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Lovely Narrow Gauge Train on the Hokusei Line

November 19, 2016, 7:00 am
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EMU Sangi Railway 270 series arrives at Sohara Station on the Hokusei Line

There are four kinds of railway gauge sizes in Japan. They are the 1,435 mm, the 1,372 mm, the 1,067 mm and the 762 mm-wide gauges.

The 1,435 mm-wide gauge is adopted by the Shinkansens and several major railways such as Keikyu and Kesei. Several subway routes, such as the Toei-Asakusa Line and the Tokyo Metro-Ginza Line, are also 1,435 mm-wide tracks. Needless to say, they are suitable for high speed train operations. The 1,372 mm-wide gauge is quite unique. It was originated from horse tramways. You can see it on the Keio Line of the Keio Electric railway, the Toei-Shinjuku Line, the Toei-Arakawa Line, the Tokyu-Setagaya Line and Hakodate City Tram. The 1,067 mm-wide gauge is the most common one in Japan. It was originally introduced by the U.K. when the first railway route was constructed between Shimbashi and Yokohama in 1872. Most of the JR group and private railway lines are this size of gauge.

One more... the 762 mm gauge. It is also quite unique. We can see it only on the Kurobe Gorge Railway, Yokkaichi Asunarou Railway and the Hokusei Line of Sangi Railway. Due to the narrow size, the trains on the 762 mm-wide tracks are also small. For instance, the train of the Hokusei Line looks like a mechanical ride at an amusement park. This lovely train, the EMU 270 series, is definitely my favorite. Because of its size, the maximum speed of the train is only 45 km per hour on the Hokusei Line.

EMU Sangi Railway 270 series stands at Ageki Terminal on the Hokusei Line
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Keisei Skyliner AE Series: 20 Million Passengers

November 22, 2016, 7:00 am
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EMU Keisei AE series, Skyliner, displaying "Thanks 20 million passengers" (October, 2016)

On September 13th, Keisei Electric Railway made a press release announcing that the passengers of the third generation Skyliner exceeded 20 million on that day. At the same time, Keisei held a commemoration ceremony at Narita Airport Terminal 1 Station. The 20 millionth passenger was a German lady, who lives in Shibuya Ward in Tokyo Metropolis.

What is the third generation Skyliner? It is the airport access train, EMU Keisei AE series. The AE series was launched in 2010 to replace the old model, the AE100 series. It is an 8-car train with crow-shaped black faces. A total of 8 sets, 64 units have been built by Nippon Sharyo and Tokyu Sharyo. Its maximum speed is 160 km per hour. The AE series won the 2011 Blue Ribbon Prize by Japan Railfan Club as the best train that debuted in 2010.

Following the debut of the AE series, Keisei changed their airport access train route from the Keisei Main Line to the Narita Sky Access Line in 2010. As a result, the AE series connects Nippori in downtown Tokyo and Narita Airport Terminal 2 in only 36 minutes, which is much faster than their rival, JR East's Narita Express. Currently, one set of the AE series, namely set AE5, has a gold colored commemoration display on the front of the train. It says "thanks 20 million passengers".

For your information, the old (second generation) Skyliner, namely the AE100 series, was retired from the track on February 28th.

EMU Keisei AE series, Skyliner, displaying "Blue Ribbon 2011" (November, 2011)

Official information about Keisei Skyliner:
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Extended Operation of Chibi Maruko-chan

November 25, 2016, 7:00 am
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Set 1011F, Chibi Maruko-chan poster train, of the EMU Shizutetsu 1000 series

On November 25th, Shizuoka Railway (Shizutetsu) announced that the Chibi Maruko-chan poster train on the Shizuoka-Shimizu Line is extended to operate until March, 2017 due to high popularity. It is good news for the local people and the Shizutetsu rail-fans.

What is Chibi Maruko-chan? As I introduced before, Chibi Maruko-chan (a little Maruko) is a popular TV animation series created by Ms. Sakura Momoko. The series depicts the everyday life of Sakura Momoko living on the Shizuoka Railway, when she was a little girl in the year of 1974. Chibi Maruko-chan was her nick name at that time.

