(Iga Railway Iga Line 伊賀鉄道伊賀線)

Japanese private railway line between Iga-Ueno and Iga-Kambe stations. Iga-Ueno is a change station from JR Kansai main line trains to Iga line trains. There is a short route of only 4 stations Iga-Ueno to Uenoshi popular among tourists to Iga-Ueno castle and Iga-Ryu ninja museum.

My goal is to replicate this short route as a model.

I have decided to make a modular model to be able to transport it to exhibitions and to use and store at home. Chosen gauge is HO, since it allows to make detailed enough models. Trains will run on HOm/TT gauge track, since japanese railway uses 1m gauge trach which scales down to 12mm. I intend to run HOj (1:80) trains, since they are available from suppliers and will not look much out of scale.

I will use Tillig flex track and turnouts for layout. Modules will be connected using Tillig bedded track endpieces like in T-Trak module system, which uses Kato Unitrack rails. Unfortunately Kato does not make Unitrack in HOm/TT gauge, but Tillig is good as well.

Modules will be created as much as possible compatible with FREMO modules. Removing latches from endpieces should make modules flat and allow attachment with genuine FREMO modules. This will in its turn allow building larger layouts at exhibitions within Europe.

Electrically I plan to use DCC for controlling the layout.

I should decide which module I begin with, to start with easier landscapes. Perhaps I should make couple of intermediate modules and then Uenoshi station. This will allow running and switching operations within Couple of modules.

After that I'll make other stations along the way: Nishiote, Nii and Iga-Ueno. Those modules will allow to assemble long straight layout.

To fix this situation, I'll make some turns and then other intermediate modules.

At first I'll run couple of available rolling stock KiHa 23 and KiHa 53 DMU set. But later I am planning to replicate 204 rolling stock set with Owl livery.

• Iga-Ueno station (multipart module)
• Iga-Ueno to Higashitakakura crossing straight
• Higashitakakura turn (R1000/15+R1500/15)
• Higashitakakura to Nii 680 crossing turn (R1500/7.5+R1000/15+R500/7.5)
• Nii station (R1500/15)
• Nii to Hattori bridge viaduct turn (R1500/15+R1000/15)
• Nii to Hattori bridge rice fields turn (R1500/15)
• Hattori bridge (multipart module)
• Hattori bridge to 163 bridge S-curve (R1500/7,5+R1500/7,5+straight)
• Hattori bridge to 163 bridge turn (R1500/15)
• 163 bridge turn (R1000/15)
• Hounji S-curve (R1500/15+R1500/7,5)
• Hounji to Nishiote straight
• Hounji to Nishiote cemetery turn (R1500/15+R1000/15)
• Hounji to Nishiote viaduct turn (R1000/15+R1500/7.5)
• Hounji to Nishiote crossing turn (R1000/15+R1500/15)
• Hounji to Nishiote 25 crossing turn (R1000/7.5+R1500/7,5)
• Nishiote station
• Nishiote to Uenoshi turn (R1500/7,5+straight)
• Uenoshi station (multipart module)

• None

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• Purchase Toyota Crown model
• Purchase foamed PVC sheet
• Purchase needed length of flex track, turnouts, needed quantity of bedded pieces
• Cut foamed PVC sheet into modules endpieces and first module frame pieces
• Build first module frame
• Purchase transparent sheet
• Cut transparent sheet for first module cover
• Assemble first module cover
• Plan next activities on building first module
• Plan next building next modules

• Fix SCARM layout
• Draw lanscape around
• Split drawn layout into modules

• Pair of Tillig flex tracks bought

• Researched best material for making modules top covers is a transparent PMMA (Acrylic, Plexiglas). It is 17 times more rigid than glass, can be laser or water cut, polished. Scratch resistant, but if scratches appear can be polished. Does not yellow at time. May crack or chip if is drilled near edge or with wrong (not intended for plastic) drill bit.

• Since KiHa 23 and KiHa 53 DMUs are up to 70' length, then according to NMRA RP-11 minimum track curvature radius should be no less than 500 mm.

