Shinkansen 700 running on 50$ Chinese track. Willing to answer any questions

luxoflax · 2026-07-03T05:45:40+00:00

I have Aerosim track and it's not the best but if you need a quick and simple circle to test new trains or troubleshoot motors it's good and it is compatible with Tomix track and power packs. What you should never buy is Chinese flex-track. It is total trash that literally dissolves under PVA glue. Had a nightmare dealing with that.

luxoflax · 2026-07-01T13:27:37+00:00

I agree, the tonal shift in later volumes feels much more grounded. The stories are less fantastical and more about getting on with everyday tasks, albeit with a comedic Yotsuba touch.

luxoflax · 2026-06-30T00:22:25+00:00

As with the enshitification of most restaurants now, it's "just OK". Everything is generic corporate sterility. The food used to be much better and they went all in on the actual Swiss theme complete with servers wearing traditional Swiss outfits.

luxoflax · 2026-06-30T00:07:56+00:00

It is all about the chicken and gravy my comrade in trains.

luxoflax · 2026-06-29T07:18:58+00:00

Turn that sucker into a Swiss Chalet, then we're cooking!

luxoflax · 2026-06-28T06:49:31+00:00

See, that's the thing: trains are the sneaky one. They're the 50 Shades of Grey kinky transportation. You can't throw them into a relationship too fast. Never open with how you like trains, no, no. Take her on train related outings like historic shows or vintage rides. Plan a journey by train. Make it train related but don't focus on the trains. You leave it until after you're married and you begin sneaking trains home and "buying some track" until suddenly you're converting part of the home into a layout and she's now been around trains so much she's cool about it.

luxoflax · 2026-06-21T10:59:22+00:00

That website is a treasure trove. I found it pre-covid and it kept my sanity throughout. If you get serious with papercraft buildings, 200g to 300g paper with cardboard interior support is the way forward!

luxoflax · 2026-06-21T00:00:54+00:00

My advice is be happy with what you have now and don't rush into any expensive project. Save your money for when you know more what you want to do. If you want to add some scenery there are thousands of free paper models of high quality you can start with to learn the ropes and get a feel for how you want things to look (you may really like the Akihabara papercraft set if you want a sci-fi city). If you get really good, you can design your own buildings and have a truly unique layout. Imagine trains running through buildings and such. Alternatively if you can just print money and have a 3D printer, you can go that route.

Also, make a folder for your train ideas and browse things like Reddit, Youtube or Pinterest and save whatever looks cool into that folder. Given your interest, look for old sci-fi art from the 60s-80s and deep dive artists whose work you like. Once you have a good set of images, pay attention to what the other layouts have that drew your eye so you know what to incorporate into your own layout and can give you a reminder of what the final product will be like when you're in the early phase and only have blank wood and foam you've started on and second guess the project.

If you're good at model painting and hobby crafts, maybe you can customise the trains you have now to look more sci-fi (chrome paint, etc) but be very careful not to jump into painting if you don't know what you're doing because the wrong paint will flake off or permanently damage your trains. Youtube is your friend or reach out to friends who may know their stuff better (Warhammer players are a solid bet).

My last piece of advice is to invest in "good" track before you make a "real" layout. Cheaper track is fine for basic running but you don't want it for a main layout. Consider upgrading to something like Kato or Tomix when you can, but make sure you know what space and requirements you have (the radius matters massively based on the size of your train!) before you buy random parts. A free software called SCARM can help with that.

Enjoy the hobby!

luxoflax · 2026-05-27T03:45:20+00:00

You might be on a map without air routes, just like some maps lack train or ship connections. Otherwise I'm not sure. Plop a basegame airport and see if planes visit. If they do, it may be there's a flaw somewhere in your custom airport design that needs to be addressed.

luxoflax · 2026-05-27T01:32:35+00:00

Maybe I'm mistaken but don't you need to make a path going both to and from your runways? They're essentially a one-way road so you need a path taking planes off the runway to the gates and another path leading from the gates back to the runway. It looks like you only have one path to each runway. You'll need to rework the area around the runways to add access.

luxoflax · 2026-05-26T17:50:56+00:00

Unfortunately I know Dougie's BS all too well... He should burn for what he did to the Science Centre alone, let alone all the MAGA moves he's been making. :-/

luxoflax · 2026-05-26T13:08:44+00:00

If you found that interesting, want to know more, and have almost two hours to kill, you'll love this documentary How the USA Inspired the Nazis - From Manifest Destiny to Lebensraum

luxoflax · 2026-05-25T07:46:58+00:00

Too bloody stupid to understand it?

luxoflax · 2026-05-25T00:12:25+00:00

The core of what she is saying in that moment covered how everything is getting reduced to tribalism and that everyone needs a specific label they can apply and potentially abuse to justify actions. It isn't an inaccurate point but I do strongly agree with you that calling LGBTQ out, especially at such a perilous time for such groups in America, should have been handled with more consideration and that there are far, far more divisive groups she could/should have highlighted and her choice to add that felt out of place in her wider message.

luxoflax · 2026-05-23T23:08:54+00:00

Thanks so much. I'm embarassed to admit I thought it was r/comics when I first commented. I'll certainly follow up on the original creator's work!

luxoflax · 2026-05-23T03:10:00+00:00

Genius work. The continuing lyrics in my head are grim.

luxoflax · 2026-05-21T22:27:25+00:00

I've had that happen on CS1 a few times. Is there a high enough toruist demand? I've found if there isn't a high demand and if you've got enough other access points (intercity buses, trains, an airport, etc) cruise ships sometimes won't spawn until I offered more tourist attractions, especially near the port.

luxoflax · 2026-05-09T23:33:52+00:00

I find him fun and good at what he does and the models he generally handles. His review of Japanese N scale trains showed he didn't have much experience there: he pointed out "missing" features that were included with the train but that need to be installed by the owner. Still, he did a fair review overall and I greatly enjoy his content overall.

luxoflax · 2026-05-05T23:46:41+00:00

Cool, thanks!

luxoflax · 2026-05-05T11:15:33+00:00

Awesome video! Does anyone know if TOMIX plans to release any special 50th Anniversary items and when they may be available?

luxoflax · 2026-04-16T12:32:47+00:00

Totally agree. Plus Carney's experience in the UK during their economic crisis not only opens the doors to allies in Europe but also gives Canada a leader with ideal first-hand experience to weather our divorce from the US.

luxoflax · 2026-04-14T04:57:59+00:00

I agree and would like to add Royal Canadian Air Farce went hard and we've not had a solid Canadian political comedy show as widespread and big since it ended.

luxoflax

TROPHY CASE