Some note of recent changes noted in Tokyo and Northern Kanto.

[gmat]

It's been a while but here are some things I've noticed that haven't appeared here, I think.

I visited Kuroiso Station and JRF no longer does the switchover between the EH500s and the other diesels. It is very lonely there. That couples with more EH500s running past Omiya since about January, I believe. I heard they stopped the changeovers in March. Last week, the EH500s started going south from the Shin Tsurumi Locomotive Depot next to Shin-Kawasaki Station. Some of these EH-500s have been running on the Nambu Branch Line. I've never seen either doing that before.

 

The newest station on the Branch line is Odasakae Station. It's a nice place to shoot trains on that line. But you'll probably have to share it with other fans. With Cherry Blossoms blooming, some fans are probably shooting Branch Line trains with the Cherry blossoms in the background at Kawasakishimmachi Station, next door. The Branch Line 205s have a slightly new design. The end portions have music notes added along with upholstery with music note decorations. Set #4 had a headmark celebrating the opening of the new station. 

 

The Hachiko Line has a headmark celebrating 20 years service of the 205 series. Set # 81, I think. I went to take pictures of the Beitan taking JP-5 to Yokota AB at Haijima Station. It arrived at about 15:58 on the 29th of March. You can shoot DE11 making the switch over and the EF65 returning down the line and then go outside to catch the tank cars going up the spur to Yokota AB. (16:30) The DE11 will return about 30 minutes later, I think. I shot the DE11 with cherry blossoms in the foreground. 

 

I've been spending a lot of time at Shin-Kawasaki. I've noted a dantai 185 using the Freight Line heading towards the Musashino Line, I think. That's very unusual, but OOS 185s often use that track. I've seen 185 dantai (chartered) recently, so I think that they are replacing the 183s and 189s. I've also seen them being used for the school charted trains, but not recently. I wonder if they'll replace the 189 that runs to Mt Fuji. I'll find out this Sunday. Continuing concerning Shin-Kawasaki. I usually visit on Saturday afternoon. You can often get a deadhead Blue Thunder being pulled by an EF64 or EF65 heading south. If you you're really lucky a De10 or DE11 will pull a diesel on the track going south that runs by the Shin Kawasaki Station platform. I missed one and shot another within the past three months of Saturdays. Don't forget the west side of the depot as you can get nice photos of diesels heading north. Some people stand on the curb railings to shoot over the fence. That's where the fence is bowing in. Too many fans leaning on the fence, i guess. 

 

I went to Aizu Wakamatsu but found out that the Aizu Liner 485 doesn't run save perhaps during the busy holiday season. Will try to make up during the Golden Week or this summer to see if still runs.

 

I would be glad if you saved my PhotoBucket photos posted here. I haven't touch that in a long time. Too busy with school and other things. I'm very sorry for not replying sooner. 

 

One Saturday, at Nishi-Oi Station, I shot a EH500 making a very rare passage on the Hinkaku Line heading north. EH-500s on that line usually run south to the Shin-Tsurumi Depot. and head north via the Musashino Line. 

 

 

Grant

[cteno4]

Grant,

 

Great to hear from you! Sounds like you are still having fun train spotting! No worries at being busy, life happens!

 

Cheers,

 

Jeff

[westfalen]

I visited Kuroiso Station and JRF no longer does the switchover between the EH500s and the other diesels. It is very lonely there. That couples with more EH500s running past Omiya since about January, I believe. I heard they stopped the changeovers in March. Last week, the EH500s started going south from the Shin Tsurumi Locomotive Depot next to Shin-Kawasaki Station. Some of these EH-500s have been running on the Nambu Branch Line. I've never seen either doing that before.

 

Grant

I heard about this from another source a couple of weeks ago and it has caused some changes of plans in my Japanese trip in September.  My friends and I had been planning on spending most of a day at Kuroiso filming the engine changes now we look like skipping that and spending an extra day in Tokyo.  I had expected the Hokkaido shinkansen to have some effect on freight timetables but did not think of some of the dual voltage EH500s to be released for duties further south.

