2025 Japanese Narrow Gauge and Light Railway Models Festival

The video is good, but the real reason I uploaded this post was for the picture of the cool storage tank. Watch the video to find out how they are handeled. By the way, I also thought the locomotive was rad.

Miniature Master Piece. 2025 Narrow Gauge Festivile in Tokyo Japan

The Japanese are some of the finiest modelers, especailly in smaller scales. I salvate when seeing so many cute locomotives whirling around in their small circumference of tracks. There are many small locomotives featured here and in many scales. So many beautiful small piece's of miniature goodness.

OMG I am Salvating!

Japanese modelers make the cutest "Locomotive Critters".

Japanese Long Bows

The amount of work and time that goes into a Japanese log bow is astonishing.

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<-- Previously: Process of Making a Traditional English Longbow<

Model Train Making Process

"A 73-year-old Japanese artisan crafting model trains for decades" I am rather envious of this makers shop. It contains a lot of specialized tools and apparatus. Tools of the trade.

Plastic Models - Japanology Plus

Miniature Bi-Planes and Other Tiny Things

Pinterest has always been a place for inspiration. Although I probaly will not build one of these bi-planes they are very lovely to view.

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58 Very Tiny Things

Explore The World of Japanese Miniatures

The world of Japanese miniatures is unique and whimsical.

Far Wheels II

Front cover of Far Wheels II, Charles S. Small, A Railroad Monograph Book, (c) 1986

It was this book and the many railways listed within its covers perked my interest in narrow gauge railroading.

Far Wheels II is an updated edition of Charles S. Small’s Far Wheels I. Small has traveled world and visited the many narrow gauge railways that once trans-versed many localities around the world. Far Wheels II is a 102 page collection of text, maps, and images on many of these narrow gauge railways.

Small gives us a glimpse into the workings, equipment types, geographical features, history, and even some thoughts on the accommodations available at some of these locations. Here is one of my favorites:

“In British Africa one finds clean rooms, comfortable beds, water-borne sanitation and the worst food ever prepared by human hands. In French Africa the beds are stuffed with hay, old railways ties and scrap iron. The water and showers are unreliable, but you can eat in the most miserable hamlet like a civilized man and in larger towns like a king.”

Below is the table of contents and the many railways, their gauge, and locations of these narrow gauge railways:

1. Japan 2’ – 6” gauge

Kiso Forest Railway
Japan Sulphur Company
Kosaka Copper Company
Kusakaru Electric Railway

2. Eritrea 950mm gauge

Ferrovia Eritree

3. Madagascar 1000mm gauge

Chemin De Fer Madagascar

4. Fiji, 2’ – 0 gauge

Colonial Sugar Company

5. Portuguese East Africa, 2’ – 5.1/2 “, 3’ 6” gauges

Caminho DeFerri Mozambique

6. Australia, Tasmania, 3’6” gauge, AbtRack

7. Jamaica, 4’ 8 ½ gauge

Jamaican Government Railway

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Other books by Charles S. Small

Japanese Critters

How I wish these little beauties were readily available.

The page features both HOn30 and On30 locomotives.

Although I do have a couple of narrow gauge locomotives of this complexity in my inventory, having one or two more wouldn't hurt.

Japanese Narrow Gauge Modeling Festival

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To prove my facination with locomotive critters here is a link to my Collection of Locomotive Critters on Pinterest

More Japanese Prototypes- Akinori's Toy-Box

Akinori has surely put together a rather collection of his reviews items that interest him. This page is a review of a narrow gauge box cab, and passenger car kits. The kits are cast, from what looks like polystyrene, and are finely detailed.

Akinori has added some details of his own and an oval of track to run his small train.

Miniatures, Dioramas, and Structures

• 102 Detailed And Fun Miniature Dioramas
• 25 Cool Examples Of Toy Photography
• Collectors gather 1,200 tiny buildings

Model Train Sites-Karakuri Karat Creek Lab

Karakuri Lab Karat Creek Lab

Although the author has some recent posts this page is from back in 2019. YHe authors talks of narrow guage trains, mostly On30 guage?

There is a nioce collection of model trains here which are reviewed in as far how they handle and hold on to the track. I find these specimens quite lovely and enjoyed reading through the authors remarks.

Japanese Model Railroad Prototypes

Here is a page of some gorgeous narrow gauge Japanese prototype model railway models. I remeber being introduced Japanese model railroading while reading Narlow Gauge and Short Line Gazette. If my memory serves me right it was a how to article for an On30 diesel engine.

For Future Development

Grandt Line: GE 23 Ton Box Cab, Diesel/Electric Loco

This locomotive can be built either in standard or narrow guage (HOn3). When I purchased the model I had hopes of converting it to HOn30.

Highway Miniatures: 15 Ton Mack Locomotive

The loco, like the one above is a dummy, that it is unpowered and is meant to be built in standard gauge.

Tsugawa Yokou 14054 Super Mini Size Motorized Chassis TU-16A (N scale)

Up to this point finding mechanisms for these two models has been exasperating. Now, it seems I might have found a mechanism that work for both of them, albeit it might take some careful adjustments and perhaps a few additions to the kits.

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Mack 15 Ton Loco Project

It seems that someone has built a railready loco from this kit.

Mack Rail – The Locomotives

Some images of the prototype in use.

More Signs From Above

Source: 007 James Bond-"You Only Live Twice". Signs in Tokyo.

Source: "Belfast"

Three Very Unique and Diverse Plastic Models

Yes, I will admit that these three plastic models are unique and perhaps a bit weird. Nonetheless, the odder they are the more desirable they are to me. I shouldn’t get my salivary glands worked up, because I have yet to located a supplier and or a reasonable price product.

1. 1:12-Scale Japanese Squat Toilet Plastic Model Kit:
A complete squat toilet in 1:12 scale. You have to bring your own dirt and grime. The castings have a porcelain finish that looks realistic. The finished model/diorama makes for a very realistic adaptation of a Japanese loo.

2. 1:1-Scale Cup Noodle, Including the Ramen and Toppings:
This 1:1 scale model is a unique representation of “life” sized cup of noodles. Did you realize that there are more noodles on top than the bottom? There is a lift out front panel that allows you to see contents of the cup and there are additions for the top.

3. 1:1-Scale Sushi Model:
This kit includes 366 pieces, which makes sense considering that at the base of most Sushi consists of a mound of rice.

Building a Zen Garden Diorama

This is a great fifteen minute video depicting the building of a Zen Garden.

Walking Corpses

“So we all go,” She tells herself. “Even the richest and most powerful are only meat for cheshires in the end. We are all nothing but walking corpses and to forget this is folly. Meditate in the nature of corpses and you will see this.”

Emiko, Windup Girl, Paolo Bacigalupi

Bandai Starblazer Model

This is one of Bandai’s Star Blazer #2206, a Karakrum Class Combatant Ship. Although I did use plastic model glue this model could have simply been snapped together. The instructions are in Japanese, however using the included instructions printed on the inside the box the model fit together nicely.

The models 21 parts are connected to X number of sprue and are molded in olive green polystyrene.

Since I was planning on using glue to add to the overall strength of the model, I was extra careful to make sure that I had the correct part in hand. There were a couple of times when I had to study the exploded illustrations and the box art to ensure that I did have the correct part.

My motto for this year is get something done and after seven months I really do not have too much to show for it. I have another Bandai model on my workbench that needs some finishing touches, a HO scale smoke house that is waiting on a few small details to be painted and placed, and lastly I have a HO scale outhouse that needs to be laid out and completed.