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

Went to a model train shop

Went to a model train shop T&T in Matsumoto city. It's located in southern Matsumoto city almost at the border with Shiojiri city. I went there to get some stuff for DCC(Digital Comand Control). But in proportion to talking about it, the shop master wondered if there's any profit to make it for my plan.
He said it would be interesting if the truck was an endless one with some side tracks for escaping but if it's something I am planning like a tennis racket form with a singler track and a reverse line!
He and I looked at each other for a while without saying anything when both of us started thinking the difficulty.
I stopped thinking about it for a while and started looking around.

I found a basic set of JNR/JR 457 series express train in the original coloring. I have already had one but want at least 2 more because I have already gotten 2 x 1st class train car and 2 x buffet train car of this series. Someday I would like to run a train of this series which is probably 10-12 cars. Because when I was a small kid, this series connected Osaka and Kyusyu region, Osaka and Hokuriku region.
I decided to buy it. Should get anything you like when you find it because model trains are not like "available anytime". They always produce some certain amount and if all of them are sold out, we never know when they produce it again.

As a HO gauge collecter, it's a bit sad that I can not find as many stuff as N gauge ones. Now in Japan N gauge trains are popular and HO is not that popular. Probably because houses in Japan are not enough big to make a layout for HO.

Found an old track which I saw often when I was a kid. We called it something like "Auto-3 wheels". They express even stains on it.




Cherry blossoms. It's nice to have some of it to express Spring in a layout. But cherry blossom trees are not easy to find, so I was really lucky to find it.
It takes 1 and half an hour for me to drive from my place to this model train shop, but it was worth doing that yesterday. I found a lot.


Hayaokidori website

New snow after an interval

It seems that it has been the warmest winter ever since I moved into Hakuba 20 years ago. We had some snowfalls last night, it made the scenery look like real winter as trees got some snow. Maybe because of some clouds around the top, lower slopes were crowded this morning.

It's always fun to find footprints of animals when we get new snow. I guess they are probably ones of a fox. If it's a rabbit's one, it looks pretty different.

Hayaokidori website

First sking in 08-09 season.

Went to Hakuba Goryu on 12th and Sun-Alpine today with our customers from Melbourne. Young boys of 22 years old and an old fart of 48 years old. Must look as if a bad father took care of his sons. Unfortunately we had a heavy condition like a blizzard when we tried Hakuba Goryu but we did revenge when we visited Sun-Alpine.
I feel it somehow mysterious whenever I find new snow on a sunny morning.


Boys whom I went there together are from Melbourne, they are pretty young enough but I am not any more, so probably I am inferior to them in physically but this old man knows the ski slopes much better than they - where something is, where to rest etc. So he tried to have them all flat lane which snowboarders really hate. But actually we need to do that when we move from Sanosaka to Aokiko and opposite.
Being young is always nice, they kept getting in new snow which skiers can hardly do because it's difficult for skiers to get out of it when they get in there.


Most ski slopes in Hakuba give people some mountainious views but in Sun-alpine there are many woody tracks around. A bit unique.



Took a movie clip when the boys were snowboarding at one of Aokiko ski slopes.





Beautiful view of Aokiko from Sanosaka. It does not seem to get frozen yet. It could be because of the global warming. I bought a 1 day pass but needed to stop skiing earlier. Age sucks!!!! Can not hold sore muscles for some days. When I got back home, I found snow on the roof dropped off. Extra work to remove it. Probably I would have sore muscles all over tomorrow.

Hayaokidori website

Wireless LAN available :)

The subject line says it all. Not easy to set it up for an old man but you never know what you can do till you try!

You can have internet access through your own PC with LAN card in our place while you stay here.

Hayaokidori website

How long can a computer survive?

5 years? Most of my computers survived only around 5 years.
My main laptop was dead previous October, I needed to repair it with some $$$$.
Got it back this month but the problem occured again.
I went to the pc shop I had bought it and a staff worried if I had installed any softwares or not. He said it might have caused the problem.

I thought if we still lived in a primitive time! If it were 10 years ago, it might cause it because I was often told that. But can we survive with computers not installing any softwares? I don't think so.

I just tried to control my emotion when he said that. Went back home and reformat the C drive but the problem occured again and again.
I gave up and ordered one online. The $$$$ I paid is just for the lesson fee!

Probably we need to be ready to get a new one every 4-5 year.
:(

Hayaokidori website

Hakuba ski slopes available!

The subject line says it all, some upper ski slopes in Hakuba will get in business tomorow - Nov.21st 2008. Hakuba Goryu, Hakuba47, Hakuba Happo one, Tsugaike are ready to go! Stay tuned!

Hayaokidori website