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Saturday, November 23, 2024

:60 Interview With Rokuhan

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13 years 8 months ago #10496 by Ztrains
:60 Interview With Rokuhan was created by Ztrains
I spoke with Tony Ichikawa, Chairman of Rokuhan, this evening about the new Rokuhan track system and plans to release it here in the US. You can read this interview now at Ztrains.

www.ztrains.com/z-scale-news/rokuhan-z-scale-track/

John Cubbin
Ztrains.com
www.ztrains.com

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13 years 8 months ago #10497 by N/A
Replied by N/A on topic Re: :60 Interview With Rokuhan
John,

Good interview and finally a 90 degree crossing in Z scale!

John

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13 years 8 months ago #10498 by Mr.JA
Replied by Mr.JA on topic Re: :60 Interview With Rokuhan
Rokuhan track is available NOW! :woohoo:

As I have already done for a few ZCS members... if you are interested in getting your hands on Rokuhan track sooner than later, please contact me.
I can get all the current available pieces, plus the Rokuhan controller, and all the associated Rokuhan wiring.

I'm not charging a premium or a fee... I'm doing this as a "Z favor" for whomever is interested. I have a local source that is well stocked. Just ask ZScratchman or DKS or Stony. All I ask is, you pay for what you order, plus postage. I can ship by USPS Priority Service for U.S. addresses or Japan Post EMS for world-wide delivery.

Please contact me directly for details and pricing of the pieces. The 55mm turn-outs, both crossings, and the flex track pieces are NOT available... yet. I have no idea when they will become available.

Just to clarify... I am NOT making a profit or doing this as a business. I am using Rokuhan track now. I'm very pleased with it.

Alex

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13 years 8 months ago #10499 by Zcratchman_Joe
Replied by Zcratchman_Joe on topic Re: :60 Interview With Rokuhan
Hmmm, Rokuhan is saying it's available for the U.S. market, but a week ago when I asked Norman Rockwell (grpa of Norm's Train World) when he would have more Rokuhan track available, he said "At this point, I do not have an answer. Rokuhan is the problem."

I wonder if there is a communication problem?

Zcratchman_Joe

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13 years 8 months ago #10500 by stonysmith
Replied by stonysmith on topic Re: :60 Interview With Rokuhan
Many thanks to Alex for sending my small oval of track.

I thought I'd post a couple of quick notes about the track. The picture below shows four peices of Rokuhan, and one of MTL. (MTL is section B in the photo)

Yes, the Rokuhan has a different tie spacing. It is also slightly taller than the MTL, but that shouldn't cause too many problems.

What is interesting about it is that the rail connector (metal) is more refined on the Rokuhan.. it almost disappears when connected.

I also noticed that sometimes when connecting MTL track, you have flex it a bit to make sure that the joiner goes around the rail, instead of slipping under it. I've had no such issues yet with the Rokhuan.. it slides together very easily.

The other "cool" thing about the Rokhuan is that these 110mm straights all come usable as power sections. In the middle of the track is a small peice that slides out, then you slide in the power connector in it's place. You can see this in segments D and E. What is kind of amazing is look closely at section C: you can't tell that the slide-out section is even there!
Attachments:

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13 years 8 months ago #10502 by garthah
Replied by garthah on topic Re: :60 Interview With Rokuhan
I do not think there is a communications error. Tony is leaving is it to the appointed distributor for North America to make his announcement with his advertising campaign. I do know who it is and have been in contact with them and I know a large first time order is being made up to be placed shortly and It is expected that maybe in April the product will start flowing from the distributor in North America. The problem is not Rokuhan in this case it is the distributor trying to get all his ducks in a row and get things moving. There is a fair amount of logistics to be handled to get it purchased and transported and not all the pieces in the range are available yet specifically the 2 larger radius curves and the cross overs which they want to be in house when they start and they are not available in Japan either at this time.