[yudananka61]

all freights still booked to stop in the new march timetable, for old engine change times,  can anyone confirm  what happens now ?

[gmat]

I believe that drivers are exchanged at Kuroiso Station. April's schedule might show the new exchange point.

 

Grant

[gmat]

I was at Shin-Kawasaki Station today. At about 15:31 I was on the west fence of the Tsurumi Locomotive Depot and EF210-117 came up heading north, but then stopped about 70 meters before it reached me. I noticed that EF210-116 on the far side heading south also stopped. The regular traffic on the Hinkaku Line seemed to be still running. The two locos started running again at about 15:56. It was most unusual for this to have happened before me. I worried that my being at the fence might have caused it. At 17:15 I was on the platform at Shin-Kawasaki Station and the same thing happened again. I heard a screeching that I thought was a bad wheel and then the whole train stopped. This time a Yokosuka Line train pulling up to the platform heading south for Kurihama came to a stop most of the way to the platform. It didn't travel the last 25 or 30 meters so that it could open its doors to let the passengers out. Both trains resumed traveling at about 17:18, about 2-3 minutes later. I wonder if Tokyo had an earthquake at those times?

 

I left soon after. As my train pulled out I saw an EF-65 pulling a hybrid diesel coming from the north. I gnashed my teeth. 

 

Westfalen, you might consider spending a day around Shin-Kawasaki in lieu of passing on Kuroiso Station.

 

Best wishes,

Grant

[railsquid]

No earthquakes felt or registered here today.

[SuRoNeFu 25-501]

I visited Kuroiso Station and JRF no longer does the switchover between the EH500s and the other diesels. It is very lonely there. That couples with more EH500s running past Omiya since about January, I believe. I heard they stopped the changeovers in March.

More precisely, this is because of JR East's decision to eliminate the (currently still in use) AC-DC dead sections located inside Kuroiso station due to the aging facilities. The elimination itself is also related to the plan for moving the dead section toward the north (between Kuroiso and Takaku) by 2017, which effectively making Kuroiso station becomes DC-only station by 2017 (with the discontinuation, AC-only trains would no longer terminates at Kuroiso).

 

More information can be seen at this page (Japanese only).

[miyakoji]

Good to have you back Grant :)

[westfalen]

I was at Shin-Kawasaki Station today. At about 15:31 I was on the west fence of the Tsurumi Locomotive Depot and EF210-117 came up heading north, but then stopped about 70 meters before it reached me. I noticed that EF210-116 on the far side heading south also stopped. The regular traffic on the Hinkaku Line seemed to be still running. The two locos started running again at about 15:56. It was most unusual for this to have happened before me. I worried that my being at the fence might have caused it. At 17:15 I was on the platform at Shin-Kawasaki Station and the same thing happened again. I heard a screeching that I thought was a bad wheel and then the whole train stopped. This time a Yokosuka Line train pulling up to the platform heading south for Kurihama came to a stop most of the way to the platform. It didn't travel the last 25 or 30 meters so that it could open its doors to let the passengers out. Both trains resumed traveling at about 17:18, about 2-3 minutes later. I wonder if Tokyo had an earthquake at those times?

 

I left soon after. As my train pulled out I saw an EF-65 pulling a hybrid diesel coming from the north. I gnashed my teeth. 

 

Westfalen, you might consider spending a day around Shin-Kawasaki in lieu of passing on Kuroiso Station.

 

Best wishes,

Grant

Instead of spending time at Kuroiso I'm planning to spend the day taking a roundabout route from Sendai to Shinagawa via the Suigun and Joban Lines with a side trip over the Hitachinaka Kaihin Tetsudō to colour in a couple of lines I haven't been on and also get over the new connection between Ueno and Tokyo (well new since I was last there).  I've had a look at Shin-Kawasaki and other places in that area on previous trips but we are spending a couple of nights at Shinagawa before we go home so anything's possible.  There's always something else to do in Japan.