Series 205; JNR economical electric commuter

JNR; Japanese National Railways had been faced with serious economic problem since 1964; the first year when they felt into the red. Besides, we Japanese found it necessary to conserve energy through what we call "oil shock" at the beginning of '70s. JNR put series 201 into service in 1979. It was called "energy saving commuter" because it needed more little electricity to work than the conventional ones. However, its cost of manufacturing was too high for JNR to improve their economic outlook.

I can say that series 205 was JNR's last gasp. It not only inherited the energy saving concept of series 201 but also was maximally brought production and operating cost down. That came from several newer technologies such as field added excitation control, bolsterless truck, stainless boby, and so on. The development period was actually for seven months. The engineers that resolved a lot of difficult tasks during the brief period should be deserving of praise. Even their efforts could not change JNR's destiny. JNR was privatized and split up to JR in 1987, soon after series 205 was born. That means series 205 is the last commuter produced by JNR.

Series 205, photo by Shinden

Series 205 survived and kept playing an important role in urban commuting although JNR was disappeared. JR east and west put several variations based on series 205 in the beginning of '90s. They are still alive on the commuting lines around Tokyo and Osaka though they are recently being replaced to the successor; series E231 or 321.

Series 205 with Dragon Ball rapping, photo by toukaidou211

As I wrote, series 205 has several variations. Bahnsim PRO includes the first type put into Yamanote-line; the loop line in Tokyo.

Series 205 on Bahnsim PRO

I.MAGiC released VRM3 updater; vrm3x9g

On 28th July 2006, I.MAGiC released VRM3 patch named "VRM3VDX9G.EXE" on their website. I tried to apply it to my own Bahnsim PRO environment. I had no error but nothing happened either. It seems to ignore BSP.

I wonder it makes you angry; I.MAGiC abdicates responsibility to support us!! But you do not have to mind about that. I compared the time stamp of exe files. As the result, I found BSP had the newer one than the patch did, as follows.


What does it mean?
I guess that this patch is to catch up to BSP viewer for Japanese VRM3 users.
On Readme files included in it, they said "this is the same version of limited express collected edition."
Limited express collected edition is the VRM3 price down edition including cars and parts of VRM3-0, 1, 2, and 3, released on 24th Febrary 2006. I know that I.MAGiC made VRM3 and BSP into a common architecture at that time. However, the conventional VRM3 users did not have the way to get the new viewer without buying the package; even most of them found the parts they already have in it.

Therefore, you do not have to mind the patch this time. You already have the newest viewer.exe in your BSP :-)

Series 165; JNR standard EC for express

JNR (and JR also) provided three types of rapid train as follows.

• Rapid service (Semi-Express)
• Express
• Limited express

Rapid service corresponds in position to RE or IR in Germany. It is just local train which passes some stations without stopping. To make use of it, you just have to pay basic fare.
In the case of more than express, you have to pay additional charge. In exchange, you can get to the destination faster and more comfortable. In previous times JNR had articulate differentiated service between express and limited express. Each of them had cars to itself. Cars for express have cheaper accommodation and uncomfortable. However, they were surely transportation for ordinary people. Series 165 was one of the most popular cars among them.

Series 165 was put into service in 1963.
It was originally developed for sharp inclined lines; such as Chuo line between Tokyo and Nagano. After that, it expanded its stage into flat lines because JNR applied its climbing power for acceleration in busy lines. That made series 165 a de-facto standard for express trains in DC lines.
Impressive painting; green and orange, was the feature inherited from previous-generation such as series 80 and 153. It was affectionately called Shonan-color after the region name where series 80 ran at first.

Series 165, photo by moko

In its prime days, we saw series 165 running through any DC lines. However, JNR reduced the number of express in the later half of the '80s. The main reason was that a lot of ordinary people preferred comfortable travel rather than cheaper one as economical advance. After JR started, limited express took center stage of the rapid train. Series 165 lost its own stage and retired from proper express use at last in 2003.

