Nice looking train...
Can you share some details about your experience ordering from Japan-- who you used, shipping costs, etc?
I may be in the market for some of the Tomix/Tomy track (they make very small radius curves!) and I'm wondering what I might be getting into...
I order from Hobby Search (about once a month) and Hobby World.
Hobby Search Railroad Models Online Store
HobbyWorld SearchResult
Both have English language web sites with numerous photos, take credit cards and ship by EMS which will get to you in a matter of days. Shipping runs from 1500 Yen (about $13.23 USD) and up depending on the size of the order.
In the New Year I am going to order track, elevated track, pillars and other supplies for a new section of my layout from Rainbow Ten. Rainbow Ten only has a list of items available, so I was not comfortable at ordering from just a list in the beginning. But now I have a better grasp of what's available. One problem that is common in ordering Japanese trains is that things keep going out of stock. Rainbow Ten seems to have a larger and more complete inventory of Tomix items than some other suppliers. It's just part of the reality of a country where is very little space for anything other than a mountain.
RAINBOW TEN THE MODELS STORE
Rainbow Ten list for December 18 which includes HO and N items:
TRAINS
Rainbow Ten also takes PayPal (which gives you an exact cost including exchange and shipping before you pay) and supplies a quote with shipping before invoicing you. With the other suppliers the shipping cost is not known until the item ships.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Japanese suppliers are about to go on a major festival which will see many of them close (by about Dec. 28 for up to 7-10 days during which they do not answer inquiries or ship items. Orders placed on the internet during that time will probably be back logged once they return. I know from experience!