End of the cassiopeia

[Eurostar25]

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/03/21/national/popular-sleeper-train-cassiopeia-makes-last-run-between-tokyo-sapporo/#.Vu-2kYbXerV

 

Was today the end for the twilight express too?

[westfalen]

The Twilight Express finished in March last year.

[katoftw]

Interesting!  Haven't heard about this before...

 

Train operator JR East, however, plans to start using Cassiopeia sleeper cars as a chartered service for package tours in June, and will retain the name.

[Matteo_IT]

         

[miyakoji]

The Railfan News entry: http://railf.jp/news/2016/03/21/201000.html .  That picture is between Rebun and Ōkishi, locos are DD51 numbers 1148 and 1143.

 

Coverage on YT as well:

 

starting with EF510-510 and E26 formation at Oku and moving on to the platform at Ueno. I don't know who got that suite at the end, but he had a camera :), visible around 5:45

 

and from a few months ago, a 40 minute travelogue:

[spacecadet]

Pretty similar to the one above, but here's my travelogue from a few months ago as well:

 

 

Blog post I wrote around it too: http://www.alphabetcityblog.com/2015/11/riding-cassiopeia-night-train-through.html

 

I knew this was coming, but still a pretty sad day. Though it's nice (if a bit odd) to hear that they'll keep the cars running elsewhere. The conductor told us those cars are basically worn out.

Edited March 22, 2016 by spacecadet

[bnicolas1987]

Hi,

I'm sad that I couldn't go to Japan to see those night trains.

 

For the last time in Japan, I ran for my first time in Switzerland my Cassiopeia in HO gauge last Sunday, I have to post a short video of it.

 

I hope I can once take pictures of this train even if it will be only a charter one.

[westfalen]

The train only started running in 1999 so the cars on the train are barely even run in as far as such things go, Queensland Rail only last year phased out air conditioned cars dating back to the 50's mainly just to get rid of them and cut back service rather than fair wear and tear with most still good inside and mechanically and I'm sure JR East's maintanence regime would second to none.

 

BTW Wikipedia is quick, their Cassiopeia page is already in the past tense.

[JR 500系]

This is sad...

 

The Cassiopeia was one of the night trains that I probably could have persuaded the Mrs. to ride on, since it had it's own private toilet in your room... But now, it will only be history... 

[Eurostar25]

Thanks Westfalen, I happened to stumble across the wikipedia page for the twilight express and saw it ended in March, failing to notice it was this time last year.

 

Does this leave the Sunrise Izumo as the last night train in Japan at present?

[kvp]

Actually there are two sunrises the Seto and the Izumo, starting coupled in Tokyo and splitting along the way. Afaik they are the last sleepers, but some seasonal night trains might still remain.

[Sacto1985]

kvp, the Sunrise Seto/Sunrise Izumo combined set are the last regularly scheduled sleeper trains in Japan, now that Akebono, Cassiopeia, Hokutosei and Twilight Express have all retired in the last few years.

 

There are still regularly scheduled sleeper trains left, but they're all essentially luxury cruise trains (Seven Stars in Kyushu, Twilight Express Mizukaze, and Shikishima). Chartered sleeper service will likely remain with the Twilight Express and Cassiopeia trainsets.

Edited March 22, 2016 by Sacto1985

[JR 500系]

The last Hamanasu also retired on 21 MArch 2016...

[westfalen]

The last Hamanasu also retired on 21 MArch 2016...

The forgotten second cousin in the shadow of the Hokutosei and Cassiopeia, glossed over until the end because it is a mere Express rather than a Limited Express, was the last of the traditional blue sleepers.

 

This event means not only no more regular scheduled loco hauled sleeper trains in Japan but no more scheduled loco hauled passenger trains, period.

[katoftw]

kvp, the Sunrise Seto/Sunrise Izumo combined set are the last regularly scheduled sleeper trains in Japan, now that Akebono, Cassiopeia, Hokutosei and Twilight Express have all retired in the last few years.

 

There are still regularly scheduled sleeper trains left, but they're all essentially luxury cruise trains (Seven Stars in Kyushu, Twilight Express Mizukaze, and Shikishima). Chartered sleeper service will likely remain with the Twilight Express and Cassiopeia trainsets.

Dont confuse cruise trains with sleeper trains.  The serve two very different purposes.

[katoftw]

This is sad...

 

The Cassiopeia was one of the night trains that I probably could have persuaded the Mrs. to ride on, since it had it's own private toilet in your room... But now, it will only be history... 

