Product Announcements: 2025 National N Scale Convention Kansas

[MK]

When I was in Japan asking for DCC stuff (EM13 and FL12), the staff giggles and look at me like I have six eyes.  Last year when I was there, I clean out one of the LHS of Kato decoders and had to go to Kato Hobby Center to get the rest.  Granted the LHS didn't have much in stock as nobody buys them.

Only Kato's Japanese passenger locos take drop-in Kato decoders.  Their freight stuff usually takes "US style" decoders (a la Digitrax).  I can decoderize any Kato Japanese passenger set in 5 minutes.

When I was in that LHS in Tokyo, I asked the guy how popular is DCC in Japan.  In his broken English reply he said "No popular."  So I threw out an exceedingly low number....1%?  He comes back with ZERO(!) percent and proceeds to LOL!  His colleagues heard the conversation and chuckled in silent on the side.  He closed the conversation with "You from America?!".   

[C855B]

C855B (mike)- The reason for the Vertipac is primarily they have the tooling from ExactRail, and it is a unique looking car in the sea of same.

Suspected as much, which means no SP version unless they letter it as a close-enough foob. That's not Shane's style, though, so hope springs eternal.

[garethashenden]

Are the SP Vert-a-pacs different from the other ones?

[C855B]

Are the SP Vert-a-pacs different from the other ones?

Yeah. I was looking through pictures several years ago and discovered two distinct types. One difference I recall was forklift pockets. It wasn't just SP, but I was focused on SP's at the time. The whole Vert-a-Pac project was their joint venture with GM, the other RRs investing in the "new and revolutionary" concept.

ExactRail did the non-SP version in N, I suspect because it required less attention to detailing.

[garethashenden]

Yeah. I was looking through pictures several years ago and discovered two distinct types. One difference I recall was forklift pockets. It wasn't just SP, but I was focused on SP's at the time. The whole Vert-a-Pac project was their joint venture with GM, the other RRs investing in the "new and revolutionary" concept.

ExactRail did the non-SP version in N, I suspect because it required less attention to detailing.

You can’t just have a whacky idea, you have to have multiple variations. Of course.

[packers#1]

Suspected as much, which means no SP version unless they letter it as a close-enough foob. That's not Shane's style, though, so hope springs eternal.

Considering they’ve done some “hypotypical” (as they call it) schemes on locomotives already, they could easily do SP as a “what if they bought this type as well” thing.

[Missaberoad]

SP owned 3 variations of Vert-a-Packs not sure if one of those series matched the exactrail model.

[learmoia]

If I recall almost the entire Japanese DCC market is rebranded Digitrax stuff..

I was mildly interested in getting a Shinkansen Series 0 and maybe a Series 100 but the big holdback was if it is DCC Compatible or not..

~Ian

[peteski]

I was mildly interested in getting a Shinkansen Series 0 and maybe a Series 100 but the big holdback was if it is DCC Compatible or not..

~Ian

Compatible? Yes.  DCC-ready? A big NO.  A decoder can be installed, but it requires  some modifications.  Also remember that you need 3 decoders.  One for the motor car and 2 function-only decoders for the end car lighting.

I have one of the early Kato versions and that one uses rapido couplers between cars.  Newer ones use Kinematic-type drawbars or some other close coupling mechanism.  I prefer Tomix Shinkansen as those usually have electrically conductive drawbars where all the cars pick up power from the rails.

[C855B]

... I prefer Tomix Shinkansen as those usually have electrically conductive drawbars where all the cars pick up power from the rails.

And are massive nightmares when they derail on DCC. Been there.

[sirenwerks]

Is this different from the Walthers/Atlas version? https://www.spookshow.net/freight/walthers54flat.html

Or the Athearn version? https://www.spookshow.net/freight/athearn53flat.html

Mark 

Maybe it will be different by:

• Being readily available
• Not a metal casting
• Affordable

[squirrelhunter]

We could really use a 53'6" AAR flatcar, which is what GHQ made for Deluxe back in the day. Not sure we need a 3rd GSC/Commonwealth one.

We could really use an ARA Howe truss single sheathed boxcar, but I don't think we will ever get one of those.

[thomasjmdavis]

There was the IMRC AAR 53'6" flatcar.  Admittedly, I've never actually seen one, but they have it listed as something they sent to dealers, once upon a time.

https://www.intermountain-railway.com/n/nflatcars.htm  Scroll to the bottom for 70T AAR cars and bulkhead cars (the same flatcar with bulkhead ends added). 

I don't want to wait on IMRC to actually use any of the transition era tooling they've been sitting on. I'm in my 70s, and I don't have decades to wait.

[nkalanaga]

I have some of the GHQ/Deluxe flats.  Nice cars, but a pain to body-mount couplers on, if one wants to lower them.   I finally did it the hard way.  Low-bolster trucks and screw-mounted Accumate couplers.

No coupler boxes.  I glued two plastic strips to the car and screwed the coupler (with a washer below it) directly to the floor.  The washer is to keep the screw head from binding in the coupler hole, as the 00-90 screw was too small for the hole.  I put a piece of 1/16 inch aluminum tubing, drilled to clear the screw, in the coupler.

[garethashenden]

We could really use an ARA Howe truss single sheathed boxcar, but I don't think we will ever get one of those.

The ARA car is a Pratt truss. The Howe truss single sheathed boxcars were never an ARA design, they were built by people who wouldn’t let go of their wooden car building habits. A Howe truss is better in wood, the diagonals are in compression. A Pratt truss is better in steel, the diagonals are in tension.

But what we really need is both the Pratt and Howe truss cars, with all the variety of ends and roofs and doors they had.