Series 165 on Bahnsim PRO

Even now, memories of series 165 seem to take Japanese rail-fun back to the good old days.

CHO's VRM3 parts catalog

Today I introduce one of the longest-serving active VRM user in Japan.
His name is CHO(his screen name). CHO has been the most famous webmaster among Japanese VRM users since the first version of VRM was released in 1999. Click here, you can jump into his website, written in Japanese. It is very hard for me to translate all of his writing. Well, today I lead into the most useful and interesting content of them for you.

It is "VRM3 parts catalog," his elaboration. Click here, and you can see it through an automatic-translation to English. There you can enjoy most of parts screenshots included in Japanese VRM3 packages.

For example, click "The first package" at first. You can see category list in the left below frame. Next, click "House" there. In the right up frame, you can see some screenshots of the parts categorized in "house" group. Click one of them, and you can see much larger one as follows.


Bahnsim PRO for European users includes all of the parts included in VRM3 0th package. As you saw in CHO's catalog, I.MAGiC has much more "bullets" for Bahnsim PRO add-on in the future. However, they show little intention of chambering the bullets into a new magazine; the coming add-on package.

---

I read some reviews written in Europe about Bahnsim PRO as follows.

• http://www.gbase.ch/global/news/5107/26788.html
• http://www.gamers.at/?SHOWKONTENT=1&ID=1589
• http://www.spieletester.com/index.php?type=review&p=articles&id=259&area=1
• http://www.x-zine.de/xzine_rezi.id_9736.htm

Put simply, every reviewer seems to be disappointed by shortage of the parts included in the package. Therefore, I think that CHO's catalog should be known among European Bahnsim PRO users as a little hope. Encourage bhv software to follow the project by your contributing many opinions onto bhv bbs.

Series 485; JNR AC-DC triple EC for limited express

JNR conventional line has three types of electrification as follows.

• DC 1.5kV
• AC 20kV/50Hz
• AC 20kV/60Hz

These different electrifications are scattered in Japan. AC-DC dual EC was strongly needed to run long distance through express in '60s. First, series 481 was born in 1964. It was AC 20kV/60Hz - DC 1.5kV dual EC and made west-Japan its stage. For historical reasons, power supply frequency in west-Japan is different from east-Japan. In the following year, series 483 was born for extending its stage to east; AC 50Hz area. But it did not support 60Hz AC. In 1968, these two series were consolidated to series 485; AC-DC triple EC.

Series 485(original), photo by ghost

Series 485 train which ran though three types of electrification was rare. The only case was Hakucho(means "swan") running between Osaka and Aomori. The true purpose of triplexing was rather flexible reassignment than long distance running. In fact, series 485 became hot commodities from Hokkaido in the north to Kyushu in the south.

Series 485-3000, photo by toukaidou211

However, breakup and privatization of JNR to JR in 1987 altered the situation. Needs of reassignment became a thing of the past because of JR companies' regionalization. A lot of series 485 were replaced by newer cars specified for each of region. But, a part of them survived as altered cars. Bahnsim PRO includes 485-3000; one of them, owned by JR east. Compared to the original one, it is attached LED for indicating the train nickname and painted tricolor; white, green and blue, is called Niigata-color after its main stage, or called Kami-nuttari-color after its depot.

Series 485-3000 on Bahnsim PRO

EF65; JNR standard DC E-Loks

EF65 has four subcategories as follows.

• Standard (S/N 1-135)
• Type P (S/N 501-512, 527-531, 535-542)
• Type F (S/N 513-526, 532-534)
• Type PF (S/N 1001-1139)

Bahnsim PRO includes Type PF. That is the reason why it is indicated as "EF65-1000" on the Zug dialog.

EF65(standard) was born as cargo locomotive in 1964. Its performance was so valued that JNR decided to convert for passengers. That was the birth of type P in 1965. P means "passenger," as we all know. On the other hand, type F means "freight." They can do cooperative operation for high speed freight train.

