Kawasaki Freight Station

[gmat]

From the middle of July, I've been cycling down to the Kawasaki Freight Station. I had followed the freight line past Hama-Kawasaki on Google Maps and decided to cycle there after I had parted with my student in Omori. I followed the main highway and then then the Keikyu-Daishi Line to Kojimashinden Station. If you are coming by train, then the pedestrian overpass (itsukushimabashi) that crosses the rail yards is one of the best spots to take pictures. Another good spot is the east fence near the overpass. The Ukushima Line goes north away from the station and the first road crossing, Yako-Tonomachi #1 crossing is a good spot to shoot the DD60 with the tank cars. You can follow the line and two more nice spots are before the Ukushima bridge and after the Suehiro-cho Cargo Handling dock, where the Kawasaki City trash train stops. The DD60 and tank cars turn off at the next spur to the General Petroleum Co. Ltd Kawasaki Refinery. The 14:00 or 14:15 delivery is pretty regular and it returns around 30 minutes later. There is another at 16:00 and once I've seen one at 13:00. Deliveries on the Chidori Line seem to be less regular. If I stood all day on the overpass, I'd have a better idea of the schedule. The first two days that I visited,  I was caught off guard and missed the departures. I ended up spending a lot of time waiting at one spot. I think that because the movement is so infrequent, there aren't many people taking pictures. I don't think that I've met any other photographers.

 

Taken from the overpass. Kojimashinden Station is behind me.

 

 

 

You can often find the name of the overpass or bridge like this. Usually at each end of the bridge. Less often somewhere in between. 

In Hiragana.

 

In Kanji.

 

Departing the Kawasaki Refinery.

 

Same consist going around the Suehirocho Cargo Handling Dock.

 

Taken from the east fence.

 

Yako-Tonomachi #2 crossing, Chidori Line.

 

Many lines have this sign which will tell you the crossing name and number. JR names the crossing after the local area. Often there will be a hiragana reading under the kanji. But not here. Other railway companies will number the crossing sequentially from a terminus. Interestingly when the line is improved and a crossing is eliminated, the numbering seems not to be changed. 

 

Yako-Tonomachi #1 crossing, but about half a kilometer away on the same road but a different line. Ukushima Line.

 

Going.

 

Returning.

 

Grant

 

[Khaul]

I am sort of modelling this area. That's fabulous, thanks a lot.

[gmat]

Khaul, I've been busy recently, but if you tell me what you're interested in, I'll see if I've either already shot it or will try to look for it and shoot it the next time I head that way. 

I've shot the crossings and crossing signs for the Ukushima, Chidori and even the abandoned Mizu Lines. I ride from Sakurashinmachi to Route 311 past Kamata Station to the Kawasaki Freight Station. I've shot some pictures of the Keikyu-Daishi Line and the brief sections of the Keikyu-Kuko Line between Kojiya Station and where it goes underground.

[Nick_Burman]

On 12/6/2017 at 6:17 PM, gmat said:

I think that because the movement is so infrequent

 

Have you tried checking the national freight train timetable?

 

Cheers NB

[gmat]

Nick, sorry. I know of that timetable but haven't used it. I think that it is a monthly published timetable, and I've once seen an online version.  I really should look further into it.

Thank you.

[westfalen]

The freight timetable is a yearly publication that comes out in March, can't say I've seen the online version though.