Odakyu 70000 Series GSE Romancecar questions ...

[Gordon Werner]

Morning folks ...

 

last night I watched this video on the inaugural run of Odakyu's new 70000 series GSE Romancecar trainset ...

 

 

but I have some questions.

 

1. how the heck to the operators/drivers sit in that cab above the passenger cabin? do they lie down or sit cross-legged?

2. how do they get up there? is there a drop stairs in the ceiling?

 

thx!

[bill937ca]

The Odakyu "Romancecar" is part of the Panorama Car sub-category of Japanese trains.  The name is derived from the Meitetsu 7000 series Panorama Cars where the operator sits in a roof cab.  On the Odakyu trains, the cab is entered through a trap door from the passenger compartment.A floor seat "zaisu"  is not unusual in Japan.  On the original Meitetsu Panorama Cars the cab was entered from outside.  A roof top operator's cab is very common on and found on many JR trains like the E259, Sunrise Express, Series 183, Series 189, Series 381, Series 485 a among others. Often with JR trains the roof top cab allows a gangway between cars.  Only the private railways seem to use the panoramic seating as premium price seating.

 

 http://www.odakyu.jp/english/romancecar/

 

 

Edited March 25, 2018 by bill937ca

[bill937ca]

Meitetsu 7000 Panoramic Car (retired).

 

 

At Shin Ichinomiya Station (1970s?).   Shin Ichinomiya Station reopened as an elevated station on 21 February 1993.

 

 

Edited March 25, 2018 by bill937ca

[Gordon Werner]

thx ... I am well aware of what these trains are ... I just hadn't ever seen the interior of the operator cab (or the trapdoor) ... maybe the Odakyu 70000's huge meter tall windows just makes the cockpit look small ... but it really looks small (not that operator comfort is probably paramount)

 

thank you for that video showing the access !