• Mostly drawn layout with SCARM. Since copying reality one to one is largely space consuming, I had to compress the model. Stations will be much shorter, just to accommodate the train set of 2 DMUs. That's 52 cm for KiHa 23/53/40 series and 45 cm for Ku/Mo 200 series. Iga-Ueno station will be implemented only from Iga Line side and only platform before passenger bridge over JR tracks. Perhaps some time later will add missing part during Kansai Main Line implementation. Uenoshi station depot will be closer to the platform and the station will be implemented in two 1 meter modules or in three 60 cm modules. Other stations seems to fit good. Bridge over the Hattory River and the river itself will be 3 times narrower and even with this width, the river will take full length of 50-60 cm module. Current layout is done with 520 mm long concrete tie flex tracks, but prototype uses wood ties, so I will redo it with 664 mm long flex tracks. However, there are 1 meter long flex tracks available on the market, I should consider this option also. Should redo the turns to be gradual between 500 and 1500 mm radii.

• Layout drawn with turns fixed according to different radius overhang tests. The scaled down PDF is available here: iga_line_scarm.pdf. Main roads are added and single direction road width is calculated, but needs testing with real HO scaled japanese car model. Will order one Toyota Crown from eBay. More details should be probably added within other editor, than SCARM, since I haven't found the possibility to add landscape elements there.
• Found low resolution Owl livery for Ku/Mo 204. Should redo that in vector some time.

• Fixed layout with larger radius points (EW2 instead of EW1 and EW3 instead of EW2). It seems that roads and landscape can be also modelled with SCARM. Iga-Ueno station will be full length, but without pedestrian bridge.
• Found high resolution videos of Owl livery for Ku/Mo 204.
• Found videos of Iga line, which should help with details, landscape and signalling.
• Found TS1007 bogies and PT44 pantograph for Ku/Mo 204. Should order them via proxy or make myself.

• Found videos with the part of the Iga Line to recreate landscape and details:
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4l0SeAyA6u8
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioHId3Si370
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hI7WPDqwtM
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eFrXTnmH5o
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bSE28EpJvM
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zclwwnR4wY
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UI7eyUhe4HI
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtodjL5jeBI
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-ulk5CNL2s
• Carefully viewed quite many FREMO/Free-mo related videos and found out, that there is no need in making slopes. All the way the rails are laid horizontally and the landscape changes around, making feel that there were inclines and declines along the way.

• According to Japanese Railway standards prototype minimum curve radii is 160 m whereas at turnouts is 100 m. So I should use scaled minimums of 1839 mm and 1150 mm respectively. However, while I can use flex track on main line, there are only Tillig EW3 turnouts available on the market with 984 mm radii, so I need to use those instead of 1150 mm. Also minimum curve radii at stations should be 400 m or 300 m if rolling stock length is less than 18 m, which are 4598 mm, 3448 mm and 225 mm respectively. Since Mo 204 prototype length is exactly 18 m, and KiHa 23, KiHa 53 and KiHa 40 lengths are longer, then if I make station curve radii 3450 mm, I would not be able to operate KiHa rolling stock with curved stations. Fortunately, there is only single curved station Nii station on Iga line.
• Prototype clearance between rolling stock and structures should be 400 mm or 200 mm in case there is no possibility for passengers to extend from the windows. Clearance to platform should be 50 mm. Clearance in curves should be calculated according to the formula provided in the JRS.
• Formation (ballast) width should be 2.75 m, +0.5 m in curves or +0.6 m in places where workers can find shelter. On the ballastless bridges shelter bays should be located every 50 m.
• Distance between parallel track centers is rolling stock width +600 mm, or +400 mm if there is no possibility for passengers to extend out of the windows.
• Anti-derailing rail should be used in curves, on ballastless bridges, at level crossings and in other places where derailment probability is high.
• Thickness of the ballast bed should be 100 - 150 mm for low traffic passenger lines with speeds 50 - 90 km/h.