The Shinkansen tunnels are, for the most part, precisely circular in cross section. That's what you get when you bore them with a TBM.
The portals are interesting. They owe their design to modern artillery - silencer *** muzzle brake. Without the fancy airflow control a train would exit each tunnel with a report like a 155mm howitzer - rather annoying to the neighbors.
The rent-a-layout phenomenon developed after I left Japan for the last time many years ago. Oh, well...
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
EDIT - I see that the nasty language checker doesn't understand Latin. English synonym? And also is close enough.
Somewhere outside Tokyo, warehouses...
Tidal flats. She said there were lots of tunnels, too.
Of course, you know what the picture of the inside of a tunnel looks like (although I'd bet they leave the interior lights on...
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
They still had V-60s when I was there, apparently just before Larry's service. Cool locos.
OK, live from the Shinkansen enroute from Tokyo to Kyoto as I write...
Out the window, only some things are blurry, not the whole world (at 180 mph).
Interior of economy class, 6 roomy seats across and a nice aisle -- try finding that on an aircraft these days.
Looks like a starship inside. I think my wife is using her wifi, cell-based internet hotspot to send these from the train. My guess is that internet is available onboard by other means, too.
BRAKIEI use to railfan at the Schweinfurt station and became quite fond of those 0-6-0 diesel switchers with side rods.
That would have been the omnipresent V 60 0-6-0 Diesel switcher - they are gone, too!
Larry - we are getting old! All those locos which were brand new in my childhood days are long out of service by now.
Talk about marketing genius! I'm not sure it would work in this country but for Japan, it's brilliant.
Sir Madog Larry - many a station had one of these layouts. They started in the late 1950´s with this, but about 10 years ago, Deutsche Bahn decided it would not fit their modern image, so the layouts had to go.
Larry - many a station had one of these layouts. They started in the late 1950´s with this, but about 10 years ago, Deutsche Bahn decided it would not fit their modern image, so the layouts had to go.
I hate to hear that..Those was nicely done layouts. I use to railfan at the Schweinfurt station and became quite fond of those 0-6-0 diesel switchers with side rods.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
Yes,N Scale is big in Japan and the idea of renting traffic rights is a good idea since a lot of Japanese doesn't have a home layout. A carrying case with two engines and several cars is all one would need.
When I was station in Germany back in 75/76 I took a train ride and at the station where I got off there was a very nice automated layout that you could watch IIRC 2 or 3 trains run after dropping a German mark into a slot. I really hated leaving but,they announced my train back to Schweinfurt.
As a side note. A normal tour of duty in Germany is/was two years..The Army in all of it glorious wisdom sent me there with 9 months before my ETS date..
Yup! N gauge it is! N scale has a market share in Japan similar to HO scale in the US. No wonder, when space is literally not existent.
There are hotels you can rent a small layout for those lonely evenings in your hotel room:
At the Washington Hotel in Tokyo's geek district of Akihabara, room 1304 is quite different from the rest. It's outfitted with a diorama that has Tokyo Tower, Tokyo Skytree, and thirty meters of model train track!
My wife is in Japan right now traveling with and translating for her sister and brother-in-law. She's on the lookout for RR things that might be of interest to me. The first take on that is this pic of part of a rental layout. I think it's N gauge.