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25th April, 2005 |
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CONTENTS
Other Pages
Index page of previous Product & DVD
RELEASE INFORMATION
NEWS |
EDITORIAL
Happy ANZAC day to all the Aussies & Kiwis in the group :-)) Unfortunately this day will go down in the memory of the Japanese for a long time, as the date of their worst rail disaster in around 40 years, with the current count being 86 people dead and over 400 injured in a derailment at Amagasaki, on the Fukuchiyama line just out of Osaka. A seven car JR West 207 series commuter train left the rails on a curve and slammed into an apartment building, with 3 of the cars being extensively damaged. Our thoughts and condolences go out to all the families and friends of those involved in this tragedy. Despite this, the Japanese rail system would still have to be the safest and most reliable in the world. Please note that sometimes I may use the word 'officially' when announcing release news. What this means is that the company concerned has released information publicly about the item, which may well be a long time after news of that item's release has been published here (and other places). Some manufacturers take a long time to update their web pages - just look for anything on their web page about the Tomy Truck Collection !!! So what this means is that anything announced here that is not 'official' is not 100% definite, however the news I get does come from several sources, and the distributors in Japan do seem to get news before the public does. I don't think there has been a case yet where an early release announcement has been wrong, so please take anything in this newsletter as being 99.99% accurate :-) If you have any comments about this service, and would like to make suggestions as to what you do or do not want to see included, please free free to let us know. If you are paying for something, we would like to know that you are 100% happy with what you are getting, and that it is fulfilling your needs. Please write to the Japanese Model Train News Yahoo! discussion group with any comments you may have. This newsletter is available by subscription, unless you are a customer of 'Japanese Model Supplies'. Normal rate is US$1.00 per month, payable 12 months at a time in advance. The 12 month subscription period will be from June to May inclusive. We hope to supply at least one issue per week, more if there is more news. We believe this amount is good value, and very modest for the amount of information you will receive - it represents (per month) a lot less than just 1 coffee at a 'trendy' cafe (eg Starbucks), or a burger & fries at a family restaurant (eg McDonalds). Please do not reveal the page addresses to non- members. If they want to see it, they are free to take out a subscription like every one else. Also please note that the contents of this publication are
copyright, and may not be reproduced without permission. |
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April 2005
Kato 10-237 787 series EC 7 car set 'Relay Tsubame' This is the latest version of the 'Tsubame', that has been around since the early 1990's. It goes from Hakata to Shin-Yatsushiro to connect to the new 800 series JR Kyushu Shinkansen service. It is different to the previous Kato release, with a modified buffet car, and the body colour is a darker gray. There is also a lot more different lettering on the car sides. Special price for this month for this 3 car set will be A$220.00. The normal retail would be A$265.00 and the MSRP is A$305.00. Stocks of these monthly specials will be limited, and will be sold on a 'first paid - first allocated' basis.
May 2005 - Tomix 92292 Kiha58 series DC 4 car set 'Sakyuu'
26th April 2005 Modemo have officially announced their release of the Enoshima 2000 series trams ... NT48 Enoshima Railway 2000 series EC 2 car powered set (Green / cream) - „9,800 There are three of these sets on the Enoden's roster, and one unit always seems to have Coca-Cola advertising logos on it.
21st April 2005 Tomix announced many releases for later this year .... An Odakyu 7000LSE Romance car set in the new colour scheme, the Odakyu 10000HiSE as an improved re-release, the Koki200 container wagon, a 2 light TCS colour signal, and a Hokkaido Chihoku Highland Railway CR75 series DC 2 car set in a 'Galaxy 999' multi-coloured scheme. 19th April 2004 Tomix have finally given us the news we have been waiting for for 5 years - they will release models of the E4 MAX Shinkansen later this year :-)))) No actual news on the dates, prices or set configurations, but 'unofficially' I suspect that there will be a 3 car basic set (like all other recent releases), and then either a 5 car add-on set or maybe 2 add-on sets like the original E2 release. I would also not be surprised if initially there is a limited edition full 8 car set announced, however I don't think they can fit 8 double deck cars in one carry case. I also hope that it will have the nose TN couplers, so it can be run with an E3 or 400 set, like the prototype.
