Travelogue: Railways in Japan, Part 2
KATO'S HOBBY CENTER Kato's Hobby Center in Tokyo is a must see for any model train fan. For those who don't know, Kato is a model railroad company that specializes in N and HO scale trains. They are well known for their highly detailed trains and rolling stock . During college, N gauge was all that I could fit in my small apartment. So I purchased a Kato layout and some engines, including their Union Pacific 844 and Southern Pacific 4449. N gauge trains are small and quiet, w
Dec 54 min read
Travelogue: Railways in Japan, Part 1
A Room with a View In May 2025, my mother and I took a trip to Japan. We originally planned to go after my high school graduation in 2020, but the Covid pandemic shut that down. Like many tourists, we enjoyed Japanese food and culture. We ate at plenty of tiny ramen shops (places that fit around 12 people) and splurged on some wagyu steak dinners. We also visited temples and shrines, anime hangouts, and museums, and went to both teamLab exhibitions, which were really somethin
Nov 145 min read
Leap Year? More Like Lima Year! Shays, Mikados and Pacifics (Part 1 of 2)
I’m writing this during a leap year, which means we experienced February 29th in 2024. According to NASA, leap years exist because Earth...
Apr 17, 20244 min read
Model Train Online Shopping Fail: Lessons Learned After Buying a Locomotive on eBay
My luck was bound to run out. I had very few problems with ordering trains online, other than a wonky Weaver Dreyfuss Hudson that my mom bought on eBay years ago. Then came Christmas of 2022. I was browsing the internet for Lionel steam engines when I spotted a used 3759 Santa Fe Northern. The seller wasn’t “officially approved,” whatever that means, but I thought it’d be fine since he had plenty of sales and great feedback. So, I asked my mother if the locomotive could be un
Mar 22, 20248 min read