And enough space for her 5 sets of shoes like your previous 14 day Japan trip.

[JR 500系]

And enough space for her 5 sets of shoes like your previous 14 day Japan trip.

 

Haha good one ~  :)

 

But that's all good. Time to persuade her to accept the Sunrise, being the last sleeper train. And so being in the Sunrise the room is SMALL so there is a limitation of the number of shoes to bring along to 2 pairs ONLY.  :P

[katoftw]

The Sunrise would be a good one to get if happy to bypass Kansai and Chibu on a holiday.  I don't think I'd travel to the San'in area or Shikoku in my next visit.  But if I was, the Sunrise would be a good way to get a hotel room and 600km of travel combined together.

[spacecadet]

The train only started running in 1999 so the cars on the train are barely even run in as far as such things go, Queensland Rail only last year phased out air conditioned cars dating back to the 50's mainly just to get rid of them and cut back service rather than fair wear and tear with most still good inside and mechanically and I'm sure JR East's maintanence regime would second to none.

Yeah but modern Japanese trains are specifically built for 15-20 year lifespans. They're not really built to last like the old Budd cars were that are still used some places in the world. I rode this train just a few months ago and even the interiors look pretty beat up for a Japanese train. The conductor was telling us it's hard for them to maintain the schedule anymore because they don't really have any spares and a lot of things are breaking down mechanically.

 

If it keeps on as a cruise train, I guess they can just use one or two sets and keep a few cars from other sets as spares to cannibalize for parts or use when a car is bad ordered.

[katoftw]

If it keeps on as a cruise train, I guess they can just use one or two sets and keep a few cars from other sets as spares to cannibalize for parts or use when a car is bad ordered.

Which is what JR West did when the retired the Twilight and made it into a cruise train.

[spacecadet]

Which is what JR West did when the retired the Twilight and made it into a cruise train.

Right, I'm just saying these cars are beyond their intended service life. They're not really comparable to most cars built outside Japan in the 40's and 50's. I'm not sure exactly what Queensland Rail was using but we have something similarly described in the US, which are cars built by Budd and Pullman for long distance travel in that era, some of which are still running on Amtrak and VIA Rail.

 

But these cars were more or less generic and mix and match, so from the thousands of them that were built, any could be adapted for pretty much any route. And as the railroads shrank over time, some cars were refurbished with parts from other cars and still other cars were scrapped completely. So it's not really even fair to say these cars have all lasted this long; most of them haven't. Most of them actually were retired after 20 years or so just like the Cassiopeia. The ones that survive have been completely rebuilt several times over.

 

The Cassiopeia is a matched train set, and AFAIK they didn't have any spare sets, so in its just-retired configuration, everything really had to be running like clockwork all the time. Shinkansen or no, they were going to have to do something with this train regardless. It would have needed a rebuild or new cars if it was going to continue in scheduled service; it was worn out for its use as a scheduled train service.

[kvp]

I'm wondering what will happen with the sunrise sets. They are a one off series with only a single spare for the 2+2 sets in service and the 5 sets were made 18 years ago. Are there any plans for a rebuild or replacement? (considering there are no planned shinkansen routes to their destinations)

[katoftw]

I think they are safe due to the no shinkansen route reason.

 

Now completely off on a tangent.  I had a weird thought last night.  Shame the E4 Maxs are retiring now and not more into the future.  But Once the Hokkaido Shinkansen line is complete and open to Sapporo.  It is still gonna be a 6 hours trip @ mainly 320kph.

 

Get a E4 Max, sorten it to 6 cars and refurb the interior to sleeper similar to the 285s.  Should be 8 hours trip @ mainly 240kph.  Depart 10pm Tokyo, arrive 6am Sapporo.  Only one train so should be able to bypass night maintenance on the lines?  Maybe?

[kvp]

I think the cost/benefit analysis is against sleepers. The profit margin is smaller on sleepers (if any) and the people who would take it are forced to use the daytime shinkansens anyway if the target area lacks good air service.

This is why i'm asking about the future maintenance of the sunrise sets as there are no parts donors for them. I'm sure there is a plan for these rather slow 18 years old sets. Either for rebuild or replacement.

[Sacto1985]

The 285 is capable of up to 130 km/h speeds--the maximum speed on 1,067 mm zairaisen rail lines in Japan. I expect the 285's to be rebuilt very soon to extend their lives another ten years.