Last segment talked about the trains themselves and brought things up to speed as was the case in late March of 2014. It has been a bit since then, and like most projects, this one has continued to grow. Despite only having a 4x8 foot surface on which to work, I've been able to continue to add to it. Perhaps some might say it is a bit crowded, but then so is Japan in terms of where most folks live.
Though it started with things rather open, it has evolved into four distinct areas. One area has all older buildings, while the ones right next to the train station are newer and across from them are the really tall buildings and ones that are the most modern as things go. The other area is pretty much just housing with larger houses, smaller houses and apartments mixed in. From what I understand, much of Japan lives in apartments when they live in the city. Houses are expensive and even then are often poorly insulated with central heating and air conditioning a rarity rather than a norm. But I digress.
Most of the buildings are pre-painted and some are pre-assembled. Tomix and Kato are two of the major players when it comes to scenery items and buildings, with others like Greenmax producing some fine paper buildings.
I have also added a lot of trees. These were mostly by Woodland Scenics and I
chose the polyester shredded bits that are simply stuck onto plastic armatures
to make most of the trees. Not quite prototypical, but they look fairly good and
are not expensive or difficult to make.
I've also added a fourth line, which allows me to run four trains at the same time. Figuring out the sizes of track to use was a bit of a trick to ensure I was able to get it all to fit without any issues. I had bought an X crossing, thinking I could easily get the lower track sections to become one larger run, but just couldn't figure how to get it to fit into the space that I have. It is all part of the enjoyment of running trains, as those of you who also have them know.
Of course, none of this has stopped me from picking up another train or two.
In this case it has been a
Yokosuka Line E-217 train.
This
is the longest train that I have. It consists of 15 cars which is a standard 11
car train with an additional 4 car train, if the expected passenger load
requires it. It is a
Kato train and to make the full 15 car train, required the purchase of four different sets, so it ended up being a bit
expensive once I got all four. Unlike the other trains I have, there are
two powered units and a pair of double deck cars, making it different from the
others. The image shows just the first four car train.
Since I also run US style trains on the track, I bought a Kato EMD NW-2
switcher in Santa Fe logo. It is a capable engine and can pull 20 cars without
any issues. It is also quiet. Interestingly, it takes more power than the Atlas
and Minitrix switchers that I have.
This
interesting set is a Series 115 train of the
Joetsu Line
in Niigata prefecture. This line is not to be confused with the more direct
Joetsu Shinkansen Line that goes all the way to Tokyo. The more local Joetsu
Line runs from the central west coast to about the middle of the country. Since
it is not heavily traveled, their trains are typically three cars, though two
consists can be put together if required. This series of trains is slowly being
replaced. It seems that the average life of a train is about 35 years or so.
The
other is a Series 205-0 six car set that operates on the Nambu Line
which runs from Tachikawa to Kawasaki in the suburbs of Tokyo. These have been
operating since March of 1989 and six car consists are standard with none being
larger. Unlike other lines in the Kanto Plain area, this train is not equipped
with the Automatic Train Control system that is used by virtually every other
line that operates in Metropolitan Tokyo. It also differs from the other
205s I have in having a slightly rounded front windscreen and the lights above
the windscreen instead of below it.
I've
also added some switches, including a double cross over. The standard switches
lead to sidings where I can keep some full trains 'at the ready' should I so
desire instead of packing them away in their carrying boxes. The double cross
over allows a train to run around the outer section, then cross over to run into
the inner section and back to the outer section.
The standard switches are neat because switching
them to allow trains to go down the siding also applies power to the siding.
Switching it back removes the power. Means that the power connections need to be
upstream from the switches. All of these are manual.
Finally,
the most recent addition has been a 1 foot extension. I decided to add this on
because I have the space for it (but not much more) and I have two 6 inch
sections of elevated track that I can install. This means that I'll have a bit
more room on the ends after everything gets pushed down. It means I'll need a
few more bits of track to extend the extant lines, and will have to add more
'grass' mat, but that is part of the deal. The additional track is on order and
should arrive in a few weeks. As much as I'd love to add another 4x8 sheet, the
room just is not there.
It is all part of the fun of playing with toy trains so stay tuned to see how it works out.