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Old 09-08-2012, 04:44 PM
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Tokyo Train Station - minified

This is the last of the three models that I am going to post builds of as a way of honoring and including my father, who was working on them before his health deterioriated. He enjoyed architectural models that he reduced to the scale of Micromodels. The first was the Bibao Guggenheim, the second St Basil's cathedral, and now the Classic Tokyo Train Station published by Shubunsha at 1/500 scale

This is not one I would have found myself. It is a large format book, entirely in Japanese, of a grand Edwardian pile of brick built in 1914. I think he got it during a sabbatical in Japan. Dad had already made copies, and was thinking hard about it. Learning Japanese was one of his many hobbies, and I think he was puzzling his way through the kanji instructions.

There is a lot to think about too. The model is unusual in several respects. For one, there is a base that is is integral to the model. Instead of just sticking the model to a hard cardboard slab, one constructs a platform, supported internally by an egg crate framework that is like a ship model, that the model is organically attached to, likea fukll hull ship to its underwater part. I will venture a guess that this is part of the tatebanko tradition - My friend Tony Cole builds his tatebanko with similar decorated platforms.

Second, the building is firmly attached to the horizontal base by tabs on he building that glue to the base, tabs on the building that fit into slots on the base, and tabs on the base that fold up and glue into the building. This is serious paper engineering. Puzzling out just what goes where takes a lot of study of the several pages of drawings.

An finally it looks like at least one of the main halls is built with a removable side and a full interior.

The trains themselves are almost an after thought. Seems odd to have two huge halls arranged along the tracks and then just a few tracklines - Maybe the trains at one end left for the South and at the other end left for the North.

I am going to reduce it 50%, and thus build it at 1/1000 scale. Not sure what that would be in model train scales.
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Tokyo Train Station - minified-img_1423.jpg  
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Old 09-08-2012, 04:52 PM
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So to get started. The base has two levels - one with the buildings on it, and a raised one with the tracks and platforms. The base sits on a platform that is lightly larger, and has a colored frame that encases the actual building base. This is tricky - I am building this first, including the cutouts and tabs that will anchor the buildings, and then will flip it over to add the egg-crate internal framework. The original had three large pages of pieces for each level - this one comes out about a foot long. The right most panel is a bit lighter than the others, but the actual color difference, at least to my eyes, is not as noticeable as in the photos.
Attached Thumbnails
Tokyo Train Station - minified-img_1419.jpg   Tokyo Train Station - minified-img_1420.jpg   Tokyo Train Station - minified-img_1421.jpg   Tokyo Train Station - minified-img_1422.jpg  
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Old 09-08-2012, 05:13 PM
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You certainly have your work cut out with this one {pun not intended} but well worth it though, that's one nice looking Railway Station. Good luck, and enjoy.
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Old 09-08-2012, 06:23 PM
Dave Friesen Dave Friesen is offline
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Pretty good of you trying to honor your Dad that way
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Old 09-09-2012, 04:14 AM
günter günter is offline
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Hi Rob,
As I own this model, I'll look forward to your report! I bought it in Tokyo.
When we left the train station, I wondered, that I couldn't see anything of the famous building. The reason is, that you leave by a long long underpass. Only after passing a jungle of buildings we found it.

Günter

BTW: I have a book with a tatebanko from Hokusai showing a model of a bathhouse. Do you know about this?
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Tokyo Train Station - minified-img_2232.jpg   Tokyo Train Station - minified-img_2236.jpg  
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Old 09-09-2012, 07:53 AM
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Interresting model. I will look the build...

Gunter : is it this one ? Hokusai
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Old 09-09-2012, 01:26 PM
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Thank you Guenter, for the pictures of teh real station. I am glad to see that part of it is more or less unchanged. I have a book by Siji nagata, published by Kodansha in 1995, titled "Hokusai: Genius of the Japanese Ukiyo-e". It has thumbnails of a 5 sheet model (Kumiage-e is the term used, rather than tatebanko) Hokussai designed of a two story bathhouse, printed about 1810. the original is in the Katsushika Hokusai Museum.

Ah yes, Pat_Craft, that is the same one. A little small to try building? The interior has remarkable perspective.
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Old 09-09-2012, 03:25 PM
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Mike Stamper Mike Stamper is offline
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Rob,

I have a few Japanese kits and can appreciate your problems !

It looks complicated enough full size - let alone half size... I wish you the best of luck/skill!

Cheers

Mike
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Old 09-09-2012, 07:32 PM
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TLUN TLUN is offline
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hi, Rob,
So 1:500 is no small enough?XP
1:1000 ...really look forward to see more photos in the future.

TLUN
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Old 09-09-2012, 08:36 PM
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papermodelfan papermodelfan is offline
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Actually, 1/500 is pretty big for me. I guess getting my start on Micromodels means I really enjoy the very small scales - and it makes it easier to find a place to store them when they are done too. (Now for aircraft, I enjoy the occasional 1/12 or 1/16 scale,and they sort of hang on the wall like tapestries).

Here is the finished base surface. It took a while to figure out the cutouts - but the edges seem to form little tabs that fold up and will help anchor the buildings and quays in place.
Attached Thumbnails
Tokyo Train Station - minified-img_4386.jpg   Tokyo Train Station - minified-img_4388.jpg   Tokyo Train Station - minified-img_4389.jpg   Tokyo Train Station - minified-img_4390.jpg  
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