Hi: I will be in Tokyo this weekend, and was wondering if you know of Shinkansen models in HO scale? What are the manufacturers and, if possible, some shop recommendations. BTW, is it too much to ask if 3-rail AC is available?--MM

see the link
http://www.mgsharp.com/Bachmann_Japanese.htm
http://www.tenshodo.co.j...ad/new/ho/500/index.html

Thomas: Do you mean the "Hilton"? Also, do you remember the subway stop, or the neighborhood it was in?--MM

Moshi-moshi..
Here the picture Mike



The Tokyu Hands-store is behind this building

Happy Hunting

As far as I know, Tenshodo still makes trains. But like all the Japanese brands, they make them in small batches, and Tenshodo makes them in even smaller batches due to the fact that H0 is just too big for the average Japanese home.

Tomix is fairly active in the H0 department, but I don't think they've ever made a Shinkansen in H0. Their catalog has plenty H0 models in it though.

For an H0 Shinkansen, Tenshodo would be your best bet, but they're expensive and very hard to get especially outside Japan. You could have a look at www.japanmodelrailways.com, and ask the owner of the shop about H0 Shinkansen. He's very helpful, and he has several contacts in Japan who are able to local in the small local stores there to see if they happen to have some rare model in stock. I've managed to get quite a few of my N-scale trains that way ;)

If you just want a Japanese train on your layout, or want to test a Tomix H0 train, or see if it's convertable to 3-rail, the new Tomix EH500 model can be recommended.

One thing I noticed in Tomix, Kato and MicroAce trains btw, is that they have excellent power pickup, usually on all wheels. In fact, Tomix's latest 700 series Shinkansen has power pickup from ALL wheels throughout the whole train. That means power pickup from 128 wheels, I don't think that one will have problems with dirty track or bad turnouts. Unless you have a 2.5 meter stretch of dirty track =)

Japan still uses a lot of diesels for both freight and passenger trains. The most common one is the DD51 which has been in use since around 1963. There's also the DE10, in use since about 1966, and a total of just over 700 of those were built. The DD51 is even used for sleeper and express trains, usually double-heading a string of 12 or so cars. I don't think Tomix has ever made either of those loco's in H0 though.

I've never traveled to Japan either, but I collect Japanese prototype N-scale, so I've done a fair bit of reading over the years =) The EH500 is a very environmentally friendly train, it's won awards for that. It usually hauls container trains which are by far the most common freight cars in Japan.

One thing to keep in mind though, is that certain parts of the Japanese trains are inferior to the European brands. Especially pantographs often look too plastic (they're not functional either.) On the other hand, their couplers look great, and they have some amazing lettering. Spare parts are also not insanely expensive ;)

Thanks to all. I am back now for a couple of weeks and busy with other things. One colleague, from the Institute of Statistical Mathematics, took me to a electronics store in Akihabara, and they had some trains, but it was mostly a store specializing in other Japanese toys. My two youngest sons got birthday presents there, so it was very good to go!!

My train story is fun, but not so rewarding. My friend from the National Informatics Institute and I had lunch near the Jimbocho metro stop, and his office. After a nice Soba lunch, he took me for a stroll in the area, which is mainly the shopping area for books and prints. We went into a multi-level book store, and on the top floor there had been a big toy/train store. Unfortunately, he was unaware that it had moved out to a new location only two weeks before! I was disappointed, but had a great time in Japan in any case.

Two things:

1. I am now on a grant with people in Japan, and so should be going back with some frequency.
2. I have a still have a pile of Yen, and so when I get back I will have already financed a tear through a train store.

The story continues, and any more information will be used on subsequent trips. Thanks!!--MM

Martin: I now have colleagues in Tokyo, near Kyoto, in Kyushu, and in Hiroshima. So I will be back at some point. Two suggestions to you about going to Japan:

1. Go, and don't worry about not speaking reading Japanese. Learn to say thank you and a few other things, and remember that in Japan, most restaurants have plastic models of their food in their windows. So...you can always walk your waiter outside and point!! Also, if you go to Tokyo, it's no biggie as their are English signs and many people speak English. Outside of Tokyo, it may be trickier, but that's the fun of traveling. Like in most parts of the world, if you look like you need the help of a native, a native will come along and help you!!
2. As a professor with an active research program, I get to go to many neat (and admittedly some not so neat) places to give talks and to collaborate. If you still have a choice in your career, academia has that as a major side benefit.

I have only been on subways and JR trains in Tokyo (their S-Bahn). I hope to take a Shinkansen myself on my next trip.--MM

I disagree. I think Tokyo is fabulous! You do need to ask the locals (eg. hotel staff) where to go and especially where to eat. I love Japanese food. Local knowledge is vital in a city the size of Tokyo.



I agree here. Regional Japan is a whole 'nother world. You'd be surprised how far just the basic Hello/Goodbye/Please/Thankyou goes even in small towns. Most Japanese shopkeepers and restaurent owners really do want to please foreign tourists, even if they can't speak a word of English.
MrsKelly and I spent a very pleasant week or so around Mt Fuji and Hakone in the summer, staying a smallish village (for Japan), and had no real trouble. MrsKelly does know a reasonable amount of Japanese (including script), but since I'm the husband, the locals always insisted on addressing me. I just know the basic Hello/Goodbye/Please/Thankyou.

Martijn, I agree that the country-side is pretty neat, but like many countries we know and love, Japan's capitol, largest city, economic and cultural center are all the same place: Tokyo. So there are things in this urban jungle that are not to be found outside. For example, I have been to two different Sumo tournaments in Tokyo, and while there is a Sumo circuit, many of the Heyas (the Sumo stables) are in the same Tokyo neighborhood.

However, I go back to my main point to all of this: if you really want to go to Japan, go, now!!! Life is short and uncertain, so enjoy a trip to Japan, even if you cannot organize your imagination's perfect trip or speak Japanese as well as you would like before going. It is also worth to recall that the world is so seriously overfishing that they may start running out of Sushi some time soon!! Grab it while its still on the plates in the Sushi-go-rounds!--MM

Michael, I'll have to see. I noticed there's some travel agency here that specializes in Asian destinations, and it looks like they have group trips as well, so that might be interesting ;)

Damon, funny you should mention the Keisei Skyliner, since I just ordered a model of that one in N-scale =)

As for futon, I sleep on one at home, and to be honest, I've never slept as good or as comfortable as on that thing. Sure, it takes a bit getting used to since it's not exactly soft, but it's great.

Anyway. I *WILL* be visiting Japan sooner or later, I just need to stay away from train stores, otherwise I'd probably end up selling my ticket home so I can buy an extra train set =)

Hello,

I'm very sorry, but my response is too late.
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