The old JNR/JR express trains running the layout.

A family guest enjoyed running their own trains in our layout the other day.

Good to see long trains running the layout slowly!

Hayaokidori website

Model train workship

Model train geeks get together! The subject this time is "replacing engines". If you collect some model trains and would like to talk about this and that about replacing engines, time for you to join us!

Details

Looking forward to meeting you.

Hayaokidori website

Seibu & JR trains running the layout

A cuple of customers enjoyed the layout running their Seibu and JR trains soon after the Golden Week.
JR 183-1000 series limited express train.





Not easy to take a nice pic of running trains.





A F-class electric locomotive used to work for Seibu freight trains. Only Seibu owned some F-class electric locomotives as a private railway company at that time in Japan. But freight transportation demand has been decreasing little by little, I have not heard any newer F-class locomotives have been made after this series.




Hayaokidori website

All former JNR(Japan National Railways) colors!

　A customer who stayed in our place a couple days ago brought many train cars, locomotives which were all painted in JNR color. Of course they ran the layout. The EMU train running in the clip is the former JNR 153 series train provided for the limited fast service around Kansai area - Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe. Both end cars were with lower windows at the control rooms.


A streamlined train car 52 series which were built for Kansai area fast service train soon after the WW2 was over. They moved around here and there and at their last years, they were active in Iida line ( Toyohashi in Aichi prefecture - Tatsuno in Nagano prefecture ). In 1977 when I was a senior high student, I talked about getting on this train with my friends but we were not able to make it. We can not do anything after something disappears so we should do make it while they are avaiable!




Old passenger cars local train pulled by a DF50 series diesel locomotive. It reminds me of the old Fukuchiyama line, San'in main line local trains. DF50 was a type of diesel locomotive which holds motors as well as a diesel engine. The diesel engine worked as a motor generator to provide electricity to the motors. Then the motors worked to run the locomotive to pull passneger cars, freight cars etc. In short, the engine on this DF50 did not work directly to drive the wheels, just worked to provide electricity. This type of diesel locomotives seemed to be a major system for the former JNR but it anyway had more complicated mechanics and heavier weight compared to the other type of diesel locomotives like DD51 which drive wheels directly by their engines. So, the latter type of diesel locomotives got major.


DD51 diesel locomotive pulling an old passenger cars train. This kind of scene were available in the good old days anywhere in JNR lines which were not electrified.



A DD51 with a DE10 as a leading helper running uphills beside a cross country sking trail.




An Ozashiki(Tatami matt) train pulled by an EF65(500). I think this coloring is a best fit for EF65(500).




An old passenger cars train pulled by a steam loco C55. The white line at its waists looks cool.




DF50, C53?, DE10? (left to right ).
Just an usual scene in good old '60s.



I enjoyed the former JNR trains which I don't have after a long interval. Also enjoy our customers bring their own trains to drive in our layout. The customer this time seem to build everything by himself. I envy him, wish I could have that skill! :(


Hayaokidori website

Hakuba model train - former JNR 457 series express train running the layout

Now I have totally 10 passenger cars of former JNR 457 series, ran them in my layout.

2 green cars (1st class passenger cars) and 2 buffet cars, which looks alike the good old days for old express trains. I ran it a bit slower than usual and found it was better than doing it faster as it looked as it was. I hope I can find 1 more basic set of 3 passenger cars with engines of this series to make 12 cars.

Hayaokidori website

Luggage cars running the layout!

One day after the Golden Week a group of model train fans about 20 people stayed in our place and enjoyed the layout. I was busy to serve a buffet dinner so when I got some time to chat this and that with them, most of them were already in their rooms :(
This time someone brought a set of power pack which was a thyristor control one. It made some unique noise which I had heard before when I got on a train which was controled by thyristor motors.

Figures have been added little by little, a bookstand and a seller and customers around.

Arriving people. You see a man almost falling down backward. I guess perhaps he is asked to pay "some more" additional fee and the "some more" must be unbelievable much! lol...

Moms and kids. I guess probably I had better find somewhere else to put this figure. Maybe somewhere in the town scenery is a better location rather than in a station.

Marinated salmon. One of popular dish in a buffet dinner.

Hayaokidori website

Kintetsu trains running around the layout

At the previous weekends, a party of guests brought some of their Kintetsu train cars to enjoy our layout.

A couple of limited express train cars going 2.1% uphill. It's not easy to take pictures of moving things by fitting their speed.


800 series. The former JNR (Japan National Railways)released 70/80 series train cars for middle/long distance semi express train in the early 1950's and that series got very popular and affected other private railway companies as well as Kintetsu. So, new designed train cars at that time often had this kind of front mask.


As Kintetsu has perchased or done mergers some local train companies, there has been a lot of unique train cars there. This white and blue one also belonged to a local company which was purchased by Kintetsu.


After the Kintetsu got the company, this train car was painted in Kintetsu color. Though this one pulls some 2 boggies freight cars in the picture, actually it was before this one belonged to the former company when this was painted in blue and white as in the previous picture.


"Aozora"(Blue sky) train only for school trips. All double decked cars - the lower floor at the middle car is a machinery room. 3 train cars constitute a unit. I got on this car when I was 12 y/o for a school trip.



An old train cars for limited express train specially from Nagoya to Toba direction. Built around mid 1950's. Tobu 1700 series is one of in the same era. The left front window seems to be closed, they say it's a toilet room. Have never seen one with toilet room just besides the control room. Drivers can not see the right side, can they?


This one is painted very unique. They say it is in service at Iga line at the moment. Nowadays this kind of uniquely painted trains are in service everywhere in Japan.

Hayaokidori website

Hakuba model train - ED75&EF65 running the layout

Some customers brought their own model trains to enjoy the layout.
ED75 ( the red one at the elevated track ) pulls some old passenger cars, ED65 ( the blue one at the ground level track ) pulls 14 series night train cars. They enjoyed slower speed as they are. Some boys who do snowball fight near the EF65 fall down by being surprised the locomotive passing through?

Hayaokidori website

A blogger visited us to drive his train

A blogger linked from / to our Japanese blog seibu_mania visited us to run his seibu train in our layoug. They have LED lights inside, looks cool.


He says he had made the train cars by purchasing them as kits. He did everything - to make holes for handrails to get fixed at the bodies and made the handrails themselves by a very thin wire!!!!!!!! Felt as if it were a far-reaching story to me.

The LED color is a good contrast to orange lights in the layout. It's anyway a 3 seibu train car set which we don't have at all. Also, they are 17 meters class train cars. They run with a particular joint sound of 17 meters class. I felt it passed real quick that we talked this and that too much about model train. Probably that is what people say geeks never sleep when they talk about what they like :-)

Hayaokidori website

Run your own train in our layout!

Our HO scale layout is open to our overnight staying customers.
Details are here.

Now it looks like above, but it did like below at the first time back in March last year (2006)

I am not a good carpenter, never good at making anything but anyway I have reached a certain point to drive trains in the layout! I appreciate all the help and support I have gotten from everyone. Please keep yelling!!

Hayaokidori website