotives operating on a few "Blue Train" services served some railway lines in Kyushu, in particular sections of the Kagoshima Main Line and the Nippō Main Line as well as the entire Nagasaki Main Line.

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ED79 shape, the Japanese National Railways (JNR) is 1986 ( Showa from 1961) Tsugarukaikyosen was manufactured for exchanges for electric locomotive is. 国鉄分割民営化後にも、 日本貨物鉄道 （JR貨物）が1989年 （ 平成元年）から新製した。 Privatization of JNR division even after, Japan Freight Railway (freight JR) is 1989 ( Heisei Shin was manufactured from 1989).

 

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Kato 10-412 Eiden 900 Kirara 2-Car Set, Orange

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The DF50 class of diesel-electric locomotives were Bo-Bo-Bo wheel arrangement locomotives operated by Japanese National Railways (JNR) in Japan.

DF50-0
Full-production batch delivered from 1957 with 8LDA25A 1,060 hp engine. 65 locomotives were built.

DF50-500
Later batch with V6V22/30MA 1,200 hp engine. 73 locomotives were built.

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Diesel locomotive form DE15 (Kikan-sha diesel ye Dii 15), Japanese National Railways was medium-sized development, design, manufacture (JNR) liquid formula for snow removal diesel locomotive

As locomotive plowing ceremony Russell, 1961 to form DD15 but had appeared, when the devices are installed snowplow axle load for is 15.5 tons, grade line to line section following line hei low is Nyusen I was unable to.  Therefore, in these low standard train schedule, from the old snowplow car was forced to perform in a manner that will promote snow removal in the locomotive.  Order to and modernization of high-performance vehicle plowing there, form DD20 -based, fixed to the locomotive equipment snow removal Russell form DD21 is 1963 was the prototype, in while wearing the device snowplow local line I stayed in the manufacture of only one car there is inconvenience to business operations and input。 Rectify the shortcomings of the form DD21, shape DE10 locomotive for snow removal can be Nyusen is this format to train schedule standard low was developed based on, in 1967 from 1981, both total of 58 were produced between the time。 During snow removal before and after the main body 2 axes locomotive bogie connecting the Russell head was used.  In addition to stage snow removal will stop to consider that it is also used to tow the car貨列customers mainline industry and input on campus, work focused solution consolidated Russell head has been designed to be labor saving simplicity.

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Stock list and Loco Info

The following is a Stock-list of all the loco's i own, and what they would have looked like in the real-world.  I have tried to find any information i can on each one to give an idea what they are about.

As i buy more Loco's i will update the lists.


Kato 10-388 223-100 Series Electric Car

This is a nice 4 car unit with full lighting inside and directional lighting on the front and rear.

 

 

 

 

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Kato 10-296 209-500 Series (SOBU LINE COLOUR) Yurakucho Line

 

The Tokyo Metro Yūrakuchō Line (有楽町線, Yūrakuchō-sen^?) is a subway line owned and operated by Tokyo Metro. The line connects Wakōshi Station in Wakō, Saitama and Shin-Kiba Station in Kōtō, Tokyo. On maps, diagrams and signboards, the line is shown using the color "gold", and its stations are given numbers using the letter Y.

Services
The Yūrakuchō Line has inter-running counterparts on its northern side, both of which are "major" Japanese private railway companies in Greater Tokyo. One is the Tōbu Railway at Wakōshi, north to Shinrinkōen. The other is the Seibu Railway at Kotake-Mukaihara with its bypass line Seibu Yūrakuchō Line connecting to its main Ikebukuro Line, through trains north to Kotesashi or Hannō.
According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation, as of June 2009 the Yūrakuchō Line is the fifth most crowded subway line in Tokyo, at its peak running at 173% capacity between Higashi-Ikebukuro and Gokokuji stations.
Semi-express (準急^?) services ran on the Yūrakuchō Line between June 14, 2008 and March 6, 2010, operating twice hourly between Wakōshi and Shin-Kiba. Between Wakōshi and Ikebukuro, semi-express trains stopped only at Kotake-Mukaihara; between Ikebukuro and Shin-Kiba, trains stopped at all stations. The semi-express trains ran between rush hours during weekdays and more frequently on weekends and holidays. These services were abolished and replaced with local services on March 6, 2010.

 

 

 

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Kato 10-227 M250 Series Super Rail Cargo

 

The M250 Series Super Rail Cargo is a freight electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by Japan Freight Railway (JR Freight) in Japan. It entered service in 2004 with the objective of reducing emissions and carrying general freight for small package forwarders (such as special delivery services). The M250 series is JR Freight's first container train with distributed traction. It is manufactured by Nippon Sharyo, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, and Toshiba.

 

 

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10-397 700 Series Shinkansen "Nozomi"

 

The 700 series (700系^?) is a Japanese Shinkansen high-speed train type built between 1997 and 2006, and entering service in 1999. Originally designated as "N300", they formed the next generation of shinkansen vehicles jointly designed by JR Central and JR West for use on both Tōkaidō and Sanyō Shinkansen lines.

 

Design

The 700 series is characterized by its flat 'duck-bill' nose designed to reduce the piston effect as the trains enter tunnels. 16-car units are painted white with blue stripes beneath the windows, and are used for Nozomi, Hikari, and Kodama services on the Tōkaidō and Sanyō Shinkansen lines, while 8-car units used for the Sanyō Shinkansen Hikari Rail Star services have a darker livery (grey with black window areas and a yellow stripe beneath the windows) which also acts to visually deemphasize the units' nose area, resulting in a more streamlined impression.
As with the 500 series trains, yaw dampers are fitted between vehicles, and all cars feature semi-active suspension to ensure smooth ride characteristics even at high speed. Compared with the small fleet of high-performance, high-cost 500 series trains built for JR West, these trains were designed to give improved ride comfort and interior ambience over the earlier 300 series trains at a lower cost than the 500 series trains. The cost of a 16-car 700 series unit is approximately 4 billion yen compared with around 5 billion yen for a 16-car 500 series train.

 

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10-474 251 Series "Super View Odoriko"

 

The Odoriko (踊り子^?) is a limited express train service in Japan operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East), which runs between Tokyo and Izukyū-Shimoda or Shuzenji in Shizuoka Prefecture.

 

Operations

Services are currently operated by 7-, 10-, and 10+5-car 185 series EMUs, making it the longest Limited Express train running in Japan (excluding shinkansen trains).
The word odoriko means a girl dancer in Japanese. The train service was named after the title of novel Izu no Odoriko (The Dancing Girl of Izu) by Yasunari Kawabata. The stage of the novel is the destination of the train, Izu Peninsula.

 

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 More to follow