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Today was a day I'm so glad that I didn't sleep in during! 🛌 Saturdays are rarely entirely free for me now, and that's not a bad thing, but there was no way I would've missed out on November 18th - Because it was my first and last chance to witness the 101st Birthday Celebration of my favorite Japanese Steam Locomotive (do I have to say it?) 58654, which needs no introduction! 😄 I was joined by fellow members of 肥薩線again at Yatsushiro Station bright and early, and despite the cold, chilly weather, the crowds soon poured in and needed barriers from crossing the yellow line to get photos. My friend and fellow rail fan Minki Hatashima was there to greet and farewell the gallant SL and even landed an interview on the spot with NHK. I did as well. You can see his name mentioned in this article (in Japanese) about the party events. She's a beauty, isn't she? We know now for certain that the restoration of the Hisatsu Line to Hitoyoshi will be done. Next, we can only hope that this beloved steam locomotive will return there, too. But the day's adventures did not end there...

Good morning everyone! This year, the Municipality of Valongo will launch a unique railway-themed public festival in Portugal. The EntreLinhas - Festa do Ferroviário will be held between August 26 through 28 and will have shows, exhibits, conferences, music concerts and street food. The Maquetren module-based club Módulos de Comboios do Norte has confirmed their first public appearance since the COVID-19 pandemic started in 2020. The railway club APAC - Associação de Amigos dos Caminhos de Ferro has also confirmed their presence in the event. Here is the official poster for the event.

Hello all, after a bit of silence on my behalf, here is the excuse for my absence. A trip to Kinugawa in Tochigi and after that to Ibaraki, the usual place and then some. Kinugawa no. 5 just arrived in Shinjuku. 253-1000 Series, big time baller. Massive chairs. Weird livery, which I slowly start to appreciate. Some train from the window we overtook. With advertisement. I don't know what this thing is. Yours truly and mini-yours truly. Brainwashing completed. "Look dad! A train!" "Yes, that is probably the 10th Keihin-Tōhoku line train we've seen already..." First encounter with an Aizu Railway train. AT-600 and AT-700 type. My excitement was all over the place. The trip on the JR East Kinugawa was most pleasant. If possible, I'd ride it again, but only to go beyond Kinugawa-Onsen station to Aizu Wakamatsu station. The view from the hotel room was... Well, let's say: almost perfect. Another exciting encounter was had a few days later with the seasonal rapid Ashikaga Ōfuji Matsuri-gō, ran by a 485 Series, T18 formation. Probably for one of the last times this formation runs. One end of the train is an Hokkaidō styled front with double roof lights. Very macho. xD Next to that, the Kasama Hi Matsuri-gō Rapid service ran with an E531 Series. Special headmark included. I actually didn't know this one was running, so I was very surprised to see it! In the attachments are some extras that aren't really worth mentioning, but are still interesting enough to share. A bad snapshot of the recently repainted Tōbu 100 Series Spacia 101 formation is included as well. Yes. It's gold. Like Spandau Ballet. The Tōbu 6050 Series also almost stole my heart, but my finances and rationale keep me at bay from liking it. This trip has however seriously triggered my interest in creating hillside scenery. P.s. Don't like my filthy hipster filters over some pictures? Feel free to donate a good digital camera. PM me if interested.

This is a strange and fabulous company that deserves its own topic. It's a railway line that is not covered much by fans, as it's quite remote and relatively expensive to travel on. That is, if you're not looking beyond your own field of perception. More on that later. The Kantō Railway (関東鉄道) is owned by the Keisei Group and operates two lines. Both are fully dieselised and are operated with 3-door DMU. - One is the very short Ryūgasaki line (4,5km), starting at Sanuki on the JR Jōban line and ending in Ryūgasaki in the sticks. It's a very charming line that runs through the fields and only has three diesel cars in operation. Two of them are new types (no. 2001 and 2002), of which one only runs on Sunday with a special promotional livery. And the third one is an older type (no. 532), based on a modified JNR KiHa 20, which occasionally runs in the weekends. - The second one is the Jōsō line from Toride, also strarting on the JR Jōban line (far end of the 1500V DC area) and ending in Shimodate on the JR Mito line (20kV AC 50Hz area). There the Mooka Railway (famous for its C11 and C12 steam trains in the weekend) also has its starting point. There are day passes in the weekend for ¥1500 which can be used to travel the whole of the Jōsō line. It's kind of a strange pass, since it allows you to travel for less than the entire line in one go! From Toride to Shimodate it costs ¥1510 and it's only one way, whereas the day ticket allows you to travel as much as you like the whole day. So, I did. That day, I also obtained a free to use rental bicycle at Mitsukaidō station (水海道) and rode to the line's car shed to snap pictures of the rolling stock that rarely runs nowadays. It looks like they're saving some up for a museum of some sort. They certainly have the space for it as opposed to other railway companies! Rental cycles could only be obtained with a valid drivers licence or a valid health insurance card. Basically something that states your place of residence in Japan, so for foreign tourists they may decline this request. Also, Tobanoe station (騰波ノ江) celebrated it's 88th birthday this weekend, so I paid them a visit after traveling the network. It was very small, but they did have a small N gauge layout and a respectable H0 layout that reflected the Jōsō line network. I also was asked to draw a picture on a glass that would be used for a candle for later that day. I didn't stay that long though, as we had to get up early in the morning and drive back to our place in Kanagawa. We exchanged business cards and had a little chat. It was a very warm and cosy event. Jōsō line: Ryūgasaki line: The Kantō Railway certainly has left a deep impression on me. Especially, the Jōsō line is a very interesting line, as it's halfway double tracked and fully dieselised with 3-door trains that remind of the commuter trains of the metropolitan lines. The reason this is like it is, is because the line runs through two different national electricity networks (or whatever it's called). Basically, it would be hugely expensive to electrify the line and buy rolling stock that can operate on both 1500V DC and 20kV AC 50Hz. The line also runs through rural areas only, so this would probably be a moot investment. At least for now. As the Tōkyō metropolitan area keeps expanding, I wouldn't be surprised to see this line being electrified within the next 30 years, or maybe even be connected to the Tsukuba Express for that matter... It's a fantasy though. It would certainly be beneficial to a lot of towns along the line to have a fast connection to Tōkyō methinks. You never know what the future might bring and what Keisei Group comes up with now! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the shoddy pictures and I hope the Kantō railway has also gained your hearts and minds a little bit. I will certainly travel this line again when I'm back in Shimodate!

Hi, What's the best reference or RAL to paint the Gottwald Railway Telescopic Crane GS 100.06T produced by Kibri (16000) in the yellow scheme? Is this railway crane used by DB or DB Bahnbau? By the way, who built this Gottwald crane? Source: file:http://www.p-kun.com/gallery/topics/shizuoka2008/show2008-2.html I startet to paint some parts with Tamiya Spray TS-34 Camel Yellow. What do you think about it? Thanks in advance. Regards, Ayala Botto