Tomix Thomas (2016)

exile90

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Dal_Yeur4A[/video]

Super

Is this yours Exile? Very nice, detailed layout.

exile90

Yes it's mine. I've got it around Xmas.

Now trying to stop myself from getting the just announced for pre-order Percy and James sets. 😉

Super

You got the Layout around Xmas?

exile90

Oh, sorry.

Got the Thomas model around xmas.
The layout has been work-in-progress for the last 2 years or so. It's all Kato track so I haven't posted here since it's Tomix sub-forum. (maybe it could be changed to more general N scale) 🙂

Super

You are more than welcome to continue to Post here Exile. Sunhuntin has two Tomix N Scale Threads here already. Or you could Post in the "Other Model Train" Forum. Maybe we could ask Ucwepn if he could add All "N" Scale to the Forum name he would do it if we are really nice.

You have done a superb job on that Layout, I love it. Do you have more pictures of it?

Nigels

Nice layout for sure and I love the Thomas, nicely scaled with coaches that seem a more appropriate size than the normal short ones you see with a Thomas in any scale.

I think a generic 'N' gauge forum would be good too, like Sun and a few others I have quite a bit of 'N' gauge, some Japanese, some British, my even some American models. Primarily Kato or Tomix, but some other brands also 🙂

ROKMAN1445

Nigels wrote
I think a generic 'N' gauge forum would be good too, like Sun and a few others I have quite a bit of 'N' gauge, some Japanese, some British, my even some American models. Primarily Kato or Tomix, but some other brands also 🙂

Yes N gauge is the second most popular model railroading scale, I think.

Ucwepn

You can post any N scale in the Tomix thread I feel it's all relevant as it's all kind of compatible

sunhuntin

nice layout, bud. wish mine looked as detailed, but its been build to be transported, so the less on it, the less damage to repair.

i am in two minds about trying to pick up the new thomas. yours looks a darker blue to mine, but that could be the lighting, too.

exile90

sunhuntin wrote
nice layout, bud. wish mine looked as detailed, but its been build to be transported, so the less on it, the less damage to repair.

Since I live in a smaller place the layout itself is only 4'x3'7". So still pretty portable since I have to move it out of the way for xmas so the tree can go in that corner.

sunhuntin wrote
i am in two minds about trying to pick up the new thomas. yours looks a darker blue to mine, but that could be the lighting, too.

I think it's just the pictures came out. It's very similar to the Hit Toy Company flip-face Thomas just a little bit more matted finish.

Anyways, after some running here's some points about this set:

Thomas is slow; even compared to 25+ years old MiniTrix 0-6-0T Lil' Donkey Thomas falls behind big time. And yes, I've tried to run it in. 8-hours going in each direction plus regular run time.
Thomas is light; while I haven't had any derailment on switches YET it feels like it could happen any time I run it. I haven't opened it yet so I'm not sure about adding any weights to it.
Annie & Clarabel are SUPER light; I have empty 70-ton cars or 4-bay hoppers heavier than those. They like to de-couple on switches since they bounce so much. Could be fixed by adding extra weights inside of the cars.
Plastic wheels on Annie & Clarabel. I'm not one of those people that have to have metal wheels on everything, it just happens EVERYTHING I own runs on metal wheels but.. Maybe using metal wheels could solve the weight problems?
The model scale is off? All 3 cars seem a little too.. bulky compared to the rest of the n scale stuff I have. Thomas feels pretty much like Thomas Mini engine. It's the same height as the Minis and the face is pretty much the same size as of the Minis.

Nigels

Nice to have a 'review' of the model after all as we can only source these out of Japan at the moment we're otherwise buying blind. On the plus side if out of the box they are light it shouldn't cost so much to ship and weights can always be added generally speaking.

As for speed, you may find that is deliberate, some trains are deliberately geared low either to give them more pulling power or to make them look more realistic speed-wise. After all let's be honest Thomas is only a little tank engine, if they intend to make a Gordon at some point they would want Thomas to be quite slow so that Gordon can be the faster express engine he is supposed to be 😃

sunhuntin

the new james is on jauce now. not sure when he was released. comes with the same trucks as before, but looks like he has an updated face as well.

http://www.jauce.com/auction/q172467022

percy has been out for quite some time. his set has changed... originally he came with a post van, now its s c ruffey.

http://www.jauce.com/auction/w190190080

Super

I like the details on Percy

exile90

I got Percy here and James is in the mail as we speak. I'll post some pictures when James arrives.