To celebrate this eagerly awaited release, we will be displaying (as you can see above) an 'E4 MAX' countdown timer !!!! 17th April 2005 In case you missed out the first time, Kato will re-release both the M250 'Super Rail Cargo' EMU container train sets on May 10th. 28th April 2005 Tomix released the following 'High Grade' items ... 92295 115 series EC 3 car set (new Niigata area colour)
Kato released the 'Green Snake' EF58 and passenger sets ... 3048 EF58 series EL with large windows (Green/Yellow stripe) 26th April 2005 Tomix re-released the N-1000-CL TCS controller, and the 526 type Shinkansen car. 25th April 2005 Tomix Kilopost #94 is out. Kato released the Thalys TGV set ... before you ask for one, unfortunately it is produced for export, and is not available from Japan :-(
21st April 2005 Tomix re-released many items, including the 325-500 type Shinkansen car, 300 Shinkansen 3 car add-on set, 200 Shinkansen set and 2 car add-on, Koki102-103 4 car set, E3 Komachi Shinkansen set, 115 Chuo line 4 car set, 400 Tsubasa Shinkansen set in the new colour scheme, the Dr Yellow 3 car set, and the Nambu Jukan Kiha10 DC, as well as many 24.25 type Blue train passenger cars. Kato re-released the E351 'Super Azusa' sets, the Kiha20 DC and the EF64-1000 EL Kato released the new 189 series EC 'Gradeup Asama' sets ... 10-247 189 series EC 7 car powered set ' Gradeup Asama'
(White/olive-gray stripes)
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(nothing this issue) Tomix 93808 Thomas the Tank Engine series 'Percy'
train set
After several years, Tomix have finally continued this popular series. This is Percy the small green engine, and even though he is small, he doesn't act it !!! Like the recently re-released Thomas locos, this one has a flywheel drive (I don't know where !!!) and runs as smooth as silk. The wheels are also blackened. There are 4 interchangeable 'faces' for you to choose between as well. The set also contains one 'Sodor Mail' mail van, and like other releases, has plastic wheels. This van is also available as a separate item. I have tested poor Percy on a level track with 6 mail vans - he did not put on his sad face !!! Kato 23-417 Suburban Station Area set
This is a set of items often seen around the vicinity of a station - a police box (Koban), ATM building, kiosk, various subway entrances, public toilet, telephone boxes, post boxes and vending machines. Other than the main building items, there are 5 coloured sprues of detail parts - 3 different grays, red and white. A sheet of various stickers is also included. Most of the parts are sized to fit in the with the 'standard' Diotown building sizes.
Kato 23-418 Park & Parking Lot set
This is a set that contains a public park, and an automatic coin operated parking lot. Both of these are the length of two buildings. Included are 9 sprues of details parts, in 3 different grays, white, orange, 2 different browns and red.
Kato 23-421 Town Accessories set
This is a set of detail items, to suit an urban area. It contains a lottery booth, telephone boxes, vending machines, post boxes, vertical advertising signs, awnings, many types of street advertising signs, and several types of garden beds. Included are 7 sprues of details parts, in 2 different grays, white, pink, brown and red.
All of the buildings in these sets have little A/C units on the roof, and details like these, and things like the escalator handrails etc can be improved with a little detail painting. With the variety of items and signs provided, you could easily use up two of each of these sets without duplication. As always, if you buy these from Japanese Model Supplies, you will be provided with a sheet showing the translation of all the signs, so you can better work out the appropriate place to put them. As I have said before when the Road Accessory sets came out, these items are brilliant, and if you are doing a Japanese urban scene and not using these items, you are not very serious about being realistic !!! Company : Teichiku Records
Another in our series of 'loop' lines - this time Osaka's equivalent of the Yamanote line. The trains used on this line are 8 car orange 103 sets (many refurbished), but unlike the Yamanote line, other trains also use this line to go to and from Osaka. This DVD was shot in March 2003. After a short intro, showing trains running on various parts of the line, the main menu appears, with 6 options available ...
For a further glimpse into the railway operations in the Osaka area, which is not seen as often as Tokyo, this is a useful addition to your DVD library. |
?? days to release :-) 
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(ADVERTISING) This information service is sponsored by ... Japanese Model Supplies o New and second-hand Japanese trains As mentioned above, this service is sponsored by 'Japanese Model Supplies', the only Japanese-only model train and other hobby item supplier in the world, outside of Japan. Other suppliers have recently been broadening their ranges, and supply other things like computer games, and Chinese & European trains - 'Japanese Model Supplies' will always stay with Japanese-only products. It is often difficult to source these type of items and get accurate and timely information in English, when you do not live in Japan, cannot read Japanese web pages or do not have any contacts there. We have the facilities to access this information and these products, and whilst based in Australia, currently supply customers all over the world, including Australia, New Zealand, England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, Israel, South Africa, Canada and the USA. Therefore you will find that the items you see presented are not just 'fantasy' items that get released in Japan and you have no way of acquiring them - 'Japanese Model Supplies' CAN get these items, and CAN ship them to anywhere in the world (unlike some other retailers of Japanese model trains, who refuse to ship to the USA etc) !!! See their web page at the address listed above for all the information on what has been
produced and how to get it. If you are in Japan, and visit the Osaka area, I recommend you take the time to visit "Railcraft Awaza". They have a large range of products available, together with friendly advice and service (but only in Japanese). Some photos on this site are taken by them and appear with their permission. For details of their shop location, see their web page at ... |
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Abbreviation |
Explanation |
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TEC |
Shinkansen (Bullet train) |
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EC |
Electric car (EMU) |
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DC |
Diesel car (DMU) |
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PC |
Passenger car |
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FC |
Freight car |
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SL |
Steam loco |
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EL |
Electric loco |
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DL |
Diesel loco |
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Page contents copyright 2005 - Doug Coster
Photos copyright of the respective manufacturers & Railcraft Awaza Osaka.