Set 1011F of the EMU Shizutetsu 1000 series is used for the Chibi Maruko-chan poster train. It is a 2-car stainless-steel train built by Tokyu Sharyo in 1984, as the 11th set of the 1000 series. Being decorated with Chibi Maruko-chan's characters, set 1011 has been operated as the poster train since July, 2015. Its pink colored bodies are very unique and my favorite.

The poster train is very popular especially among the local children. When I visited Shizuoka City this summer, I saw that the poster train was hired by local families with children, and operated as a special group tour train. It was proof of its popularity with the local people.

The last run of the Chibi Maruko-chan poster train will be on March 31st, 2017. Set 1011F will, then, soon revert to an ordinary commuter train. Please ride it now or never!

Chibi Maruko-chan poster train arrives at Naganuma Station
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Hakata "Express Museum" on Kyushu Island

November 28, 2016, 7:00 am
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EMU 783 series, limited express "Midori" (left) and EMU 787 series, "Kirameki" (right)

Hakata is the largest railway station in Fukuoka Prefecture on Kyushu Island. Many kinds of trains continuously arrive at and leave this giant terminal. As a rail-fan, my greatest pleasure at this station is to see the variety of limited express trains. Let's take a look at some of those trains.

The EMU 783 series, Midori (green), is operated between Hakata and Sasebo, the second largest city in Nagasaki Prefecture. It was launched in 1988 under the name of Hyper-saloon. The 783 series is alternate current (AC) electric cars with a thyristor continuous phase control system. This system converts AC to a variable voltage of direct current (DC) using thyristor semiconductor devices.

The EMU 787 series, Kirameki (shining), is operated between Hakata and Mojiko, the gateway station to Kyushu Island from the main island of Japan. Please look at my previous post describing this model.

The EMU 883 series, Sonic, is operated between Hakata and Ooita (or Saeki). It was launched in 1995 to compete with the express way bus services. It is not as fast as a sonic wave, but the 883 series has a tilting system to pass through tight curves at a high speed.

The EMU 885 series, Kamome (seagull), is operated between Hakata and Nagasaki (or Saga), which are the main cities in Nagasaki and Saga prefectures. The white colored streamlined body is elegant and popular among tourists. It is a representative inter-city limited express train of JR Kyushu Company.

Hakata Station is just like an "express museum".

EMU 883 series, limited express "Sonic" (left) and EMU 885 series, "Kamome" (right)

Official information about JR Kyushu's limited express train, Sonic:
Official information about JR Kyushu's limited express train, Kamome:
Official information about JR Kyushu's limited express train, Midori, Kirameki and the others:
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Kitatopia: Train Viewing Spot in front of Ouji Station

December 1, 2016, 7:00 am
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Railway view from the northern side of the observation deck, Kitatopia

Kitatopia is a seventeen-story building standing in front of JR East Ouji Station. It was constructed on the site of old Ouji Freight Station in 1990 as composite cultural facilities. Kitatopia has three concert halls, meeting rooms, a fitness gym and restaurants, but that is not the only thing it has.

Kitatopia also has a free observation deck on the top floor. Once you visit there, you can access the beautiful scenery of northern Tokyo including the forests of Asukayama Park and Ouji-inari Shrine. More importantly, this spot offers you a great view of JR East's railway tracks just below your eyes.

Let's look at the tracks in detail from the northern side of the deck.

There are elevated double-tracks to the right. They are the Shinkansen tracks. You can see super-express trains such as the blue colored EMU E7 series there. The third and the forth tracks to the right are for the Keihin-Tohoku Line trains. 10-car trains with light blue stripes, namely the EMU E233-1000 series, continuously pass there. The fifth and the sixth tracks to the right are for the Shonan-Shinjuku Line trains and freight trains. For instance, you can see the container cars pulled by an electric locomotive traveling on these tracks. Finally, there are double-tracks of the Ueno-Tokyo Line to the left. The long commuter trains, such as the EMU E231 and the E233-3000 series, are the leading trains on these tracks.

