E4 Max Prototype Information

The Series E4 is JR East's second all double-decker shinkansen trainset, after the Series E1 (see JRTR 2). It is designed to meet the growing numbers of commuters using the Tohoku Shinkansen and Joetsu Shinkansen, and is composed of eight double-decker cars, four of which are powered—two are ‘Green Cars’ (first class). Two trainsets can be coupled to form a 428-m train, seating 1634—the largest capacity among the world's high-speed trains. One eight-car set is driven by 16 induction motors (420 kW each) with VVVF control units, to attain a maximum commercial speed of 240 km/h. The aluminium-alloy body features a unique duck-bill nose design for better aerodynamics.

YES! this train will run on your N-gauge track be it Kato, Tomix, Peco, Atlas, Fleischmann, MiniTRIX, etc. (That said, I recommend that all N-gauge enthusiasts use Kato or Tomix track, at is simply superior in terms of quality and reliability, but that is a different issue).

YES! Whether you are in the UK, USA, Europe, Japan, or elsewhere, this train will run with your regular train controller, be it Hornby, Kato, Tomix, Tyco, Atlas, etc. You do NOT need to worry about international voltage issues because your controller will take care of this for you. You can run this train on your N-gauge track just as easily as any other.

Unless otherwise noted, the items I am selling are located with me in Cambridge, UK (please read the note below for more about this). This means:

• No Import Duty or VAT.. LEGALLY! If you buy from somebody who is shipping from abroad, you may be liable for import duty + VAT on arrival. Furthermore, if the package arrives and the sender has tried to put an artificially low customs value, you may be liable for a penalty as well. There are no such issues with my items. Sellers who scream "NO VAT!!! NO TAX!!! SAVE $$$$" and ship to Europe / the UK from abroad are tax cheats who are LYING TO YOU and putting you at risk for item confiscation and fines upon discovery. But don't take my word for it.. read what HM Customs and Excise says.
• No Delay. Unless otherwise specified (I am on a trip or something--which is unusual--I try to schedule my auctions so that I can ship soon after they end), I will ship your items promptly. If you pay by PayPal right when the auction ends, there is a strong likelihood that you will have your item(s) in a day or two (UK) or just slightly longer (Europe).
• No Problems. Certain sellers sell their items with no possibility of return under any circumstances--even if they are potentially defective after a long and perilous transcontinental journey! I test all items here in the UK prior to shipment and work to accurately describe them. Furthermore, while I fully expect the overwhelming majority of people to be happy with their purchase, unless otherwise indicated, I do leave the window open for potential exchange or return if something is really not so. There will have to be a very very valid reason for me to accept a return or exchange ("I didn't like the color" won't do), but you may find it comforting to know that for that extreme situation the possibility is there. Of course, making things easier for both of us is that the Tomix and Kato goods are of superb quality and tend to, well, just work.
• I'm here to help / I can get what you need. Getting specific items from Japan is an art and a science, especially given the odd production schedules of Japanese manufacturers. The catalogues tend to be full of items that haven't been manufactured for sometimes decades! If you are looking for a specific item or have a request that my auctions don't cover, let me know and I may be able to help you out by obtaining the item and listing it on eBay for you to purchase . Besides Kato and Tomix, I can also obtain items by MicroAce, GreenMax, and others. I personally am mostly familiar with N-scale items, but can also find items in other scales. There are number of Japanese prototype trains available in HO-gauge--these tend to be quite exquisite though expensive.
• I am an enthusiast, like you. I enjoy the trains -- these are far more than stock items to me. I will try to answer all your questions as best I can.

Your item is UNIQUE! Japanese model train manufacturers issue large product lists. However, due to peculiarities of the manufacturing process, typically only a small percentage of the products is available at any given time. Indeed, certain items routinely go a decade or more before being "re-run", and more often than not the run of a given new item is promptly sold out. Therefore, items often appreciate on the secondary market. It is safe to say that most products are simply unobtainable in 'new' condition - Indeed, most of the items that I have for sale in non-new condition are sold out in Japan. If you see an item that I have on offer, please do not assume that it will be available indefinitely - I humbly suggest that you bid on the one you want when it is there. While I try to find identical units of popular items, success is never guaranteed.

Please note: I am located in Cambridge, UK and under normal circumstances (unless otherwise indicated in the auction) your item will ship from the UK. This is regardless what my PayPal address may say. I originally signed up for PayPal when living in the USA and they make it very hard to switch the country that shows up on the display when you move.

Paying by Cheque? If you need my UK address, for example, to send a cheque after winning an item, please email me and I will give it to you. If you send a cheque, it is very helpful if you include a brief note with the eBay item number and description with it. Also, be sure to include your postal address.

Yes! I will ship this item to an address in Europe from the UK. Postage to Europe Addresses is 1.5 times the UK postage price (unless it is over 1kg, then I will have to investigate the price). If you want to insure the package as well, the cost is GBP 2 + 3% of the item price. There is NO VAT OR DUTY when shipping items from the UK to most European countries. Payment by PayPal (preferred), cheques in GBP, etc. Typical transit time to addresses in places like France and Spain is 2 - 7 working days.

Yes! I will ship this item to an address in the USA (or Canada) from the UK. Postage to USA/Canada Addresses is two times (2x) the UK postage price. If you want to insure the package as well, the cost is GBP 3 + 3% of the item price. Payment is fastest and easiest via PayPal. PayPal works quickly and will handle all of the international currency exchange for you automatically. Other payment methods are also possible, though personal cheques in US dollars are NOT possible. If you have questions about the exhange rate, please look at the top of this auction where eBay generally lists the price of the auction both in my and your local currencies. If this does not answer your question, there are many currency conversion websites on the Internet that will help you find today's exchange rate. Fortunately, the concern of import VAT+duty does not really affect US citizens in this case, as USA duty on such items is very low (perhaps as low as 0%) and there is no VAT. Typical transit time to an address in the USA is 3 to 20 working days.