O-Scale Bullet Trains

[Cybertronian]

Has any company ever produced High Speed Trains in O-Scale (or semi-scale O, such as "O27")?

I would like to eventually get ahold to the following in O:

• 500 Series Nozomi Shinkansen (Shinkansen = Bullet Train in Japanese)
  700 Series Shinkansen (I'd love this one repainted in Union Pacific livery)
  TGV Atlantique (I think TGV Sud is the fastest now, but I like the original orange color.)

[Komachi]

I believe KATO has produced a number of sets of the Japanese shinkansen ("bullet trains") in HO and N. As far as I know, there haven't been any such sets produced in O.

But, I've been proven wrong before.

[suzukii]

Hi, I, too, have been on this search for over a year as well & it has bared no fruit. please let me know if you ever come across something. I'm interested in any of the bullet trains, but especially the TGV's in O-scale. Thanks.

[suzukii]

Bump...
Hoping to keep this thread alive in case someone else can help us locate trains of this nature...


Thanks in advance to everyone who helps this thread get results.

[gprimr1]

I have seen a few ACELA trainsets in O scale. Very ,very rare.

[Conrail Quality]

You can find those Lionel Acela sets on eBay pretty easily... if you have $1000+ to spend.

[Sir Ray]

gprimr's right, there apparently were about 2000 Lionel Acelas sets made:
Here's Lionel Product Page, but obviously you're gonna have to hunt them down by other means...
Hey, a video of the model Acela in action

[suzukii]

You can find those Lionel Acela sets on eBay pretty easily... if you have $1000+ to spend.

...and they break as easily as found on e-bay. They're beautiful to look at, but try to run the Accela & use it's advertised features & you'll regret you spent over $20 for them.
Even Lionel tried to recall them off the market after releasing them, because they had way too many bugs in them, but a few escaped.
If you do get one, stare at, run it slowly if you must, so you can appreciate the detail, but for gods' sake, don't play with it!!!
What? You thought, this was a toy???!!!!

[Earle Baldwin]

Interest in O gauge/scale foreign equipment appears to be gaining momentum. MTH has announced models of Orient Express and Flying Scotsman steam locomotives. Each has reportedly generated significant pre-order interest. In addition, Third Rail/Sunset has announced a number of foreign locomotives in O.

I imagine if these initial offerings generate sufficient demand, future announcements may very well include more contemporary services such as TGV and Japanese high speed sets. Don't hesitate to contact MTH with your requests. MTH mangement seems to listen to what the hobbyist community is saying.

Regards,

Earle

[Dieter]

Do you guys have "O" guage layouts, or are you just collecting?

Me thinks you've got a loooong wait before you see these thingys come out in "O". Biggest market for a Shinkansen is; Japan. The overwhelming majority of folks in Japan do not have the space for "O", hence, the popularity of "N". My "O" stuff is on a shelf. I don't even know if there's anybody at this time making "O" in Japan of Japanese trains from any era. Komachi?

D?

[suzukii]

I'm more of a wannabe New York City Subway enthusiast. I have a small 7ft by 8ft carpet layout with triple Oval EL's & Double Ovals on the floor.
The club I hang out at is over in Paterson, New Jersey, USA. Great bunch there. There's an Open House on March 20th, 2008, if you're interested.
Our website is http://www.njhirailers.com.
You can view the club's live with pan & tilt cameras.

Here's the popular video I made recently of our club's main layout in the 1st person view: "Click Here".

You can see some of my other videos for free over at "My Veoh" Link.

Here are a few other videos I've made as well (in case you can't get to them from the links above): "Click Here".
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You can search for my videos if you like them on YouTube.com by searching for suzukii or on Veoh.com by searching for suzukii69.

[Dieter]

I've heard of your layout, the videos are fantastic!

Is that Coors Light steamer a live steamer?

D/

[Mirai Zikasu]

Aside from the Lionel Acela, I'm not aware of any O scale high-speed trains. HO is a bit better. Most European high-speed trains are available as well as the Bachmann Acela. I know Tenshodo released a 500 Series shinkansen in HO some years back (which are now near impossible to get much to my chagrin), and there's a company called Katsumi that makes absurdly-expensive HO scale brass shinkansen. N scale, though, is your best bet if you want to find shinkansen. It's a pity that things are that way, but I guess that's the problem modeling trains from a country with prohibitively tight living spaces. I'll admit, though, I'm having enough trouble modeling my local passenger railroads (Amtrak, MARC, WMATA Metro, VRE) to where I don't even think foreign trains much.

Also, Suzukii, I love the Inspector Gadget cosplay at Otakon in your avatar. Very nice.

[Komachi]

Dieter commened/asked...

"I don't even know if there's anybody at this time making "O" in Japan of Japanese trains from any era. Komachi?"


I'll refer the second posting in this thread by yours truely...

"I believe KATO has produced a number of sets of the Japanese shinkansen ("bullet trains") in HO and N. As far as I know, there haven't been any such sets produced in O."

"But, I've been proven wrong before."


I've done a little more digging around and my answer remains the same. Nothing in O that I can find, unless you find a Japanese craftsman modeler who will custom build such an item for you. As others have also noted, Japanese essentially have zip for living space, which is why they model in N scale.

There have been a few HO sets produced (in fact, one of these days, I'm going to get my E3 series Akita "Komachi" to place in my layout room), but O scale.... tsukurimasendeshita ("has not been made').


BTW, here's an image of my namesake shinkansen (E3 series)...

http://www.h2.dion.ne.jp/~dajf/byunbyun/pics/e3d.htm

[suzukii]

I've heard of your layout, the videos are fantastic!

Is that Coors Light steamer a live steamer?

D/

Dieter, it's a steamer. I hope it's mostly good you've heard, (everything else is just rumors).

You can come down to see it on show day, March 30th, 2008. Get more info at http://www.njhirailers.com/.
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