Kitatopia... it is a utopia for rail-fans.

Railway view from the southern side of the observation deck, Kitatopia
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C-Train 2300 Series: Siemens's Next Generation Model

December 4, 2016, 7:00 am
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Calgary Transit 2300 series leaves Brentwood Station on the Route 201 (November, 2011)

December is the month of house cleaning in Japan. It means that we refresh ourselves towards New Year's Day. I have just started the cleaning from my hard disk (not my house!) to arrange my huge amount of photographs, and found that some old photographs are worth showing in this blog. Let's get started from a tram in Canada.

C-Train is known as one of the most successful light rail transit (LRT) systems in North America. It has been operated by Calgary Transit since 1981. Currently, the total operating length reaches 59.9 km. The track is double. The electric system is 600 V DC overhead. The gauge size is 1,435 mm.

Along with the 2000 and 2200 series, the 2300 series is the C-Train's representative model. It is Siemens SD-160NG, which debuted in 2010 to provide for the future extension of C-Train routes. So far, a total of 38 units have been built in Sacrament LRV Factory. The 2300 series is a 24.8 m-long 2-car train with an articulated truck in the center. Each set is equipped with two power trucks. It is powered by four induction motors, which provide a maximum of 580 kW. The 2300 series looks like just a streetcar, but can be amazingly operated at the maximum speed of 80 km/hour. The electric control system is VVVF (variable voltage and variable frequency) inverter.

A small front right on the forehead of the 2300 series is my favorite. It is a good accent of this model.

Calgary Transit 2300 series travels on the downtown section (November, 2011)
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Panorama-super: Meitetsu's Gorgeous Express Train

December 7, 2016, 7:00 am
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EMU Meitetsu 1000 series, "Panorama-super" (original color)

There are 16 major private railway companies in Japan. They are Tobu, Seibu, Keisei, Keio, Keikyu, Tokyu, Tokyo Metro, Odakyu and Sotetsu in the Tokyo metropolitan area, Kintetsu, Nankai, Keihan, Hanshin and Hankyu in the Kansai area, Nishitetsu in the Fukuoka area and one more... Meitetsu in the Nagoya area.

This is the first time to introduce a Meitetsu train to you. That's a bit of a surprise for me, as I have already uploaded more than 900 posts here. Let's look at the pictures. They are the EMU 1000 series, "Panorama-super", the third generation express train on the Meitetsu Line. Panorama-super was launched in 1988 to replace the old express model, the EMU 7000 series, called Panorama-car. So far, a total of 21 sets, 84 units have been built by Nippon Sharyo. The gauge size of the Meitetsu Line is 1,067 mm. The electric system is 1,500 V DC overhead.

The greatest feature of Panorama-super is its high-decked structure on the front car. It is similar with that of the EMU Izukyu 2100 series, "Resort 21"; however, unlike Resort 21, Panorama-super doesn't have sloping tiers of seats. It only has a high-decked flat floor..

In the meantime, the renewal of Panorama-super started in 2015, as it had become deteriorated. The renovated Panorama-super can be easily distinguished from the original one by the color design. The renewal car has a wider part of red color than that of the original car. 

Panorama-super... it is a gorgeous express train on the Meitetsu Line.

EMU Meitetsu 1000 series, "Panorama-super" (after renewal)

Official information about the EMU Meitetsu 1000 series, "Panorama-super" (in Japanese):
Official information about the EMU Meitetsu 7000 series, "Panorama-car" (in Japanese):
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EMU Tobu 100 Series: Spacia Gold Color

December 10, 2016, 7:00 am
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Set 106F (Nikko Moude Spacia) of the EMU Tobu 100 series stands at JR Ikebukuro Sta.

Gold is a special color throughout the world. A gold medal is given to the number one athlete in the Olympic Games. A Gold Card is a special credit card, which only a special customer is allowed to have. In the first place, gold is a special and precious metal in the world.

