Why did I buy a box containing two N gauge Japanese tram kits?
Because they were there.
There being under the Tramway & Light Railway Society stand. Spotting the brightly coloured boxes, I couldn't help but take a proper look (yes, I should be sensible, but one of the models was orange!) and when I peering inside I decided that for the price of a couple of pints, they would be a bit of fun.
Each model is supplied pre-painted, and the kit is designed to be assembled without glue.
As far as I can tell from the instructions, it's possible to motorise these models using Tometec chassis, but these have to be bought separately. Had they been in the box, I'd have brought a lot more home for that price.
The painting is superb. Not just a single colour livery, but two colours plus windows, mirrors and wing mirrors picked out in silver. The bogies, roof and pantograph have also been sprayed. This should be a "shake the box" kit.
3 comments:
This reminds me of a situation that existed in the UK a number of years ago - when some white metal loco kits (Wills?) were sold to work with RTR chassis.
Of course, these new kits are styrene (which should make them more readily buildable) - of trams (so more likely to be of interest to people like me - and in N (so slightly less interesting to me).
As for the Tomy - or Kato - chassis, I suspect that something suitable should be available from Gaugemaster (other suppliers undoubtedly available). I certainly wouldn't see this as an obstacle, if you come across these kits in the future.
I keep getting an itch to build an N scale diorama of some Japanese related tomfoolery, either trams or urban rail and this is only going to fuel that idea I fear, despite the fact I cannot bring myself to get on an finish my HO shunting plank.
Phil,
Your model is of Hankai Tramway which is the only remaining tram line in Osaka. It runs in the southern suburbs and is one of the last Japanese tramways to have started to acquire modern rolling stock. Their vehicles virtually are a rolling museum.
I have a model of Hankai Tramway from Tomytec on order for later this year, complete with the matching Tomytec chassis. These chassis range from about £25 to £40 and are very reliable, albeit a bit light and therefore weak. Only problem is how to get them, I use a Japanese online retailer.
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