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16th July, 2005 |
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CONTENTS
Other Pages
Index page of previous Product & DVD
RELEASE INFORMATION
NEWS |
EDITORIAL
Tomix have announced their release schedule for the rest of this
year and early next year - there are a lot of exciting new products
!!! -
see the 'Latest Release News' section for details. Please note there
is a cutoff date to order some items - I have sent out a separate
email to cover this situation. 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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15th July 2005 Tomix announced their releases for the next 6 months. First is a new range of Finetrack called 'Mini-curve' & 'Super-mini-curve' !!! The Mini has 140 & 177mm curves and the Super-mini is 103mm. perfect for T-Trak and tram lovers. Also available is a 140mm 30 degree L & RH point as well as a 90 degree crossing. Various sets make up this track range - there doesn't seem to be many separate components available. These items are due late August and will undoubtedly be on show at JAM 2005. This is the 'Super-mini-curve' range ...
This is the 'Mini-curve' range ...
Here are the points and there is also a set of station platforms ...
I think one of the reasons they decided to make this was to be used for the new item in the Tomy 'Collection' series - 'The Railway Collection' !!! This range of small loco and cars will be out in November 2005. It is not like the Bandai 'Shorty' series of train models, which are compressed version of full size cars. Here is the web page.
This poster show the individual cars ...
Items available are (top->bottom L->R) (15m) Choshi Tetsudo Deha301, Ueda Maruko Tetsudo Moha4255, Shizuoka Tetsudo Moha20, and a freelance type Mo1031 car, (12m) Choshi Tetsudo Deha501, Ueda Maruko Tetsudo Moha2321, and a freelance type Mo1032 car, as well as the centre cab Meitetsu Deki104 & Deki101 locos. A set of old type Wafu & To freight cars, and a 'secret' item round out the list. Whilst they are static models, 2 different powered chassis (12m & 15m) are being made, along with parts for trailer cars and more realistic moveable pantographs.
Other new releases from Tomy are 'The Bus Collection' #7 and the 'Machinami Collection' #4. These are both due later this year.
This is a poster for 'The Bus Collection' #7, and the
items are ... Hre is the web page. A preview of Collection #8, due early 2006 is also shown, and it looks like a range of highway limousine buses !!! The 'Machinami Collection' #4 contains the usual 6 different buildings, in 2 colours each.. This set's theme is 'buildings around a small station'. Here is the web page.
This picture shows (L->R) a Taxi Company building/garage, small Police station and Police Koban, wooden Station building and (at the rear) a platform set.
This picture shows (L->R) the station building again, Bus company office/garage and Nittsu Transport Company office building.
Both the Taxi and Bus garages have interior details. because of the size of these items, the cost has gone up from about 25%. The new E4 MAX models have been previewed and this is what they look like :-)
... as well as a sample of the Odakyu VSE50000.
Here is sample of the EF510 EL ...
Due out in September is a limited edition silver Multicleaning car set, with EF30 EL, to commemorate Tomix's 30 anniversary.
Full details of Tomix's future releases, including the new items in red, are as follows ... July 2005 Also planned is the EH500 series EL (3rd type). 12th July 2005 Kato will release the 'standard' version of the refurbished 205-3100 series EC 'Senseki line' set on the 20th July. Later this year, Roundhouse will release the multicoloured '2 Way seat' version. MicroAce announced their tentative releases for December 2005 ... A1062 Seibu Railway 701 series EC 6 car set (Yellow) -
„18,000 Small posters can be seen of the Shinkansen items ...
... and the others ...
Greenmax announced the release of the following in October ... 4031 Hanshin 9300 series EC 4 car set (White and
orange) - „17,500
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Rail Journal 08/2005 (#466)
This issue's major subject is "Scenic lines along coasts and valleys; the most geographically characteristic of Japan's railways". Articles (with beautiful pictures) include the Tohoku east coast travelling on the Kesennuma, Ofunato, Sanriku, Yamada & Hachinoe lines, the Kisei line around the Kii peninsular, the Iida line along the Tenryo River and the Gonou line along the northwest Honshu coast. A surprise inclusion is an article on the Melbourne, Australia, tram system !!! Kato 10-229 Kiha82 series DC 6 car set
This set is raising the bar, particularly for Kato - it has at least 5 new innovations in it (it even has a silly slip around the case advertising them, like all Japanese books have) !!!
This is a brand new release of the Kiha82 old type JNR diesel cars, and is cream with the red window band. The roof and it's details are all silver, and the nicely detailed underframe items are a light gray. Because of the body mount couplers, there are also detail items at the end of the car after the bogies. With the blackened wheelsets, the overall appearance is very nice. The switchable headlights are a yellow colour, but the backlight on the headboard is white. Installed is'Hakucho', and you also can fit 'Hida', 'Ozora', 'Kamome' and 'Matsukaze'. There are only a couple of extra parts to be fitted, and a comprehensive sheet of destination signs are provided. The motor with flywheel runs very smoothly and quietly. Because the motor is a lot smaller than usual, the amount of detail underneath the powered car is a lot better dimensioned. I question the use of another type of coupler though - this is the th type created over the years - pity they cannot standardize on one good one like the Tomix TN system !!! However, it is still an excellent release if you are modelling pre-1987, and it is a shame Kato cannot apply these type of ideas to new models, rather than re-releasing older ones, or copying other manufacturers ideas :-(
July 2005 Tomix 100 series Shinkansen 16 car set
I am clearing out older stocks before the release of the newer models next month, so it gives YOU a chance to pick up a bargain !!! This is a 92624 (not available any more) 7 car set + the individual cars to make up a full 16 car train in the correct configuration for a 'G' set with restaurant car. As a 'demonstration' set, the roof details and car numbers have been applied, otherwise this set is as-new. As well as the one in the set, one of the individual car is also powered, so there is enough power to pull the full train on any layout. If you have the space to run a full 16 car Bullet train, this set is a great way to add to your fleet at a huge saving over original cost !!! Special price for this month for this 16 car set will be A$450.00. The normal retail would be A$650.00 and the MSRP is A$750.00. 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. 15th July 23005 Greenmax released the JR West 125 series set.
MicroAce released their July items ... A8503 DD51-1085 / DD51-1088 DL 2 car set (1 powered - 1 dummy)
A8668 Kiha48 series DC 'View Coaster Kazekko' + Kiha40 series DC (Karasuyama line) 3 car set
A8662 Kiha48 series DC 2 car set 'Umineko'
A0400 107-0 series EC 2x 2 car set early type (Nikko line) 14th July 2005 Kato released the individual cars to go with the Kiha82 DC set. Kawai released the following ... KP223 Taki35000 Series bogie tank car x2 (old Japan Oil) 12th July 2005 Kato released the special preserved brown version of the EF64-37.
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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 ... http://www.rc-awaza.com |
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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.