Gold colored trains are also special in Japan. For instance, Tobu Railway operates a gold colored train, "Nikko Moude (Pilgrimage to Nikko) Spacia". The EMU 100 series, Spacia, is the Tobu's flagship model for limited express trains. It was launched in 1990 to replace the old model, the EMU 1720 series, "Deluxe Romance Car". A total of 9 sets, 54 units have been built by Alna Koki and Tokyu Sharyo. Because of its unique design and high technical specifications, Spacia was elected as the 1991 Blue Ribbon Prize train by the Japan Railfan Club. As you may know, the Blue Ribbon Prize is awarded to the best train that was launched in the previous year.

Currently, two sets of the EMU 100 series, namely set 103F and 106F, have gold colored bodies, but set 106F can only be operated onto JR East line through Kurihashi Station, as it has the JR type radio and safety systems.

For your information, Tobu Railway last year made a press release announcing that the new limited express model, the EMU 500 series, will debut in spring of 2017. I am looking forward to that.

Set 106F (Nikko Moude Spacia) of the EMU Tobu 100 series stands at JR Shinjuku Sta.
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Local Railway with a Sakura Timetable

December 13, 2016, 7:00 am
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Unit 315 of the diesel rail-car HaiMo 295-310 series travels on the Tarumi Line

Tarumi Railway is a local company based in Gifu Prefecture, about 400 km west of Tokyo. This company was established in 1984 taking over the Tarumi Line of Japanese National Railways (JNR).

The JNR Tarumi Line was partially opened in 1956. After been taken over by Tarumi Railway Company, the route was fully opened between Oogaki and Tarumi in 1989. The total route length is 34.5 km. The track is un-electrified and single. The gauge size is 1,067 mm.

Tarumi Railway has seven units of diesel rail-cars. Unit 315 of the HaiMo 295-310 series is one of my favorite rail-cars. It was built in 1999 by Fuji Heavy Industries. This rail-car has a 16 m-long body and a 295 PS engine manufactured by Nissan Diesel. The green colored face is quite unique and conspicuous among the Tarumi Railway rolling stock.

Unit 516 of the HaiMo 295-510 series is also lovely. It was built in 2005 by Niigata Transys. It has an 18 m-long body with Tarumi Railway's standard color design. This rail-car also has a Nissan 295 PS diesel engine. Different from Unit 315, Unit 516 has bolsterless type trucks.

In the meantime, there are many famous sakura (cherry) blossoms viewing spots on the Tarumi Line. In early April, many holidaymakers flock to this local railway, so, additional trains are operated during this period. The company calls it the Sakura season railway timetable. It is the busiest week for this local railway.

Unit 516 of the diesel rail-car HaiMo 295-510 series travels on the Tarumi Line
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Beer-den: Mid-summer Oasis in the Local City

December 16, 2016, 7:00 am
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Unit number 7022 of the Toyama Chihou Railway De7000 series, Beer-den

Beer-den is a leisure train in Japan. It has a beer pub, and is operated on mid-summer evenings. Many railway companies operate Beer-den specifically on their tram routes in local cities. Beer-den is Japan's common mid-summer feature.

Toyama Chihou Railway (Toyama Regional Railway) is a good example. They operate Beer-den as a chartered car on the City Tram Line. Beer-den leaves Toyama Terminal at 18.34. It goes to Daigaku-mae Stop, Minami-Toyama Stop and returns to Toyama Terminal at 20.06. A toilet break is secured at Minami-Toyama Stop. Passengers can enjoy drinking beer together with tasty appetizers as much as they want during their one hour and a half trip. A beautiful urban night view of Toyama City is also offered to the passengers as an attraction. The chartered cost for one group (up to 24 persons) is 47,000 yen.

A classic electric car, unit number 7022 of the De7000 series is used for Beer-den. The De7000 series was launched in 1957 modeled after the Toden 8000 series. A total of 11 units have been built by Nippon Sharyo over 9 years. Among the 11 units, unit number 7022 only has a classic two-tone colored body with beige and deep blue. The interior is also classical. it has flame-retardant wooden desks, seats and floors.

