Hon Moku Hon Moku
A Japanese port in N-scale
This layout depicts a fictuous port situated sowewhere near Yokohama. The layout is rather small, some 1 x 6 feet or 30cm by 1,80 metres. There are no electrified tracks and on this layout only diesel- and steam powered trains run.
Well, the pictures tell you more than all my words, enjoy them!
A general view of the port's industries.
The structures form the main attraction of the layout, the track plan is very simple in being an oval plus some sidings and loops, ideal for those interested in shunting and trip freight work (drop and pick up wagons at the various industries). The structures are either scratch-built, kit-bashed or kit-built.
A diesel loco shunting wagons near a factory.
The background is a ready-made by Peco, suitably altered with Japanese language signs (or the menu of the local Chinese takeway copied? :-)) The loco is a Kato DD13 diesel, a class very often used in Japan for working quaysides and industry sidings. Nowadays many are owned by port authorities and painted in often very colourful liveries.
A bird's eye view of Hon Moku
Very typical for Japan is the mixture of houses
(on the right) and industrial activity nearby, there is also a
passenger station. Diesel railcars like the orange and cream one
on the picture serve many minor routes in Japan, providing
vital links for all those living outside the city boundaries. The
lorry waiting for the freight train to pass is a model made by
Tomix, the larger diesel loco is one of the numerous DE10 class,
being a diesel-hydraulic Co-Bo, rated at 1200HP.
A steam train passes the grain hopper.
A steam-hauled passenger train (a steam special?) passes a grain hopper. This structure is based on a very similar one in the yokohama port area, where grain (barley or rice) was transferred from ships into grain hopper wagons. The grain was used to brew the famous Kirin Lager.
Grain hoppers are loaded at the hopper building
Here is a hopper train to be loaded at the hopper building.
The structure is scratchbuilt, the steel supports are originally
side girders from a bridge kit. Other buildings are a mixture of
Green Max and Arnold kits, all adapted to fit.
The yellow vehicles at the front are departmental
(maintainance-of-way) vehicles of a type that is widely used in
Japan. The tractor unit hauls a few trolleys, equipped with small
cranes for lifting rail etc. A kit is made by Green Max.
Layout built by Steve Waterfield
Photos by Steve Waterfield
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