Having just seen the fun-filled Brad Pitt movie, it got me wondering, has anyone ever made an O scale Bullet Train? I googled it, but the only thing I found was MTH's Coors Silver Bullet train, which isn't quite the same thing.
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You have the Acela from Lionel. Thats a start
Kumata & Co. did a few Japanese and Euro HST's in 2-rail brass (I think) many years ago.
They were frighfully expensive...a prototypical16-car Shinkansen would run you about $18,000 if I recall correctly (shorter versions were offered, but the price of entry was still around 8 grand).
---PCJ
My vote for a small sleek generic 3 unit Lionchief 2.0+
Sorry just not going spend $2.2k on an Acela.
We used a rail pass during a Japan vacation and riding the “bullets” is how rail travel should be.
They are so sleek and fast - look like planes but quieter. The paint schemes are endless too.
I have a few Kato N Gauge models but O Gauge for me!
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It wouldnt be me if I didnt post ... clockwork 1931.... still eluding my grubby hands 
Close enough ? Hey its O gauge 
I would love the French orange TGV myself.
Lived in Japn for two years in the 1970's. Rode in them a few times. Can still remember the sound as they went by the apartment. Have been looking for a Shinkansen O gauge model for a while. Prefer the original "O" series with the "bullet" style nose. Now that I have my first 3D printed engine done, I am looking for a model of the O series. Since these were built long before CAD, finding a good one has not been easy.
@VHubbard posted:Lived in Japn for two years in the 1970's. Rode in them a few times. Can still remember the sound as they went by the apartment. Have been looking for a Shinkansen O gauge model for a while. Prefer the original "O" series with the "bullet" style nose. Now that I have my first 3D printed engine done, I am looking for a model of the O series. Since these were built long before CAD, finding a good one has not been easy.
Hey VHubbard your Tank Engine project is great, and I read http://www.hubbardhobbies.com/ too.
Iʻve been toying with my own O Gauge Shinkansen for a while - just thinking about before falling asleep stage right now. You mentioned the sound, theyʻre not like the Amtrak trains near me moving a 50-70 MPH, quieter, less wheel to track noise and more air stream noise? O Gauge model might sound right if it used rubber wheels.
@Kelunaboy posted:Iʻve been toying with my own O Gauge Shinkansen for a while - just thinking about before falling asleep stage right now. You mentioned the sound, theyʻre not like the Amtrak trains near me moving a 50-70 MPH, quieter, less wheel to track noise and more air stream noise? O Gauge model might sound right if it used rubber wheels.
Yes, it was a shooma, shooma, shooma, zoom kind of sound as it went by. About 3 seconds, I still have the cadence in my head. 2.6 seconds is the time it takes for an 8 car train to pass at 250 KPH/155MPH. The slab track with very few joints has no clickety clack sound.
Interesting note: About 85% of Japan's rail network uses "Cape Gauge" (3'6"), but the Shinkansen all use Standard Gauge.
I feel like it would be a good Vision Line candidate if Lionel ever decided to do foreign engines. Too far outside of my price range for most of the variants but if they made a 300 series one I'd unironically start saving no matter how much it costs. Apparently the Brio wooden model of the 300 series was the first train related item I ever owned at like 7 months old, it would be cool to have an O gauge model of that train.
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@VHubbard posted:Lived in Japn for two years in the 1970's. Rode in them a few times. Can still remember the sound as they went by the apartment. Have been looking for a Shinkansen O gauge model for a while. Prefer the original "O" series with the "bullet" style nose. Now that I have my first 3D printed engine done, I am looking for a model of the O series. Since these were built long before CAD, finding a good one has not been easy.
You'd probably have to find someone who could 3D scan a HO scale model, or otherwise use one as the basis for a ground-up 3D model for printing. An expensive endeavour any way you look at it.
...and then you need power trucks for it...
---PCJ
Unfortunately, Lego stuff looks way too "klunky" to be decent model; and most are too short anyway.