Riding on the classic streetcar, let's enjoy drinking beer. It will be a mid-summer oasis in the local city, but don't forget that you get drunk more easily on the streetcar as it pitches and rolls.

Unit number 7022, Beer-den, stands at Toyama Terminal on the City Tram Line

Official information of Toyama Chihou Railway:
Official information about the rolling  stock of Toyama Chihou Railway (in Japanese):
Official information about the leisure trains of Toyama Chihou Railway (in Japanese):
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Preserved Subway Train in Nippa Rail Yard

December 19, 2016, 7:00 am
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Set number 1 (1011F) of the EMU 1000 series is preserved in Nippa Rail Yard

When I went to the 2016 Hamarin Festival held by Yokohama Municipal Subway in October, I reunited with an old train exhibited in Nippa Rail Yard. What was that?

It was a preserved train, set number 1 (1011F) of the EMU 1000 series. This train set was launched as a 3-car train in 1972, when the Blue Line of Yokohama Municipal Subway was partially opened between Isesaki-Choujamachi and Kamioooka (5.2 km). Three more cars were added after the extension of the Blue Line, since the number of passengers had drastically increased. 1011F was retired from the track in 2006 after 34 years of operation. It is currently preserved in Nippa Rail Yard as it originally was.

The greatest feature of 1011F is its odd-shaped front mask. It was a typical design in the early 1970's. The Tokyu 7200 series (later the 7600 series) and the Shizutetsu 1000 series are of the same generation, and also have similar designs. The stainless-steel bodies with corrugated structures also showed the vestiges of the early 1970's. They are nostalgic and definitely my favorite.

The technical specification of 1011F is rather old. The electric control system was just a simple rheostat. Four-120 kW DC motors were equipped on the train. I still remember that a warm breeze came up from the resistors when it arrived at the station platform. For your information, we can't see pantographs on the roofs, as the Blue Line is electrified with a 750 V DC third-rail system

Side view of 1011F, Yokohama Municipal Subway
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The Kuko Line: Convenient Access to Fukuoka Airport

December 22, 2016, 7:00 am
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EMU Fukuoka City Subway stands at Fukuoka-kuko Station on the Kuko Line

When you visit a strange place, initial impressions are probably important for whether or not you will like it there. For instance, please imagine that you arrive at an airport of a strange city. The access from the airport to the downtown area will be important in making your initial impression of the city.

If you visit Fukuoka City by air, you will have a good initial impression about this city. It takes only five minutes from the airport to Hakata, which is the central station of Fukuoka City, by subway. Fukuoka is the largest city on Kyushu Island, with a population of 1.5 million. It is located about 1,200 km west of Tokyo.

The access route from the airport to the downtown area is the Kuko (Airport) Line of Fukuoka City Subway. The Kuko Line was opened in 1981 by Fukuoka City Transportation Bureau. The current route length is 13.1 km. The trains are directly operated onto the JR Kyushu Chikuhi Line through Meinohama Station. The track is electrified and double. Its electric system is 1,500 V DC overhead. The gauge size is 1,067 mm. For your information, Fukuoka City operates two other subway routes in the downtown area. 

One of the fleet on the Kuko Line is the EMU 2000 series. It was launched in 1993, when the Kuko Line was fully opened. The 2000 series is a 6-car train with four motor cars and its electric control system is AVAF (Adjustable Voltage Adjustable Frequency) inverter.

Fukuoka Airport
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EF59 1: Old Sherpa on the Sanyo Main Line

December 25, 2016, 7:00 am
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Top number unit of the EL class EF 59 (December, 2011)

Following the C-Train 2300 series, I am going to show you the other excavated photos from my hard disk.

The electric locomotive (EL), class EF59, was a specialist on the Sanyo Main Line of ex-Japanese National Railways (JNR). It was launched in 1964 to replace the old steam locomotives, class D52. It was a pusher for the trains climbing up the slope track between Seno and Happonmatsu, about 920 km west of Tokyo. A total of 24 units were built in JNR Takatori Factory reusing the parts of the retired ELs, such as the class EF53 and the class EF56.

