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1st June, 2005 |
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CONTENTS
Other Pages
Index page of previous Product & DVD
RELEASE INFORMATION
NEWS |
EDITORIAL
Sorry I have not done a Newsletter for a while now - I do try to get one out at least once a week. However there was nothing much to report until now - the main thing is that Kato have altered their future release schedule quite a bit. 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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1st June 2005 Kato have made many changes to their future release schedule - see the release news page for all the details. However the main changes are ... Kiha82 DC set put back to late June. 27th May 2005 Tomix announced the following release dates ... 31st May 2005 92292 Kiha58 series DC 4 car set 'Sakyuu' 28th May 2005 92242 24 series PC 'Twilight Express' add-on set B 20th May 2005 Kato announced the following releases ... 26 May 2005 31 May 2005 1st June 2005 Modemo released the Enoshima 1500 set with Meiji advertising logos.
31st May 2005 Kato released the Fuji Kyuko 'Fuji-san' set ...
and the EF66-100 JRFreight & EF66 Blue train locos.
Tomix released the Kiha58 series DC 'Sakyuu' set.
26th May 2005. Kato released their Tokaido line version of the E231 train (see Model of the Month section). 25th May 2005 Tomy released 'The Bus Collection' #6 set (see Product Review section). 19th May 2005 Kato released the new range of old style wooden shops and restaurants buildings (see Product Review section) ... 23-450A Old style wooden shop - type 1 Tomix re-released the Kyushu Shinkansen sets ... 92279 800 series TEC 3 car set 'Tsubame'
June 2005 Kato 10-231 E231 series EC 8 car powered set (Tokaido line)
This is the Kato version of the new E231 trains that are gradually taking over the Tokaido line, running south of Tokyo. Tomix have had their version of the same train out for quite some time now. The train is usually always 15 cars from Tokyo, with 10 or 5 car sets continuing further depending on demand. This train had two double deck green cars. Special price for this month for this 4 car set will be A$499.00. The normal retail would be A$590.00 and the MSRP is A$680.00. If a 15 car set is too long for you, I may be able to do a deal on a 10 car set. Stocks of these monthly specials will be limited, and will be sold on a 'first paid - first allocated' basis and the separate sets are not available individually at these special prices. July 2005 - MicroAce Osaka subway Midosuji line
10 car set
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Railfan #531 (07/2005)
This is the larger than normal annual JR 'Rolling Stock File' issue, except this time it is at the back of the book, not in the middle. As usual a summary of what has happened during the year shows photos of many different kinds of trains. On the cover, and featured inside, is the new T5 Dr Yellow 923-3000 set. Also inside is the demise of the 'Sakura' sleeper train, and its replacement by a combined 'Fuji'/'Hayabusa' service. The new Joban line E531 set is also presented in detail. A continuing series is the summary of the Yamanote line 205 sets, and their subsequent destination after retirement. If you only get one issue of Railfan a year, this would be the one to get !!! Kato Diotown Old Type Wooden Buildings
23-450A Shop - type 1
23-450B Restaurant - type 1
23-451A Shop - type 2
23-451B Restaurant - type 2
23-452 LH corner shop
23-453 RH corner shop Unless you wanted to put together and paint the excellent Greenmax old style buildings kit, until now there was no way to easily model older era Japanese towns, or even older style buildings in a modern city. Now this Kato range has been released, it is easy !!! This is an excellent series of buildings, and they are ready to put straight on the layout as soon as you have added the sign stickers. There are 4 different buildings, with two of them having slightly different doors and windows at the front, hence the 6 items listed in the range. The 450A/B are a bit wider than 451A/B. They all come with a small yard with fences, and are the 'standard' Diotown size. Each of these comes with a comprehensive range of at least 4 different types of shops/restaurant signs, and you can choose the size/shape of the signs or the curtains that hang at the front door. As always, if you buy these items from 'Japanese Model Supplies', you can receive a full translation of the sticker sheet, so you can match the right signs together and put them in the right places. A little touching up of paint on the electricity/gas wiring/pipes, and the beams under the eaves will make a vast improvement. Several of the buildings can also have the doors left off, so you can see the interiors. All the buildings have basically molded interior fittings, even in the rooms you cannot see, but there are no stickers to detail these with. Extras items like clothes lines as well as lantern lights, A-frame and electric advertising signs are also provided, together with the appropriate signs for them. Tomy 'The Bus Collection' #6
The latest in this long running series is out, and the two vehicles this time are the Fuji 5E and the Hino RJ, which is quite a bit shorter than the 5E. From the top is the Fuji 5E Tokyo City and Tokyu Bus, Kanto Bus and Nagoya City, & Kyushu Bus and JNR Bus, and under that is the Hino RJ Tokyo City and Akan Bus, Fuji Express and Osaka City, & Minamiku and JNR Bus. Once again, the detail on these items is superb, even down to tiny lettering on the doors and windows. |
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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.