"Thomas and Friends" on the Ōigawa Railway in 2015

[Sacto1985]

YouTube member kazu9521 just released a video of this summer's action of the Thomas and Friends locomotives on the Ōigawa Railway:

 

 

Note that besides "Thomas," the modified JNR Class C11 227, it's now joined this year by "James," the modified JNR Class C56 44 painted in a red color scheme.

[stevenh]

They've gone to amazing lengths to make this all happen.

Even to the point of fabricating two static engines (Percy and Hiro) who I assume are stationary up at Senzu.

 

Everything looked like painted japanese stock until the first shot of Thomas with the 6 or-so carriages painted in annie/clarabelle brown/mustard.

Impressive!

 

And very glad to see the original locos in original colours running in the background towards the end. Especially the 21000 Nankai Zoom Cars.

 

I was worried they'd painted everything they had ... but they've kept it real.

[kvp]

Percy might be fabricated but Hiro seems to be a stock japanese engine with normal paint and some cladding added to it. Thomas and James are decorated japanese engines but they are much larger than the original models. They did a good job of hiding all the extra wheels on Thomas by painting them black.

[katoftw]

What type of loco are the electric helper engines?  ED14s?  Deki 400s?  Other?

 

Edit//  Seibu E31s google tells me.

Edited July 21, 2015 by katoftw

[Sacto1985]

katoftw, 

 

Doesn't Ōigawa Railway have at least one ED50 (formerly operated by an Osaka-area cement company) used to accompany steam trains running on the electrified section of the Ōigawa Railway line?

[Densha]

Percy might be fabricated but Hiro seems to be a stock japanese engine with normal paint and some cladding added to it. Thomas and James are decorated japanese engines but they are much larger than the original models. They did a good job of hiding all the extra wheels on Thomas by painting them black.

But Hiro is a Japanese loco in the Thomas series, a D51 to be precise. The Oigawa Railway took their rusting 49616 (Class 9600) and transformed it into "Hiro". Pics over here: http://c5557.kiteki.jp/html/49616.htm

[katoftw]

katoftw, 

 

Doesn't Ōigawa Railway have at least one ED50 (formerly operated by an Osaka-area cement company) used to accompany steam trains running on the electrified section of the Ōigawa Railway line?

ED500? http://www.oigawa-railway.co.jp/ed_501.html

 

All their rolling stock:- http://www.oigawa-railway.co.jp/train_introduction.html

[kvp]

But Hiro is a Japanese loco

Yes but unlike Percy, they have a real locomotive under the cladding. Percy is non operational as it is a static mockup from old loco parts, while Hiro can be made operational. So it's not a fabricated mockup. That's a rather large difference imho.

[Densha]

All their rolling stock:- http://www.oigawa-railway.co.jp/train_introduction.html

Looks like someone over there likes collecting old rolling stock. But maybe that's part of their business model too: to attract railfans. Well, of course it is, considering their steam services, but those are more oriented towards tourists and old EMUs in their original livery is something that rather attracts railfans. They seem to have only one of each type of EMU, makes for a great line to model in that sense. ;)

[katoftw]

Pretty normal across Japan for any small line/rail company to buy the end cars to use on their railway.  Paint stays the same cos it costs money to paint cars.

Edited July 23, 2015 by katoftw

[stevenh]

Ohhh... of course they mangled the 9600... makes perfect sense now. Thanks for that information.

It seems they just took all the external gear off and cladded it. Too easy.

[Nick_Burman]

What type of loco are the electric helper engines?  ED14s?  Deki 400s?  Other?

 

Edit//  Seibu E31s google tells me.

 

These are ex-Osaka Cement ED500s - http://tsushima-keibendo.a.la9.jp/oosaka-cement/oosaka-cement1.html

 

Although the bush telegraph told me that the ED500s are rather long in the tooth, the E31s have hardly turned a wheel ever since they arrived on the Oigawa. When I was there all three were at Senzu yard, nicely lined up but going nowhere. They were clean though, which shows that someone takes care of them. Given the fact that Oigawa is facing a bit of financial strain right now I doubt we will be seeing these locos trailing the steam trains so soon...

 

 

Cheers NB

[stevenh]

"Financial strain" reported via the bush telegraph too? Or have they announced that publicly?

[katoftw]

Every 3rd sector railway has financial strain.  Many have never turned a profit in the past 2 decades. This is not new news.

[Nick_Burman]

"Financial strain" reported via the bush telegraph too? Or have they announced that publicly?

 

Public announcement made several months ago in a newspaper article - BB posted it in the forum over an year ago. The steam trains turn a buck, but the ordinary "redneck express" is loosing money so much so that the company has turned to the lineside towns and to Shizuoka Prefecture for help. Even so some of the coaches looked a tad tired inside when I rode the line last year.

 

Cheers NB

[Mudkip Orange]