EF59 1 is the top number unit of the class EF59. It was a direct current EL, remodeled from EF53 8 in 1963. It had been challenging a 22.5 per mil of the steep track for 22 years. Many kinds of trains, such as limited express, local and freight trains, had been supported by his six DC motors. Its total rated output is 1,350 kW. The axis arrangement is 2Co+Co2 (UIC notation). The gauge size is 1,067 mm. The mechanism for transmitting power is a simple nose suspension drive.

Currently, EF 59 1 is preserved and exhibited in Usui Pass Railway Heritage Park in Gumma Prefecture, some 130 km north of Tokyo. It looks just functional, but is very cool, if you look closely. The simplicity may parallel the elegance of design.

EF59 1... it is a fine-looking old sherpa on the Sanyo Main Line.

Usui Pass Railwy Heritage Park (December, 2011)
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Shinano: Western Access to Nagano Prefecture

December 28, 2016, 7:00 am
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EMU JR Central 383 series, limited express "Shinano", travels on the Chuo Main Line

Nagano is an inland prefecture surrounded by steep mountains. It is a large province having precious tourism resources, but the access route to the prefecture had been a problem, because the mountains blocked potential tourists to the prefecture.

The major breakthrough was realized in 1998, when the Nagano Shinkansen (present Hokuriku Shinkansen) was opened as an eastern access route. It takes only 90 minutes from Tokyo by super-express train, "Kagayaki (brilliance)". On the other hand, a limited express train, "Shinano (an old name of Nagano Prefecture)" is the fastest access means from the west. It takes three hours from Nagoya, the largest city in the central part of Japan. Shinano is currently operated between Nagoya and Nagano stations as regular trains. It was once operated between Osaka and Nagano as Japan's longest daytime express train, but was shortened from March last year, because the number of passengers had decreased.

In the meantime, one of the must-see sightseeing spots in Nagano Prefecture is ex-Kaichi Elementary School. It was constructed by a Japanese carpenter, Tateishi Kiyoshige, in 1876, as the first Western style building in Matsumoto City. Surprisingly, he designed this building himself just imitating the pictures of Western style buildings, since he didn't know about Western architecture in detail. As a result, it has become a quite unique building. Kaichi Elementary school was designated as an important cultural property by the Japanese Government in 1961. The building is currently utilized as a museum.

Ex-Kaichi Elementary School near Matsumoto Station
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Tokyu 1017F: Revival Colored Train

December 31, 2016, 7:00 am
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1017F of the EMU Tokyu 1000 series arrives at Unoki Station on the Tamagawa Line

Happy New Year! The year 2017 has begun. At the opening of New Year, I am going to show you the nostalgic revival colored train on the Tokyu Line.

Revival color is the key trend in Japanese railways. Currently, many companies operate revival colored trains with previously used body colors to attract passengers, specifically, old rail-fans. Generally speaking, two kinds of models are selected for revival colored trains. One is an old model, which is returned to its original color design. The other is a relatively new model, which is changed to the company's historical color design, such as the company's initial period. The EMU Odakyu 7000 series and the Fujikyu 1000 series (ex-Keio 5000 series) are the former examples; while, Keio 8013F of the EMU 8000 series and Tokyu 1017F of the EMU 1000 series are listed as the latter examples. Let's look at Tokyu 1017F today.

1017F is a stainless-steel 3-car train built by Tokyu Sharyo in 1991. It is operated on the Ikegami and the Tamagawa lines. The original body of 1017F has an unpainted stainless-steel color (silver color) with red colored stripes. It, then, changed to the two-toned revival color of dark blue and dark yellow in March this year. This two-toned design was taken from the EMU DeHa3450 series, which were operated on the Ikegami and the Mekama (present Tamagawa) lines until 1966. I have a dim memory of the two-toned color of the DeHa3450 series. The "T.K.K. (Tokyo Kyuko Kabushiki-kaisha)" logo on the side body is also nostalgic.

I am going to introduce the revival colored trains, if there are any chances again.

