GMAT's Photos

[gmat]

I'll be uploading photos here unless it warrants a separate thread. Most of the times I'll show where it was shot. Sometimes when I look at old slide files, I won't remember where it was taken even though I shot the crossing name, but the actual crossing photos will bring it back.

Today.

Tokaido Line near Omori District. Tokaido #3 - Gakko Crossing. First crossing west of Omori Station. Mue train, 185 series, 251 series, Keihin-Tohoku and Tohoku Lines. 

 

 

Bought a small stand at the 100 yen (actually 200 yen) shop to stand over the fence.

 

 

Looking towards Omori Station.

 

Telephoto close up.

 

Looking the other way.

 

 

The other side.

 

 

Mue Train. Kind of a surprise. This Wednesday, 20 Dec. 17. 

 

 

 

 

More next.

Grant

 

 

 

[gmat]

The Odoriko or Super Odoriko pass here heading towards Tokyo at the 39 or 40 minute mark hourly. 

 

15:40 20 Dec. 17.

 

 

 

This one came at 16:18. 1 Nov 17. It is apparently an extra one. A Super Odoriko came by at the usual time at 16:41.

 

185s are used for the School Trip Charters. They pass by at around the 16:15 mark. 16:16, 20 Dec. 17. 

 

This one had had a blank name sign.

 

You can still see the charter name on the side.

 

 

1 Nov 17, 16:14.

 

Super Odoriko. 20 Dec, 17, 16.39. Sorry that it's blurred as it's kind of late.

 

24 May, 17. 16:42.

 

Keihin Tohoku Line, heading towards Omiya.

 

Sunset shot.

 

Grant

 

 

 

 

[JR 500系]

Beautiful shots! Loving these pictures! Thanks for sharing!

[railsquid]

I saw the Mue train yesterday (Thursday 21st), I can't recall exactly where but somewhere on the Chuo Line between Mitaka and Kobuchizawa, it must be doing the rounds.

[gmat]

Crossings with vehicular traffic have the motion sensors. Strictly pedestrian crossings like the Gakko crossing don't. Note no sensors on each side.

 

 

More clear when you compare with Sanyamichi Crossing. you can see two here.

 

Heading west, away from Omori. 10 sensors visible.

 

Looking the other way. 

 

Tokaido Line #4 - Sanyamichi crossing.

 

Thank god for hiragana, otherwise it's tough for me to guess the kanji. Since they are names, my wife sometimes can't say the proper reading.

 

I usually cross here going to my student's place. But as the Gakko crossing has a better field of view, I now cross there going. I use this crossing when I return at night. I'd be coming towards the camera and going the opposite direction at night.

 

I wonder what's the story behind this house.

 

Grant

 

Edited December 22, 2017 by gmat
Replaced two photos.

[gmat]

I accidentally deleted the entire post on Imgur. Had to redo it. Replaced two photos on the last entry.

Grant

 

There are two styles of crossing sensors that you can find.

All shots are taken from the street crossing or on the side on public land. I don't walk on the train tracks or on train property.

This is the older type. 

Shitte Bypass (Yako) #3 Crossing.

 

 

You can see each sensor is numbered, either R or S something.

 

 

 

 

Taken at this crossing.

 

 

 

This is the newer type as used on the Setagaya Line at Nishi-taishido #2 crossing. Second crossing west of Nishi-taishido Station. That's the first station west of Sangenjaya Station.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I believe that there are a few crossing with both types of sensors.

Oimachi Line, Jiyugaoka #4 Crossing. 4th crossing west of Jiyugaoka Station.

 

Grant

Edited December 22, 2017 by gmat
Add photo

[gmat]

This place closed earlier this year, and I've meant to post this for a long time. Can you guess what this sign says?

 

 

Grant

[gmat]

You might not expect to see banana trees in Japan, There are a few in Tokyo and others near homes in the mountains near Tokyo. I remember a banana tree in Usuda in the Saku Valley in Nagano Prefecture. It was wrapped in straw during the winter.

 

 

You wouldn't expect tropical parakeets in Tokyo. I would call them parrots since I'm from the US. 

These appear every day near a house where I live. Other birds such as pigeons, doves and sparrows and a few crows wait for someone who must be putting out food in backyard that I can't see. 

 

A block away there is a large tree that flocks of birds sometimes roost for the night.

Here they are waiting for their turn to roost.

 

 

 

Parakeets, too.

 

 

 

 

Grant

 

 

 

[cteno4]

In central California we had flocks of mixed tropical birds from huge macaws to small parakeets. One around Monterey was so funny as about 25 birds all mixed up in species and would fly around together and roost together in trees. Amazing racket from the flock! I guess they liked hearing other tropical birds around them even if very different species. All escaped birds or born from escapees. Never gets near freezing much so I guess they can hold on.

 

jeff

[Kiha66]

Are the R and S sensors across from each other?  I'd assume they stand for sender and receiver.  Thanks for sharing the photos!

[miyakoji]

Awesome pics Grant, many thanks.  The birds and the banana tree are as good as the trains lol!

[JR 500系]

Thanks for the photos! Strange the birds wont get electrocuted by the wires haha...

[Kiha66]

5 minutes ago, JR 500系 said:

Thanks for the photos! Strange the birds wont get electrocuted by the wires haha...

 

You only get electrocuted if you short between two wires.  We have a problem with that here in California as the endangered California Condors have such a large wingspan (3m!) they keep shorting between phases on powerlines.  

[gmat]

No one made a comment but here is how to read this sign.     Jimmy's   The three can be read as mi(tsu) in Japanese.

