Matsuya Ginza Train Show (Updated)
Hobby Search has posted a page photos of new Tomix items on display at the 30th Annual Model Train Show in Tokyo at the Matsuya, Ginza department store. The show occurred in July the photos will give you a preview of items that will probably be released before the end of March 2009. Here’s a direct link to the Tomix items that were on display at this train show. All text is in English and the photos are clickable for a larger image.
Tomytec items have now been added to Matsuya Ginza Train Show page.
And from the Japanese language version of this show report there are a couple of photos of the Tomix show display layout. Photo 1. Photo 2.
Iyotetsu and Iyotetsu Lines 1 and 2
The Iyo Railway or “Iyotetsu” as the system is known operates five gauge tram lines, and two interurban lines in and around the Japanese city of Matsuyama, plus numerous bus lines. All tram and interurban lines are 1067mm (3ft6in) gauge.
Iyotetsu operates five car lines with most of the car lines funneling into a single corridor through the business section of Matsuyama. Lines 1 and 2 are loop lines with much of the line being single track. Line 3 links the Maysuyama Station with the main tram terminal while Line 5 connects the JR station with the main tram terminal. Line 6 operates another long single track section and also terminates at the main tram terminal. The main tram terminal is located at Dogo Onsen, the site of one of oldest and best known onsen hot springs in Japan.
Tram lines 1 and 2 are loop lines roughly running a circle around Matsuyama Castle which sits atop a steep but flat top hill in the center of Matsuyama. On the north side of the castle Lines 1 and 2 run along a single track private right of way with three passing loops at key locations. Service is every 10 minutes all day long.
This You Tube video shows a cab ride on a LIne 2 tram from Kamiichiman to Kayamachi6chome. The line has crossing gates at each street, separate raised platforms at each station for each direction of travel and the line is fenced off in many locations. Switches are double tongue similar to those used by railroads.
The tram car in the video is mostly likely a 50 series tram dating from the early 1950s which are still the mainstay of the Iyotetsu fleet. Japanese tram cars traditionally are rear entrance and front exit. Listen to the thumping air compressor and growling gears on this You Tube video.
This English language map of Matsuyama shows the tram lines (Lines 1 and 2 are purple colored) and shows how Matsuyama Castle is situated in the city. The main tram route works its way across Matsuyama from the JR Station to Dogo Onsen.
The Iyotetsu tram and interurban system is also known for the tram-interurban diamond crossing at Ootemachi Station shown in this Wikipedia image. The interurbans run every 15 minutes and three tram lines run every few minutes. In the photo to the right is one Iyotetsu’s new 2100 series low floor streetcars and the interurban train is ex-Keio stock. This another Wikipedia view of the Ootemachi crossing, but this time showing the station itself.
You’ll find additional views of Iyotetsu trams and interurbans in the Matsuyama yards on this Japanese language blog.
To the best of my knowledge there are not any N gauge Iyotetsu trams or interurbans on the market.
The Tokyu Setagaya line
The Tokyu Setagaya line is the sole remaining tramway operation of the Tokyu Corporation. The line is situated in mid-town Tokyo 1.4 km along the Tokyu Den-en toshi line from Shibuya Station. On this Tokyu map the Setagaya line is shown in the yellow color.
The line is 5.0 km long and has 10 stations. There are ten articulated LRVs with four doors on each side built between 1999 and 2001 by the Tokyu Car Corporation used to operate the line .
Cars run every 6 minutes for most of the day with more frequent service during the early morning. Unlike many other Japanese tram and railway lines, the Setagaya line runs until after Midnight each day.
There is a connection at Sangen-Jaya station with the Tokyu Den-en toshi line and at the Shimo-takaido station with Keio Line which heads into Shinjuku station. The Odakyu Electric Railway’s Odawara line which also runs out of Shinjuku Station passes over near the Setagaya line’s Yamashita station.
A Japanese language web site Preserving Setagaya has a Route Summary page including a track map and plans of the line’s yard before and after the upgrades made at the time of introducing LRVs. (Japanese language web sites can be translated from Japanese to English with a machine translator like Systran, the Japanese Excite or Google Translate.)
The track plan is suitable for a bookshelf layout with a double track mainline ending in a single track terminal at each end, with a couple of crossovers at mid line and a storage and maintenance yard near the mid-point of the line.
Modemo has produced Setagaya line LRVs in a variety of colors in recent years as the NT16, NT17, NT22, NT36, NT54, NT60, NT80 and the latest the NT85, a blue version of the 300 series Tokyu LRV.
Modemo NT85
Modemo has also produced various older Tokyu trams that once were used on the Setagaya line with the NT84 and a reissue of the NT14 two car train being the most recent. As always with Japanese model trains, these Modemo trams tend to sell out within 6 months but there are always new cars coming along the pike. Plaza Japan stocks Modemo cars when these are available.
Tomix Mini Finetrack
In addition to Finetrack Tomix also offers Mini Finetrack, a line of tight radius curves and switches. Curves are available in 103mm, 140mm and 177mm. It is the Mini Finetrack that the Tomix 3076 Tram Accessories kit is designed for.
Eight pieces of 103-60 track creates a circle of 103mm track.
Tomix offers Mini Finetrack packaged in sets of two pieces of 60 degrees and two pieces of 30 degrees in each package.