Type PF is sort of an amalgamation of type P and F, as the letters are showing. But its appearance is differ substantially from the other type. Especially, only type PF has a pass-through door at the center of the face.

EF65PF, photo by moko

EF65P and EF65PF had performed as a tractor of night-limited-express, which is called "blue train" much loved among Japanese rail fun. Today, they have already lost their status to the other newer locomotives. However, they are still one of the most popular one.

EF65PF on Bahnsim PRO

You can see the video movies provided by jrkwansai at the following URL.

• http://blog.livedoor.jp/jrkwansai/archives/50423144.html

ghost's layout "Japanische Landschaft"

Speaking of Japanese scene, you know what that brings to mind?

Fujiyama? Tokyo? That's right.

However, they are also non-daily for most of us. Today, I hope to show you an ordinary scene in Japan by my Bahnsim PRO layout titled "Japanische Landschaft." I designed it with a stereotyped suburban city in Japan as theme.


At first, look at the central station. There you can see typical style of railroad junction on main line in Japan. Most of passengers take Shinkansen to a large city on the way to their destination. Then, they switch to regional trains there. That makes you think of relationship between ICE/IC and RE/RZ in Germary, however there is a large difference.


Both ICE/IC and RE/RZ are running on standard gauge; 1,435mm. Shinkansen also runs on standard gauge. But Japanese regional trains; called "Zai-rai-sen" or the conventional lines, run on narrow gauge; 1,067mm. Therefore, most of Shinkansen stations are elevated structure because of a shortage of land. It means that many buildings had already filled along the conventional line when they began to construct Shinkansen line.

Next, look at the left side of the layout. You can also see Japanese typical landscape caused by a shortage of land.


We do not have enough plain field to let a great number of population live there in Japan. In the many case, Japanese railways are constructed along the valley. Even in trackside, they cleared forests and mountains to put up their house. It is rare that trains runs straight railways with a good view through plain fields.


Click here, and you can get a ZIP achive including the layout file.
Even if you do not have Bahnsim PRO, you can watch VRMovie of my Japanische Landschaft.

Tips: The easiest way to plant

I wonder it is too much of a bother for you to plant "Baum" on undulating land. Well, I introduce the easiest way to do that.

At first, spread enough Baum to cover the hill or mountain as follows.

Next, drag and select all of Baum with rubber band. You will see that they are white-highlighted.


Push the right button of your mouse, and you can see the pop-up menu as follows. Choose the function "An der Landschaft ausrichten," and each of trees will be given appropriate height. However, a part of them will float in midair. That is caused by fudge factor of coordinate system between parts and landscape.

Well, push the right button again. Choose the function "Verschieben," and you will see the following dialog. Input value about -10mm into "Höhe" box. Click "Ok," and the trees not connecting to ground will do.

• For details of these functions, refer to "Pop-up" in "Hinweis (Layout-Editor)."

Now, launch the viewer.
See? It is very easy!!



Notification; I'm going on a trip this weekend. See you next week!

Oichan's VRM3 picture-card show

As you know, the current version of VRM is VRM4. A lot of VRM3 users has already migrated over to VRM4. However, there are some people still holding firm to VRM3. Today, I introduce the most ardent person among them.

His name is Oichan (his screen name). Click here, you can visit his website; written in Japanese.

Especially I push the contents which he calls "VRM3 picture-card show." It is his VRM3 screenshot gallery. All of comments also are written in Japanese. But you can enjoy hundreds of colossal pictures. At the first page, he displays overall view of his railway. Click and click "NEXT" icons, and you will take a walk into his layout. I believe that you can find many hints about building your own layout.

This is just an aside.
Sometime ago, I asked him. "Why don't you make a package limited layout for Bahnsim PRO users?" Unfortunately, he did not look ambitious. I wonder he will do it if he finds a lot of messages from Europe on his weblog. :-P

Tips: Dressing up landscape

Previous time, we got natural landscape. But, it was only form. You should dress up surface of the landscape with pieces of the colorful pictures. That is called "Struktur" in Bahnsim PRO.

