N Scale ... Sushi?

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Thought about putting this in the product discussion, but I thought it'd be more interesting to talk about it as in "that's a fun idea" less than the individual product details.

I came across this today:
https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/search?typ1_c=104&cat=&target=Series&sortid=6&searchkey=Sushiden+(Food+Sample+Train)

That's right: N scale motorized sushi.

I actually kinda like it.

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[MK]

I've seen this in person when I was in Japan last year and just recently.  The rendition is pretty good and I was going to get one and put a decoder in it.  It would be a hoot to run it in Amherst or Altoona.  But at around $45 it was one of those "hmmm, let me think about this" moment.  I can get an entire Kato Japanese switcher for that price.

I've heard on the Japanese train forums that they only run well at higher speeds since their 4-wheel implementation isn't as good as, say, Kato's 4-wheel implementation.  Probably a combination of weight and wheel contact.  Slow speeds become erratic.  Because of this I've sideline this.

[peteski]

I recall that Hobby Search Japan was selling N scale motorized "rubber ducks".  I don't recall what mechanism they use but I recall that the duck was 3D printed.  They might still have them ini stock if you're lookgn for somethign whimisical.  Perfet for a typical NTRAK setup. 

Speaking of which, I'll be at the Greenberg show in Wilmington, MA this weekend. at the NE-NTRAK layout.

[btrain]

There’s a modeling group I belong to (I can’t mention its name since it was incorporated under Fight Club rules), where our big thing is to smoke stogies while running trains and then going for hibachi afterwards.  Since the layout we run on is HO, I’m the odd man out for operations, but I’ve always wanted to use the mechanism from a Model Power Plymouth, make a pile of onions out of modeling clay for the shell, and have a smoke unit so it can do the classic choo-choo act that you see them do on the grill.

If anyone knows a smoke unit that would play nice with a cheap DCC decoder (like a DZ123), I’d be in your debt for making this dream a reality.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

If anyone knows a smoke unit that would play nice with a cheap DCC decoder (like a DZ123), I’d be in your debt for making this dream a reality.

Any DCC decoder can be a smoke unit... once.

[ednadolski]

oh that is sooo awesome!  love it! 

All it needs is to go into a tunnel shaped like an open mouth

Ed

[MK]

I recall that Hobby Search Japan was selling N scale motorized "rubber ducks".  I don't recall what mechanism they use but I recall that the duck was 3D printed.  They might still have them ini stock if you're lookgn for somethign whimisical.  Perfet for a typical NTRAK setup. 

Speaking of which, I'll be at the Greenberg show in Wilmington, MA this weekend. at the NE-NTRAK layout.

They are from the same manufacturer, Tsugawa, as the sushi.  I believe all have the same underlying motor unit and have similar short comings out of the box.

[John]

(Attachment Link)

Now it just needs a thrommer for a caboose !

[basementcalling]

Definitely a train not to leave out overnight, or run on the layout with a cat in the room.

[pmpexpress]

Along with a normal line of N-Scale locomotives, rolling-stock, scenic details, and vehicles, Yoyuki Tsugawa sells Cockle, Conger Eel, Egg Omelet, Fatty Tuna, Salmon Roe, Sea Urchin, Shrimp, Squid, and Tuna Food Sample Trains.



Yoyuki Tsugawa FT-1 N-Scale Railway Mechanism with Tuna Food Sample



Yoyuki Tsugawa FT-1 N-Scale Railway Mechanism with Tuna Food Sample



Yoyuki Tsugawa FT-1 N-Scale Railway Mechanism

Yoyuki Tsugawa Food Sample Train YouTube Video

[pmpexpress]

I recall that Hobby Search Japan was selling N scale motorized "rubber ducks".  I don't recall what mechanism they use but I recall that the duck was 3D printed.  They might still have them ini stock if you're lookgn for somethign whimisical.  Perfet for a typical NTRAK setup. 

Released in 2023, the Tsugawa Yokou JT-01 is a motorized Toritetsu (i.e., trainspotter in English) that is shipped with a set end user applied eye stickers.

To complement the Toritetsu, Tsugawa Yokou also released its JT-02 Baby Birds on Railway Cars Set.

https://www.plazajapan.com/4957265191010/?srsltid=AfmBOopb0_2Bd5sdBp4gyARSiYRfB8iH4Puu7C2-SmNlCAyPpnmHmymB



Tsugawa Yokou JT-01 Motorized Toritetsu and JT-02 Baby Birds on Railway Cars Sets



Tsugawa Yokou JT-01 Motorized Toritetsu



Tsugawa Yokou JT-02 Baby Birds on Railway Cars Set



Tsugawa Yokou JT-01 Motorized Toritetsu Eye Sticker Set

[peteski]

Quack, quack!   
Looks like they actually use a small coreless motor in their mechanism. But that by itself does not guarantee reliable running.

[ednadolski]

All it needs is to go into a tunnel shaped like an open mouth

Seems I had better re-think that, realizing that it has to come out somewhere too... 

Ed

[Dwight in Toronto]

In the last six months I’ve done extensive browsing on the Plaza Japan website, and kept coming across these motorized ducks and sushi.  All I could do was shake my head and mutter “wtf”?

I still don’t get it.

[MK]

You have to understand the Japanese mind set and their culture.  It's hard to describe.

Here's an example.  You're riding the Tokyo Metro.  Seated across the aisle is an older distinguished looking gentleman, dressed in a business suit trim and proper.  On his lap is a nice looking leather briefcase like bag.  He can easily look like a CEO of a company.  In his hand is a 1" thick paperback book and you realize he's reading a manga/anime book.  You would have gone WTF?

BTW, this really happened when I was there two weeks ago.

Edit: it wouldn't surprise me if I find this guy at a train shop looking at those motorized sushi pieces.