T.K.K. (Tokyo Kyuko Kabushiki-kaisha) logo
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Classic Streetcar on the Manyo Line

January 3, 2017, 7:00 am
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Unit 7073 of the Electric Car Manyo-sen De7070 series passes through Shokawa Bridge

Takaoka is a local city in Toyama Prefecture, some 400 km northwest of Tokyo. It takes about two hours and a half from Tokyo by Hokuriku Shinkansen. Along with the adjacent Toyama City, Takaoka also has a city tram route, namely the Manyo Line.

The Manyo Line is divided into two sections. The western is called Takaoka Tram Line, which was originally operated by Toyama Chihou Railway (Toyama Regional Railway). On the other hand, the eastern half is called the Shinminatokou Line, which was originally operated by Kaetsunou Railway. These two lines were spliced as the Manyo Line in 2002 by a newly established Manyo-sen Company. The direct operation between the two sections started that year. Its total route length is 12.9 km. The track is single (partially double) and electrified. The electric system is 600 V DC overhead. The gauge size is 1,067 mm.

Manyo-sen Company has two kinds of streetcars. One is the classic De7070 series and the other is the state of the art MLRV 1000 series. The De7070 series was launched in 1967 by Kaetsunou Railway. A total of 6 units have been built by Nippon Sharyo. Its technical specifications are rather old, but five units are still operated on the track. I still remember the scene of last summer of the two-toned De7070 series slowly crossing Shokawa River in the setting sun. It was very beautiful against the blue sky and the indigo colored Sea of Japan.

Unit 7073 of the Electric Car Manyo-sen De7070 series travels on the Manyo Line
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Geiko: New Year Express on the Keio Line

January 6, 2017, 7:00 am
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EMU Keio 8000 series, limited express "Geiko", arrives at Fuchu Station

Hatsuhinode is the first sunrise of the New Year. In Japan, sunrise on New Year's Day is believed to bring luck. Lots of people travel to see hatsuhinode, and pray for a wish or a decision of that year. One of the famous hatsuhinode spots in Tokyo is Mt. Takao, which is located about 45 km west of Shinjuku, a sub-center of the metropolis.

After midnight of New Year's Day, Keio Electric Railway operates a special express train, Geiko (Greeting the Sunlight), to transport people to Mt. Takao. Geiko express has a special display on the face of the train. This year, a total of three Geiko express trains were operated. I visited Fuchu Station to shoot these express trains. Surprisingly, I saw more than 30 rail-fans waiting for Geiko express trains there, in spite of it being three o'clock in the cold morning. As it turned out, many rail-fans flocked to the other major stations on the Keio Line, such as Shinjuku, Meidaimae, Bubaigawara and Takahata-fudo. The trains, commissioned as Geiko express, were the EMU Keio 7000, 8000, 9000 series and the Toei 10-000 series. I am going to show you the photos of the 8000 series (8013F) and the 9000 series (9735F) in this blog.

In the meantime, did I go to Mt. Takao? No, I returned home directly after taking pictures of Geiko express trains, because I was extremely sleepy. I saw "the rising sun" on the display of Geiko express trains instead. Am I a lazy person?

EMU Keio 9000 series, express "Geiko", leaves Fuchu Station
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Tokyo Night Walking: Blue Cave in Shibuya

January 9, 2017, 7:00 am
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Shibuya Terminal of the Keio-Inokashira-Line

Winter is known as the season of street illuminations. Urban streets are nicely illuminated by millions of LED lights during this period. I don't know exactly what the origin of this annual event was, but it is most likely related to the Christmas lights to attract customers to shopping malls.

This winter, I visited "Blue Cave" near Shibuya Station. The zelkova trees on the street of Yoyogi Park were decorated with 5 million blue colored LED lights. Surprisingly, the blue lights looked like they were shining on the street as well. What was the reason for that? They were not lights, but the reflection of the blue lights on the zelkova trees. In this period, special reflective sheets are placed on the street so that we can see both the real lights on the trees and the reflected lights on the street. It is fantastic and exactly like the name "Blue Cave" suggests. I saw many couples and families enjoying this translunary winter event. 

