The type 485 is a really ubiquitous train and can be seen in most parts of Japan as it is a dual volage AC/DC unit. These multiple units truly were the front line units on the old Japanese National Railways network but with the ever expanding high speed shinkansen network blossoming, these units have had to take the back seat.Some of the new operating companies have refurbished and totally reworked the body style to give a more modern unit but many like the model above are still operating with the body design as delivered new.Originally they were new in the JNR national express EMU and DMU red and cream colour scheme but with the sectoring of JNR into smaller regional companies most have gradually been repainted into brighter regional colour schemes.
The 485 is presently represented on Futatsu noKawa by the four car unit pictured above made by Tomix three years ago, this particular unit started to operate the "Shining Glitter" service between Tokyo and Toyama Kanazawa in 1988 to offer a high class service aimed at business men.
It really is a beautiful model with superb detail and very fine paint work, it is driven in one of the centre cars with a mechanism that it totally hidden under the floor and with its flywheel drive is ultra smooth.
Tomix have slightly reworked the model recently to offer the type 489 "Asama" units and I guess that many other colourful schemes will follow in due course,I will hopefully add some more of these units to the collection for operating on the layout.