I show you a sample of "Hintergrundstructur" as follows.

You can get it into your layout by the following procedures.

1. "Copy" it on your Web browser.
2. Launch your Bahnsim PRO layouter.
3. Open your layout or create a new one.
4. Click "Hintergrundstructure."
5. Click "EINFÜGEN Land."

You can also paste a picture of your own drawing with Windows Paint Brush, Adobe Photoshop, and so on. For details, refer to "Landschaftsstruktur 1 & 2" on Bahnsim PRO Handbuch.

Before clicking "Struktur", you had better place something along the border of landscape as follows. Because it will be hidden that the gradation showing height of it at Struktur mode. The parts placed around the hill will not, so they help you with your operation of the mode. You just have to remove them after finishing.

Click "Struktur" in Boden-Werkzeug, and the layouter switches into Struktur mode. It looks like mosaic of colored tiles. As in the case of the other Boden-Werkzeug, you can choose size of brush.

At first, fill inside of the parts with a color not used in the other area yet. As the following case, the hill is painted Struktur No. 16.

Next click "Strukturänderung," and you can see the dialog as follows. This function replaces a range of Structur numbers by the other ones in random order. At the following case, the area filled with Struktur No.16 will be randomly replaced by from No.16 to 23.



Now, launch the viewer. You can see dressed landscape as follows.

Tips: Making landscape natural

Previous time, we got smooth landscape. I should say however that it is too smooth. Nature has much more complicated form, you know?

Well, today I show you the third step; making landscape natural. I means that it will be given natural fluctuation. Use "Raupinsel" to do so.


I strongly recommend to give smallish value into "Härte" option. This operation should be done little by little. You can meanwhile give largish value into "Pinselgröße" to treat large are at one time.


The yellow circle shows the area which is given random fluctuation.


Click once, and you can see the effect as follows on the viewer.


Is that not enough?
Well, click five times. The hill becomes as follows.


The following picture is the case of clicking twenty times. Is it too rough now? Anyway, it is your personal choice how many times you click.


I show you one more trick; "Erodieren" to cast a ditch. It makes landscape weathered. You should smallish values into both options. This operation also should be done little by little.



The sequence of the tool is from bottom up. I show the trajectory of the yellow circle as the red arrow lines in the following screenshot.


This operation scratches surface of the hill twice as follows.


[To be continued]

Tips: Good-bye jaggy landscape

Today I show you the second step of making hills or mountains.
Previous time, we got jaggy landscape by laminating. Use "Sandpapier" to make its surface smooth.


You can adjust the effect of Sandpapier by inputing value into "Option." The value of "Härte" should be largish. That will make this operation quick.


Drag the yellow circle on the layout window, and you will see juggy pixels broken into small pieces. It means that the surface of the area was made smooth.


Just launch BSP viewer by clicking "Ausführen." You will see smooth surface at last.


All that is left is doing likewise whole of the juggy hill.



[To be continued]

Tips: Making landscape outline

"Boden-Werkezeug" is the key to mastering Bahnsim PRO.

Not a few Japanese VRM users also say it is a bit difficult. But, all you have to do is getting a little knack and enabling you to make any hills and mountains at will. Today I show you the first step of making landscape outline. The keyword is "lamination."

The tool you have to use at first is "Flache Grundkreation." It gives specified height within dragging area on your layout.



The basic idea is lamination as I wrote. Make the bottom base at first. Next, pile hillside up. Finally, put the top. That is just like drawing contour plot. At the following sample, I stack landscape per 30mm in layers.




Now, click "Ausführen" to launch BSP viewer. You can see the following hill on the screen. (I set grid-like "Struktur" for your clear viewable...)


I wonder you are discouraged. "How jaggy it is!!"
You've got that right! This is the step number one to the next level.

[To be continued]