Last Aogaeru (Green Frog) train retired (ex-Tokyu-Kumaden 5000)

[katoftw]

Ex Tokyu 5000 now Kumaden retires 14/02/2016

 

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201602160001

Edited February 27, 2016 by katoftw

[railsquid]

Almost 60 years of service - not bad. And they're preserving it.

[Kitayama]

April 2003

[bikkuri bahn]

Glad to hear it will be preserved. Admittedly, it was on its last legs at least cosmetically, tattered interior and also no air conditioning, something I experienced on a summer trip to Kumamoto a couple years back. A charming recollection was the strap handle advertisements, being the original ones for the Toyoko Department Store in Shibuya, left in place by Kumaden.

Edited February 28, 2016 by bikkuri bahn

[200系]

Some excellent footage by youtube member Ayokoi:

 

[Sacto1985]

I personally think the lack of air conditioning a major reason why this EMU is finally being retired. After all, summers in Kumamoto can be very hot and the lack of air conditioning is not a good idea for any train running in this city. 

 

The lack of air conditioning also explains why that tram donated by the city of Hannover to the Hiroden system only runs between November and March, too.

[kvp]

It's a historic piece of equipment and i hope they could keep it in a running condition. One of the movies shows another ancient piece of rolling stock, which is also still around. Running a single trip museum service on the weekends could be a nice way to get a few extra tourists just for the old trains. Imho it looks like the company plans to do something similar.

[Sacto1985]

I wouldn't be surprised if this train is refurbished into a de facto "museum piece" and run only during the winter months between November and March, just like the ex-Hannover tram now running on the Hiroden system.

[katoftw]

[bill937ca]

From trafficnews.jp comes word of the retirement of the last aogaeru (green frog) train was retired on 16 February 2016 by Kumamoto Dentetsu.  The green frog trains (aka blue frog) was a former Tokyu Corp. 5000 series train dating from the 1950s. Starting in the late 1970s retired Tokyu green frog trains started appearing on minor private railway lines including Nagano Electric, Fukushima Transportation, Gakunan Railway and Kumamoto Dentetsu.

 

https://youtu.be/smadgm0GqdI

 

https://youtu.be/gTwppz2HUDg

 

 

The Asahi Shimbun Company also ran an English language on the retirement of the green frog train.

 

Over a decade ago Tomix and Micro Ace issued two car versions of this train. Both models are long gone.

[katoftw]

see thread:- http://www.jnsforum.com/community/topic/11232-kumaden-5000-goodbye/?hl=kumaden

[Nick_Burman]

From trafficnews.jp comes word of the retirement of the last aogaeru (green frog) train was retired on 16 February 2016 by Kumamoto Dentetsu.  The green frog trains (aka blue frog) was a former Tokyu Corp. 5000 series train dating from the 1950s. Starting in the late 1970s retired Tokyu green frog trains started appearing on minor private railway lines including Nagano Electric, Fukushima Transportation, Gakunan Railway and Kumamoto Dentetsu.

 

https://youtu.be/smadgm0GqdI

 

https://youtu.be/gTwppz2HUDg

 

 

The Asahi Shimbun Company also ran an English language on the retirement of the green frog train.

 

Over a decade ago Tomix and Micro Ace issued two car versions of this train. Both models are long gone.

 

AnRail http://homepage1.nifty.com/akaidensya/anrail2.htm makes a dummy "Aogaeru" set which can be powered using an Arumo chassis. I saw the model for sale at Shibuya Tokyu Hands in 2014 and it looked interesting.

 

 

Cheers NB

[bill937ca]

see thread:- http://www.jnsforum.com/community/topic/11232-kumaden-5000-goodbye/?hl=kumaden

 

Sorry, I searched for it and didn't find it.

[Alemino]

one is spending his life in Shibuya...but not as train

 

 

[Welshbloke]

Hopefully any organisation planning to keep one of these units running is already negotiating for spare parts with the scrapyards. It's almost a tradition in the UK now, going right back to the first steam engines rescued from Barry. You buy the best one and as many useful parts as you can remove from the poorer specimens in the scrapline!

[Welshbloke]

Is that a KuMoHa 12 nearest the camera? Or at least another similar JNR-era Getaden unit?

[kvp]

Considering most of these trains were scrapped years ago except the two kumamoto cars, i would be surprised if they could find any spares that weren't already used to keep them running for so long. On the other hand, there isn't many parts in them that could not be made from scratch in a better machine shop.

[Densha]

see thread:- http://www.jnsforum.com/community/topic/11232-kumaden-5000-goodbye/?hl=kumaden

Good spot! I merged the threads to keep all infos and discussion in the same place.

Edited April 11, 2016 by Densha