 

 

 

It has now been replaced by a Sound Studio Noah.

Grant

Edited January 26, 2018 by gmat

[gmat]

Some pictures of Mount Fuji taken in Tokyo, some from train platforms.

 

Taken on the 25th of Jan. 2018 from my student's building.

 

 

Same day at sunset.

 

Taken Jan. 11, 2018.

 

From in front of Setagaya-Daita Station, Odakyu Line.

 

At Sunset.

 

 

From Shitte Station, Nambu Line.

 

Sunset.

 

Far side before the Maruko Bridge over the Tamgawa River, near Tamagawa Station, Tokyu Tamagawa Line, near the Maruko Bridge Police box.

 

From Futako-Tamagawa Station platform.

 

That's all for now,

Grant

 

 

[gmat]

This was taken across the Chuo Main Line tracks and the Toyoda Vehicle Center.

This photo was posted on the Coming JR  Train Retirements thread.

 

A view of the street that runs on the north side of the tracks. Looking towards Toyoda Station.

 

Space was spared between the street guardrails for a small jizo statue.

 

 

It was between Toyoda-13 and -14 catenary poles. 

 

The following was taken next to Toyoda-11 catenary pole.

 

Street level shot. railfans would stand on the street railguards and shoot over the fence. You can see the displaced barbed wire to provide a better shooting space.

 

Some of the traffic shot while I was waiting for M51. 211 series. 527M local for Kofu Station. Starts from Tachikawa Station at 7:47 AM. I shot these next to Toyoda-11 catenary pole. It is just after a hump so you get an interesting shot of trains coming from Toyoda Station.

 

 

E353 Super Azusa for Matsumoto Station

 

 

E233 Rapid Service for Tokyo. Shooting the other way, the field of view wasn't so good due to the blocking pole.

 

Vehicles entering and leaving the Vehicle Center pass on the other side of the tracks. 211 series 526M OOS returning to the vehicle center.

 

 

 

 

You are also near the wash rack so you can get some interesting photos. I saw several trains getting washed in the hour and a half waiting at this spot. 

 

 

 

 

E257 Azusa for Matsumoto.

 

What would a photo shoot of the Chuo Line be without an E233?  E233 809T Rapid Service for Takao Station.

 

205-5000 series 'Musashino' Musashino Line, starts from Omiya Station and heading for Hachioji Station. 9:49 AM.

 

That's all for now.

Grant

 

 

Edited April 29, 2018 by gmat
Add photos and info.

[JR 500系]

Loving these photos gmat, and thank you so much for sharing them! 

[gmat]

Some more photos of the Hirayama #3 Crossing. 

 

 

 

The large sign says this crossing is only for pedestrians and bicycles.

 

This says "This is the Chuo Line #22 Hirayama #3 Crossing. 

 

Looking east towards Toyoda Station.

 

The opposite direction.

 

No ground level crossing sensors.

 

 

Although Hirayama #3 Crossing is a pedestrian crossing, they have a camera aimed towards the crossing.

 

 

Fuji-san from the crossing.

 

You can get a nice curving shot at this crossing.

 

Going away, you are blocked by some poles.

 

Toyoda-16 catenary pole. The numbers sequence away from Toyoda Station.

 

Towards Toyoda Station.

 

Towards Hachioji Station.

 

Across the street was the neighborhood block sign.  22 Ashigaoka -1 chome,, Hino City.

 

That's all for now.

Grant

 

Edited April 29, 2018 by gmat

[gmat]

Some photos of the Setagaya Line.

305F has been repainted back to its Cherry Red. This was taken on the 27th of May, 2018. 

 

 

 

Take the next day. This was the last time that I saw it in this scheme. I had met another fan a couple of weeks earlier and he said that it was going to be repainted. Wiki says that this one and the white Maneki Neko scheme was to last until March 2018. 

 

 

Taken today, 7 June, 2018 in its repainted glory.

 

 

 

Grant

 

[gmat]

Some pictures from Sangen-jaya Station, 12 May 2018.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a cute photo with the next one. The photos encapsulates Japan's love of trains, I think.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grant

[gmat]

With Spring and now Rainy Season approaching, the tracks have taken a much more green appearance. 10 May Setagaya Station. It had started as a rainy day but had started to clear up. Looking West towards Kamimachi Station. 

 

 

 

 

 

A work crew arrives.

 

 

 

18 May, about a week later, I took this shot.

 

 

 

 

30 May 2018. About a week and a half later, the grass is sprouting again.

 

10 Jun 2018. And a week and a half after that, the grass has covered the tracks again. 

 

10 Jun 2018. But looking East towards Shoin-jinja Station, the tracks are bare.

 

Grant

 

[gmat]

These shots were taken about two weeks ago . 27 May 2018 Nishi-taishido # 5 Crossing/Wakabayashi Crossing, Kannana Dori/ Route 318. Wakabayashi Station is across the highway to the West. 

 

Highway crossing sign.

 

 

You can see how the trams have 'mowed' the grass between the tracks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's a good place to get some nice photos.

Grant

[gmat]

2 Jun 2018. I cycled to near Shin-Kawasaki Station. I passed the west fence of the Shin-Tsurumi Locomotive Depot/Musashino South Line and saw two different colored E500s. So I snapped a few pictures. I didn't realize it at that time but the lighter red on was E500-901, a pretty rare one.

 

 

 

Later I was at the Shitte Crossover # 1 Crossing (Egasaki Crossing) and snapped this series.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm a little surprised that no one else was here.

 

Grant

[JR 500系]

Wow amazing pictures,... It's like being there! Thanks for sharing!