A & B Report

Autumn 2010


It breezes in new garden of Akubi L.R. Bontenzaka S.L. under the blue sky through the green forest

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You can see large ones by click on the photos in this page
A&B 2010 commemorative badge

The commemorative badge of Akubi L.R. Bontenzakawas S.L. was produced and distributed in JAM Convention in Tokyo.


JAM International Model Railroaders Convention

Akubi L.R. exhibited gyro monorails, 5inch steam trams, and antique train models in the booth of JAM Convention in 20-22 Aug. at Tokyo.


Gyro monorail

Mr. Sato built a single gyro monorail shown above. It uses no servo but the friction by gyro spin axis for balance control.
He give me his super accuracy model, and I built the body with cardboard for it, which is red body shown in second photo.
The yellow body was built for my gyro monorail No.6, the experimental one with small twin gyro.

The movie of the perfect running of Mr. Sato's gyro monorail herein;*MOVIE in YouTube*
And more one running with body in JAM Convention;*MOVIE in YouTube*


Mr. Peter Przywara in Australia sent me his big twin gyro as shown above. The wheel diameter is 300mm and its weight is about 10kg.
He built them for his project of gyro monorail that human can ride on, but his project halted. So, he commended his gyro to me.

Mr. James Roberts of American Unirail Inc. sent me the DVD recorded old valuable movie of Swinney's gyro monorail in sixties .


Mr. Inoue built red pretty gyro monorail according to my article in TMS magazine, where I described the mechanism and making process of gyro monorail.
Mr. Koike built silver futuristic gyro monorail by using two video recorder heads. It is looked to moving by fan but by wheel drive in practice.

Here is the movie of running Mr. Koike's gyro monorail;*MOVIE in YouTube*


The photos show the gyros built by Mr. Sato for me and my new project of No.10 gyro monorail with Mr. Sato's gyros.

Here is the movie of my No.9 gyro monorail running in the garden;*MOVIE in YouTube*


5inch gauge track construction

The new tracks were purchased for construction in new garden. The photos show straight 3m tracks and R=6m curve tracks.
The sleepers were painted with dark brown before construction. The second photo shows the drying after painting.
The construction was carried out from July, and the endless line was completed at the beginning of September.
The fourth photo shows the sidetrack and the pit for maintenance of steam locomotives.

Here is the movie of AB20 running on the track under construction; *MOVIE in YouTube*
The inspection car coming; *MOVIE in YouTube*
Driving DB81 on the track under construction; *MOVIE in YouTube*


After the endless line connected, the next step of construction was carried out.
To decrease the up-down grade of track, low portions were lifted by putting the stones under the track and heaping up soil.
The construction train with four tippers worked everyday to carry the stone and soil.


The first photo shows big stones set under the track, and the second shows complete embankment after covering with soil.
The endless line around the garden, over 200m long, was almost completed in October.


Locomotives in new Bontenzaka Line

No.12 AB20 is the leading locomotive in A&B, and AB20 & AB10 double header is strongest.

Here are two movies AB20 & AB10 double header train running; *MOVIE in YouTube* and *MOVIE in YouTube*


No.19 DB81 is scale model of Japanese narrow gauge locomotive shown in the first and second photos.
No.10 Inspection car turns out to main line with rotary broomer and No.7 Kato 7ton waits on sidetrack.

The movie of the rotary broomer working herein;*MOVIE in YouTube*B


No.9 Plymouth worked in the track construction too shown in first and second photos.
No.7 Kato 7ton is four cycle gasoline engine locomotive, and logging cars carrying logs sawed in the garden.

The movie of exciting drive of Kato 7ton with engine sound herein;*MOVIE in YouTube*B


No.17 Jack of Maxitrak was the first steam up locomotive in the new garden, and gave the nice time.


No.20 Pink Shay was the second steam up locomotive, and so matching with this atmosphere as the zigzag path between the trees through the forest.


Small locomotives

The endless track of LGB, about 30m, was set on the ground in the garden to driving the 45mm gauge locomotive.

Hyde Mountain's engine locomotive running with good sound; *MOVIE in YouTube*
And more one with body; *MOVIE in YouTube*
Live steam Anna with Playmobil freight cars and Stationmaster Pascal; *MOVIE in YouTube*
Dr. Yellow Shinkansen running; *MOVIE in YouTube*


The first photo shows rotary broomer on Rhb snowplow and pushing Roundhouse's Criccieth Castle.
The second photo shows Locomotion's Rail Bus of 16mm scale live steam.
The third and fourth photos show my clockwork locomotive of 7/8inch scale under construction.


Garden and garage

I built the brick pavement path by placing four hundred bricks in the garden.
The track was set in the garage to store the locomotive and rolling stocks as on the track.


Transfer from Gulliver Line

Daimyo R. Gulliver L. is the pioneer of ride-on garden railway in Japan, and it closed in August because the owner Mr. Kashio moved to other place.
So. he proposed me to transfer his all locomotives into Akubi L.R.
Three electric locos and one live steam were carried from Tokyo to my Bontenzaka garden in August.

Here are two movies of the last run in Gulliver Line; *MOVIE in YouTube* and *MOVIE in YouTube*


Stationmaster Pascal

Stationmaster Pascal, he got five years in June, much likes water hosed out the garden.
The third photo shows Stationmaster sitting on the new bench just built and painted.

He runs everyday around the water hosed out;*MOVIE in YouTube* and *MOVIE in YouTube*


The first photo shows the Stationmaster office in the garden, which is about 1/10 scale and suits well with 5inch gauge models.
Stationmaster rides on the 5inch train in his service, but he is not so happy in comparison with the playing in above photos and movies.


Open days

The guests visited here to enjoy the garden railway, though the track is not yet the perfect condition.
The driving of train is a little difficult by the steep up-down grades, and locomotive wheels sometime slip in case of two persons riding.


However, there is nothing but only fun on the toy train in the nature.
Everyone drives looking the forward, hearing train sound, feeling little swing, and forgets the time spending.


Beautiful season

Autumn came here with brisk weather and colorful dress of forest.


Bontenzaka S.L. has been just started.


How is the winter here?
It will come soon.

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