Freight trains on the Yamanote (Freight) Line?

[Socimi]

Today i was playing Densha De GO!, while having a nice drive on the Yamanote line, i suddently spotted this freight train between Meguro and Gotanda stations, heading towards Shinjuku.

 

 

But according to wikipedia ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamanote_Line#History ):

 

"A major explosion on the Yamanote Freight Line in Shinjuku in 1967 led to the diversion of freight traffic to the more distant Musashino Line. "

 

Since the game is set between the late 90s and the early 2000s , why is there a freight train here?

 

Also where it may be going? As far i know there aren't freight yards anywhere on the western section of the Yamanote Line (except for Shinagawa).

 

 

 

 

[katoftw]

Only fuel tankers go the long way around.

 

Freight still goes along the northern and western lines of the Yamanote Loop.

[velotrain]

Based on the forum and subject, I thought you meant real trains.

[railsquid]

Only fuel tankers go the long way around.

 

Freight still goes along the northern and western lines of the Yamanote Loop.

 

Yup, you still see container trains passing through during the day occasionally.

[Sacto1985]

I kind of doubt that JR Freight is running many trains on the Yamanote Freight Line, especially with the (mostly underground) Musashino Freight Line available.

[railsquid]

Timetable

 

Container train (according to the timetable from Sapporo to Nagoya) passing through Shinjuku:

 

 

As far as I can make out, only the trains with a time under "新鶴見" pass through Shinjuku, and the list also shows the Kinugawa Ltd Express trains which terminate at/depart from Shinjuku.

 

Also: red lines on the map on this page are active freight routes in the Tokyo area.

Edited December 8, 2016 by railsquid

[Blobby]

What game are you playing>?

[katoftw]

I kind of doubt that JR Freight is running many trains on the Yamanote Freight Line, especially with the (mostly underground) Musashino Freight Line available.

But they do run freight trains.  Which is what the OP was asking.

[JR 500系]

What game are you playing>?

 

Probably Densha de go Yamanote line, judging from the graphics, I am guessing PS1 version

 

[gmat]

That EH-500 train passes through Shinjuku every day heading south. The scheduled time is a few minutes after 12:00, but is often late, sometimes over an hour late. It changes locomotives to an ED-65 or EF210 at the marshaling yard at the Shin-Tsurumi Locomotive Depot next to Shin-Kawasaki Station. I've not stayed at Shinjuku Station for a long time, but there used to be a few that ran through the station between 4:00 and 6:00 or 7:00 in the morning, including the Toyota container train. Most of them were heading north. There also used to be one heading north at about 11:00 in the morning, but I haven't seen that one in a few years.

 

Grant

[Sacto1985]

I'm actually a little surprised (in my opinion!) that JR Freight would run trains on the Yamanote Freight Line through densely populated Shinjuku and Shibuya, especially considering that train accident in Shinjuku in 1967 and the subsequent re-routing of most freight trains to the Musahino South Line, and especially now with the Yamanote Freight Line hosting Saikyo Line, Shonan-Shinjuku Line and limited express trains.

[Socimi]

I'm actually a little surprised (in my opinion!) that JR Freight would run trains on the Yamanote Freight Line through densely populated Shinjuku and Shibuya, especially considering that train accident in Shinjuku in 1967 and the subsequent re-routing of most freight trains to the Musahino South Line, and especially now with the Yamanote Freight Line hosting Saikyo Line, Shonan-Shinjuku Line and limited express trains.

 

Me too, especially considering that the Musashino Line was built for freight trains to bypass Shibuya and Shinjuku.

Edited December 10, 2016 by DavideTreni

[gmat]

I've shot pictures at Fuchuhommachi Station where the Musashino line exits a tunnel, and in the afternoons and I suspect in the mornings, it is quite busy. So there may not be enough time to fit all of the trains. Perhaps the Shinjuku route might take advantage of unused time set aside for delays. I have shot an EH-500 going the other way (north) at Nishi-Oi Station, once, on a Saturday. It was shortly after 12:30. 

 

Grant

[miyakoji]

Based on what Sacto wrote I started looking around for schedules for the Yamanote Freight Line and the Musashino South Line (the freight bypass), I wanted to compare them.  I found some info on the Yamanote, but I didn't find what I'm looking for on the Musashino.  A lot of the search results I got mentioned the freight timetable that's commercially available in Japan, which I can't simply go to the store and purchase  :(

 

edit: I know I've seen a video on YT of a freight cab ride from Omiya to Shin-Tsurumi via the Musashino, I'm guessing that relatively speaking a lot of north/south runs follow this rather than through Tokyo.

Edited December 11, 2016 by miyakoji

[ToniBabelony]

I've shot pictures at Fuchuhommachi Station where the Musashino line exits a tunnel, and in the afternoons and I suspect in the mornings, it is quite busy. So there may not be enough time to fit all of the trains.

My guess likewise. When riding a special through this tunnel, we had to wait half an hour or so before our train got the go-ahead to proceed...

[railsquid]

Also, if you have a nice direct freight route through Tokyo, why wouldn't you want to use it when paths are available? It's not likely that modern container trains are going to explode if they derail... The biggest downside is the risk of disruption to passenger traffic due to a problem with the freight train, like this:

 

 

Freight trains at night, near Meguro Station:

 

[bikkuri bahn]

The Yamanote Freight Line is diminished compared to the old days, but it is still used for a few through freight trains running between the Tokai region and Tohoku/Hokkaido, as well as transfer runs between the Sumidagawa Freight Terminal and Shin-Tsurumi. As mentioned above, the best time to see the freights going through central Tokyo is in the early morning at a place like Harajuku in the spring, when it gets light very early (Japan does not observe daylight saving time).

*the third freight train is the Toyota Longpass Express, which is a dedicated auto parts train from Nagoya South Freight Station to Morioka Freight Terminal, supplying Toyota's Iwate Plant.

Edited December 11, 2016 by bikkuri bahn

[bill937ca]

At Shin Okubo on the Yamanote line. At 2:54 with EH500 power.  Aramagu8 video 

 

Edited January 8, 2017 by bill937ca

[bill937ca]

As soon as I found one video, I found a flood of additional Yamanote Freight Line freight videos.  Click on the You Tube link at the bottom of the video for more suggestions.

 

Inside Shinjuku Station.  Odakyu 12345 video.

 

 

Passing Shinjuku Station.  EH500 douga video

 

 

EH500-66 at Harajuku Eh 500 douga video

 

 

EH500-14 passing through Ikebukuro Station. Korosuke 9541 video

 

Edited January 8, 2017 by bill937ca

[bill937ca]

 

[bill937ca]

Video by Naha478.

 

[Gryphr]

1 hour ago, bill937ca said:

 

I wonder what the meaning of the writing on the white box to the left is. I suppose Information about the wiring inside and it's purpose?
 

[railsquid]

Presumably; maybe circuit breakers for various thing? The list is divided into "up" and "down" sections.

[kvp]

The number after the up and down seems to be the block number and then the component type and other ids.

 

For example down 9 seems to be connected to down 7, 8 and 10. The same type is used for 7 and 8, while a different one for 10. I'm assuming this is an automatic block signalling equipment box using conventional equipment.

[yakumo381]

Like with the seats on JR platforms having been turned through 90 degrees (from facing the line to facing down / up the platform) on a lot of stations for safety reasons, I have also noticed that when older signalling equipment and similar boxes are replaced, they are also being turned from being long side (with doors) parallel to the track to short side parallel to the track, for safer access.