These quirky wagons have apparently been part of the Tomix range for a very long time. I bought mine secondhand. Earlier versions had the two containers modelled as a single piece, but later versions (from 1996) featured separate containers. The versions shown here, first produced in 2008, were further enhanced with a more realistic chassis and better detailing. Although quite old, these wagons are still widely sold.
Background
Komu wagons were rebuilds of the Tom 50000 open wagon. They were built in 1968 and used exclusively on Hokkaido (in fact they carried a sign stating they should not used outside that prefecture). They were designed to carry two 5-ton (11') containers at speeds of up to 65 km/h. Forty of them were built, numbered Komu 1 to Komu 40.
They were not compatible with the slightly larger 12' containers that became widespread after 1971, making these wagons less useful as time passed. The last one was withdrawn in 1977.
Tomix 2718 (JNR container wagon) and 2719 (JNR refrigerator container wagon)
What's in the box?
- Komu 1 two-axle container flat
- Two removable containers
The wagon with the green containers is the basic sort, while the white containers on the wagon below are refrigerator containers used to carry perishable goods such as meat or vegetables. The printing on the containers is excellent -- very sharp and easy to read. There is also some lettering on the sides of the wagon.
So far as detailing goes, the brakes and springs around the wheels are replicated nicely, and some pipes and struts can be seen underneath as well. There's not much on the top of the wagon though, and incorrectly, the top is one solid piece (it should really be open in the centre). There are three pairs of clips moulded onto the top as well, onto which the containers can be attached. Depending on how you use these clips, you can model the wagon with two containers as in the photo above, or a single container to the left or right, or a single container placed centrally. The clips aren't realistic, but aren't too noticeable either.
Otherwise the wagons are typical of Tomix rolling stock from this era. The wagons are fitted with Arnold Rapido couplings and do not have chemically blackened wheels. Tomix 0396 TN Coupler set and Tomix 0652 Blackened Wheels (5.6mm) are both possible upgrades to the model available from the usual retailers. So far as performance goes, these wagons are free rolling and handle tight curves perfectly well — my two will travel around Unitrack R150 curves without complaint!
Summary
For the price (600-700 Yen, around £3.50) these wagons represent good value even if their usefulness is somewhat limited. The detailing compromises are fair, given the price, so it's hard to complain about them.
Of course, the newer Tomix 8764 and 8765 versions of these wagons have chemically blackened wheels and more printed details, and feature a single C900-type or R900-type container instead. They're still pretty cheap (under ¥1000, about £5) so sit solidly in the budget-end of the Tomix range. They'd definitely look nice alongside the two container wagons reviewed here though, but oddly enough, the Komu wagons were usually seen as part of mixed goods trains rather than in blocks.
Given the Hokkaido focus, you'd want some other wagons appropriate to that part of Japan. On a winding coastal branchline, one possibility would be a C11 or DE10 at the front, the Komu behind it, and a few other wagons like the Temu 300 (carrying quicklime), Tora 45000 (perhaps loaded with rough timber) and an Re 12000 (carrying fish and seafood), and the Yo 5000 at the end. The Tora, Re, and Yo all come in the always-useful Kato 10-033 freight car set, so right there you have the start of a classic Hokkaido mixed goods train.
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