Tomix 1111 C103
Tomix 1112 C140
Tomix 1113 C177
Powered switches are also offered in Mini Finetrack by Tomix. These are 30 degree turnouts and come with a single C140-30 curve per switch. Package numbers are:
Tomix 1231 PR140-30
Tomix 1232 PL140-30
Mini Finetrack PL140-30 electric switch.
Tomix also offers various packages of Mini Finetrack,
Tomix 91080 Super-mini Rail Set Oval Layout Set (Track Layout SA)
Tomix 91081 Mini Rail Basic Set (Track Layout MA)
Tomix 91082 Mini Rail Set Points Set (Track Layout MB)
Tomix 91083Mini Rail Set Crisscross (Track Layout MX)
Tomix 91080 will build an oval with C103 curves and S140 straights at the top and bottom of the oval. Tomix 91081 will build an oval with C140 and C177 curves at each end and a single S140 straight on each side of the oval.
Tomix 91082 is a siding track package using P140-30 manual switches. Mini Finetrack manual switches are only offered in this package. Electric switches are not available with this package. Presumably layouts using this type of track in Japan are small enough that electric switches are not needed. I found these packages economical for creating yards on traction lines.
Mini Finetrack manual 140-30 switch.
The Tomix 91083 crisscross set will build a 90 degree crossover and a crescent of C140 and C177 curves. It is intended to complement other track packages, not create a small layout on it’s own as the 91080 and 91081 packages can.
Tomix Sources (and Japanese N Gauge Train Sources)
Tomix track and trains are available through a limited number of outlets outside of Japan and from English language internet dealers within Japan.
The new year starts in Japan in April and dealer stock is often the lowest at this time. Previews of new items appear at shows starting in May and continue through JAM (Japan Association of Modelrailroaders) in August. Dealers start replenishing stock levels in the late spring. Dealer stock levels are good through the fall until New Years, most new releases appear and restocking activity gradually slows down as the March 31 year end approaches.
There are also several extended Japanese holiday periods like New Years (which can last as long as 7 days in some cases) in early January, Golden Week in late April and Obon in August which totally shutdown processing of orders and email reply.
Also see Ordering from Japan.
Japanese internet dealers
Ordering direct from Japan in many cases gives you the best chance to get items while they are still around.
Generally not all items in a manufacturers catalog will be available. Anywhere from 20% to 50% of catalog items may be available at any one time. Many items come on the market and sell out within six months. Track is usually always available, although Tomix switches have been rare lately due to re-engineering. To get the items in the greatest demand is often necessary to reserve the new releases and wait months for the item to arrive. The highest demand items will come into stock and then immediately go into sold out status. Japan is so crowded that it is simply not viable to maintain warehouses full of stock.
Hobby Search carries a very full range of Japanese trains, track, accessories, magazines and books. Hobby Search only ships EMS, which is very fast but also relatively expensive. New items are available for reservation before they come onto the market. Hobby Search also carries some HO, T gauge and Z gauge items (the latter two when available). Hobby Search publishes a weekly newsletter with links to all new items.
Unlike other internet dealers, Rainbow Ten only has an online list of stock. The ordering process is somewhat complicated and you need to be sure of your product numbers. Read the order instructions carefully. Rainbow Ten generally only ships model railroad items EMS.
An eBay based dealer who will ship many items SAL and trains sets EMS. Carries a wide range of Japanese N Gauge items and a few HO items, Z gauge and T gauge items (the last two being especially subject to availability).
Update: As of August 2009, most items are marked No Returns Accepted.
Another internet dealer, but with somewhat limited stock. Prices are slightly higher than some other dealers. Another dealer that takes reservations online for new items.
Dealers outside Japan
A very good source of Tomix, other Japanese trains and advance reservations from Germany. Japan Model Railways carries a full line of trains, track, structures, and vehicles. Items are priced in Euros. The same people also run a Japanese Toy Service at the same link.
Located in Australia, Japan Model Supplies will attempt to locate hard to find items.
Tomix 5534 DC Feeder
One of the features that distinguishes Tomix from other model railroad systems is it’s control system. The 5534 DC feeder clips into a cavity under the tracks that is inserted into every piece of track from 33mm up.
Inserting one feeder into each side of the track changes the polarity. Currently I run two tracks with one controller. Another controller on the short list, but until then I run with one controller. Each track has its own direction and all I have to do is plug the feeder into the power pack. With the feeders on different sides of the track I don’t even have to use the direction control to start operating trains in the other direction on the other track.
The other end of the feeder plugs into Tomix power packs, but I have heard of people adjusting these for use with MRC or other power packs. I haven’t done this myself so I can’t offer any advice.
It sure beats fiddling with bare wires.
Japanese Train Stations–Seibu Ogawa Station
The Seibu Ogawa station is the junction between the 7.8 km single track Seibu Kokubunji line and the 14.3 km double track Haijima line. Haijima line trains pass under the Kokubunji line according to the track diagram.
Ogawa Station track plan
From the Japanese language Wikipedia there is a track diagram. There are two island platforms with the Kokubunji line siding on the inside and Haijima trains on the outside. This diagram indicated that there are no switches here, but both of these lines are short shuttles.
In 2007 the daily mean getting on and off ranking was 36 of 92 stations at 27, 812 passengers a day.
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