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The market is getting crowded with all these new entrants. I'm not sure we needed more SS4G.

Took a few weeks to transform my guest room back into my train room after some friends dropped by for a few days, but I did eventually run trains in September. The Kiha 120 (Tomix 98161) I received in a recent order from AmiAmi looks to be a real gem. Runs great, sounds nice and totally looks the part. Likewise for the budget-friendly log and tank cars (Tomix 2720 and 2722) I picked up in the same order to provide some variety on my shunting nights. For the record, all work exceptionally well on my layout's R150 Kato Unitrack curves. Here's to more train time now that my son is in school and cooler/wetter October weather is on the horizon. Looking forward to making progress on my little layout and, of course, running more trains. No fanfare to welcome the Kiha 120 on its inaugural trip to the station because the station remains structurally unstable and has yet to open. A DE10 passes with some new freight cars leading a consist on an outbound journey from the village.

In case it helps, I've done the opposite, i.e. use Tomix/Kato traction tyres on European models, which seems to work fine.

Good job on the 'fix'.

Somehow there's a manufacturer making SS4G and selling on taobao https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/SWQ0aO79N78JEvovRFUynA Taobao https://c.tb.cn/h.8D6GnQdIwtj8r8y?tk=8bNPTMwW6an

I thought these were the KIHA 141s used in the SL Ginga formation. Apparently not, but closely related. Also converted from 50 series, Wikipedia says these have higher rated engines. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KiHa_141_series

The Onsen hut and shelter are now available in TT scale. https://spinneyworld.com/products/tt-gauge-1-120-historic-onsen This isn't just a resize- I've added extra details. The most obvious are the tiles/shingles on the roofing, but there is also more texture to many of the wooden elements, and some changes to the door. I'm going to test it in 1:80 as well. I will be working my way back through previous designs and upscaling and detailing them as I get the chance. The larger buildings may have to wait until I get a printer with a larger print volume, so I'll be looking out for bargains around Black Friday, I guess.

It's a holiday in Canada so I finished ballasting and managed to complete my experiment, which was a success! I added some details to the basic Tomix station and the painted it with artist's acrylics and sealed with Rustoleum matte. It seems to have worked pretty well. Once the finish is dry I'm going to add a few final touches to the station. Eventually it will also get an LED light post. Also made a cardstock model from Custom Z Scales on Etsy, which turned out way better than expected. Here it is between a Vollmer and Tomytec building.

Hi everyone, I'm currently trying to source replacement traction tires for a Tomix EF81 (N scale), which requires the official Tomix JG02 tires (7.7 mm diameter). Since sourcing them directly from Japan via proxy services or getting them shipped to the UK can get quite expensive due to shipping fees and handling costs, I was wondering if anyone has found a reliable equivalent. Specifically, has anyone tested alternative traction tire such as those from Graham Farish (Bachmann) or other brands commonly available in the UK, that fit the Tomix 7.7 mm wheel slots properly without causing clearance issues? Any advice or experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Great .... just when I was thinking I might skip Hokkaido on my February 2027 trip I see this. Need to review my plans. Tony

Interesting! We'll be there in May. Perfect timing!

Those illustrations suggest Eiji Mitooka helped design them.