To get to the Blue Cave, I took the Keio Inokashira Line and got off at Shibuya Terminal. The Inokashira Line train arrives at Shibuya Terminal just after passing through the Shibuya Tunnel. Strangely enough, the terminal is located on the second floor of the station building. What is the reason for that? It is because the topography along to the Inokashira Line is largely undulated. The maximum difference from the ground level is about 30 m. A similar situation is also seen at the Tokyo Metro Shibuya Terminal.

"Blue Cave" near Shibuya Station
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Sayonara 110: An Old Climber on Hakone Mountain

January 12, 2017, 7:00 am
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Unit 110 of the electric car MoHa 2 series travels on the Hakone Tozan Line

On July 4th, 2016, Hakone Tozan Railway made a press release, announcing that their old electric car 110 will be retired soon.

Unit 110 of the electric car MoHa 2 series was originally built by Nippon Sharyo in 1927. It had Swiss made trucks and electrical components. Its original name was electric car 10 of the Chiki 2 series. The body of this old electric car was, then, replaced by a steel one by Toyo Kouki in 1957. The car number was also changed from 10 to 110 of the electric car MoHa 2 at that time. In 1985, the trucks and the electric motors were changed to TS-330A (Tokyu Sharyo) and TDK-8180A (Toyo Denki Seizo), respectively. As a result, the original features of electric car 10 disappeared at this point. The color design of electric car 110 was recently returned to what it was in the late 1940's, namely light blue with a yellow stripe. It stands out among the red colored standard rolling stock of the Hakone Tozan Railway.

Hakone Tozan Railway was opened in 1888 as a horse tramway. It connects Odawara and Goura with a maximum angle of 80 per-mille, which is the world's second steepest railway. Taking the Odakyu Line, it takes about 90 minutes from downtown Tokyo to Odawara, the gateway station to Hakone Mountain.

The last run of Unit 110 is planned on 12th of February, 2017. Sayonara (good-bye) and Arigatou (thank you) electric car 110, a veteran climber on Hakone Mountain.

Unit 110 of the electric car MoHa 2 series stands at Hakone-Yumoto Station

Official information of the Hakone Tozan Railway MoHa 2 series (in Japanese):
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Tobu Crayon Shinchan Train

January 15, 2017, 7:00 am
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51057F (Crayon Shinchan Train) of the EMU Tobu 50050 series travls on the Tokyu Line

Crayon Shinchan is a popular TV animation series created by Yoshito Usui. The main character, Crayon Shinchan, also known as Shinchan, is a 5 year-old boy, who goes to kindergarten. The series depicts the everyday life of Shinchan with his parents, a baby sister, friends, kindergarten teachers and so on. Kasukabe City in Saitama Prefecture is a stage of this famous animation. Kasukabe is located on the Tobu Line, some 35 km north of Asakusa Terminal in Tokyo.

Starting from November 3rd, 2016, Tobu Railway operates special poster trains with a Crayon Shinchan design. The purpose of the Crayon Shinchan trains is to promote tourism to Kasukabe City. They are set 51055F, 51056F, 51057F, 51058F and 51059F of the EMU 50050 series. Each 10-car train set is beautifully decorated with Crayon Shinchan characters on a yellow (51055F), blue (51056F), red (51057F), orange (51058F) and green (51059F) colored background. Needless to say, they are very popular among boys and girls on the Tobu Line. Tobu trains are directly operated onto the Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line and the Tokyu Denentoshi Line; therefore, people in Tokyo Metropolis and Kanagawa Prefecture also enjoy these unique trains in their areas.

The EMU Tobu 50050 series was launched in 2006. Currently, a total of 18 sets, 180 units are operated on the track. The 50050 series is Tobu's new standard commuter train, which has the concepts of universal design, low energy consumption and maintenance-free. The 50000, the 50070, the 50090 and the 60000 series are brothers of the 50050 series.

51057F (Crayon Shinchan Train) of the EMU 50000 series stands at Tokyu-Shibuya Station
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