cheerz Garth

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13 years 8 months ago #10503 by garthah
Replied by garthah on topic Re: :60 Interview With Rokuhan
You will find that you can join MTL to Rokuhan if you do not try and use the MTL Road bed joiner but just use the rail joiner. www.nn3.ca/track/track-p1.htm this web page has the various measurements for each of the different types of road bed and standard track available in Z scale. Rokuhan is truly plug and play track system if you use heir power pack and track. The power pack even has two switches to control a turnout with and with the "Y" connector cable you can control two turnouts with one switch. My test and show layout is 2 x 3 and has 5 loops of track including two cross over switches from one loop to another and have had no problems with trains derailing even once in a 6 hour show except when my big fingers got where they shouldn't be when people were asking questions and I was using my hands to speak.And all on a 2 x 4 ft board and there is a video on you tube showing it in operation.


cheerz Garth

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13 years 8 months ago #10504 by Mr.JA
Replied by Mr.JA on topic Re: :60 Interview With Rokuhan
Hello Garth!

Are you keeping the turn-outs power-routing, the ones that you have connecting each loop of track?
Do you isolate the cross-over between loops? Or... is it even necessary?

Why I'm asking is... if you have a double-loop layout, to run two trains (one on each loop), using two power-packs (one for each loop), is there a problem with crossing over from one loop to another?

(am I making sence in trying to describe this?) :S

Alex

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13 years 8 months ago #10505 by Mr.JA
Replied by Mr.JA on topic Re: :60 Interview With Rokuhan
Zcratchman_Joe wrote:

Hmmm, Rokuhan is saying it's available for the U.S. market, but a week ago when I asked Norman Rockwell (grpa of Norm's Train World) when he would have more Rokuhan track available, he said "At this point, I do not have an answer. Rokuhan is the problem."

I wonder if there is a communication problem?

Zcratchman_Joe


Joe... Do you need more track? :huh: I'm showing you had a delivery today. :woohoo: 5 days from Japan to your door-step is dang good service! ;)

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13 years 8 months ago #10506 by Mr.JA
Replied by Mr.JA on topic Re: :60 Interview With Rokuhan
stonysmith wrote:

Many thanks to Alex for sending my small oval of track.

The other "cool" thing about the Rokhuan is that these 110mm straights all come usable as power sections. In the middle of the track is a small piece that slides out, then you slide in the power connector in it's place. You can see this in segments D and E. What is kind of amazing is look closely at section C: you can't tell that the slide-out section is even there!


You are most welcome, Stony! :woohoo: The other "cool" thing that your photo shows... no pin-hole in the middle of the tie, as on the Micro-Track [track B]. If you want to attach your Rokuhan track with nails, you make the holes yourself. These holes are not located in the middle of a tie. The "hole" is supported, so there is less chance of deforming the track piece.

Take a look at Rokuhan's web-site... lot's of nice little videos. They made this one after I mentioned it to them.

Rokuhan's track hole video

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13 years 8 months ago #10507 by garthah
Replied by garthah on topic Re: :60 Interview With Rokuhan
In my case I have a power feed in front each switch and the switches are are power routing. all three power feeds are in parallel using a Kato 24-800 3 way junction box which keeps them polarized properly as long as each feed point is attached to the rail from the same side. If you are running two loops independently you have to make sure the power is in phase on both loops before you cross over and have to be about equal in voltage level. even with power everywhere model of MTL switches crossing between to independent loops you have to get the polarity right on both loops to go through a cross over between independent loops and the speed compatible or at same level. I have red and green LEDs on the side of the road bed at each switch so I can match the track polarity between loops before I pen the cross over and I operates both switches in tandem so both move to open cross over or to bypass it and these switches are never in between these two states.

cheerz Garth

cheerz Garth

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13 years 8 months ago #10508 by Gerd
Replied by Gerd on topic Re: :60 Interview With Rokuhan
Will be interesting to see what rolling stock/locos they are going to offer...

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