The original version of this wagon has been reviewed earlier, but I bought one of the updated versions very recently. How does it compare to the original? Is it really just the same thing in a newer box?
Background
As discussed in the previous article on the type, the Suni 40 cars were introduced in 1968 and built out of lightweight aluminium. Designed for rapidly loading and unloading up to 24 pallets, they allowed JNR to significantly reduce the delays at stations and so speed up timetables. Since Japanese travellers usually 'checked' large luggage and things like bikes and golf clubs, a major source of delay was the time taken to move such items between the train and platform, prior to the passenger collecting said items at their destination.
Instead, the Suni 40 had four sliding doors along each side, any of which could be opened to allow the rolling pallets (somewhat like the Brut trolleys used on British Rail) to be rolled on or off. Besides luggage, Suni wagons could be used to carry other sorts of cargo including newspapers and magazines. During the 1980s, such traffic shifted to road transport, and passengers no longer checked their luggage before travelling, instead carrying their own luggage with them. That being the case, the Suni 40 stopped having a role, and the type was withdrawn from use in 1987.
Kato 8005 Suni 40 Baggage Car
- Just the wagon!
The wagon comes equipped with Arnold Rapido couplings and free rolling wheels, but other than that, what you see is what you get. If you wanted, you could use Kato 11-702 to replace the Rapido couplers for more realistic knuckle couplers.
Performance and detailing
At first glance, the model looks identical to the 1980s original. For the most part, that's a fair assessment. There are no additional fitted details, for example, and the paint scheme looks exactly the same. The couplings are unchanged, and if you turn the model over, it isn't just similar, it's exactly the same, right down to the same moulded Kato logo and 'No 804' labelling!
But there are some subtle differences. The wheels appear to be chemically blacked rather than plain steel, which looks nicer. There are also more printed details on the information panels, so that some which are blank on the original now have writing on them. The wagon also has different number, #29 instead of #16, so you can run the two of them in the same train without blushing.
Conclusion
With an RRP of ¥770 (less than £4) these wagons are insanely good value. They're quite big, roll freely, and while their paint scheme isn't fussy, it's accurate. A bit of weathering would no doubt bring out the moulded detail, particularly the corrugations along the sides. The fact you could slot them into a passenger train (such as the 10-034-1 pack reviewed here) adds to their versatility if you don't fancy modelling a dedicated baggage or newspaper train.
I bought mine to go behind the EF 58, classic motive power for express baggage and passenger trains throughout the late Showa era, but steam and diesel fans shouldn't feel left out. A C11 tank engine, for example, would look right at home with a Suni 40 behind it, followed by one or two grape or blue passenger coaches, including a brake with a guard's compartment, picking its way along some coastal branchline in Hokkaido.
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