2019 Blue Ribbon and 2019 Laurel Prize Winners Announced

[bill937ca]

 Romance car GSE (70000 form) wins blue ribbon award.

 

On Thursday, May 23, 2019, Odakyu Electric Railway received the 2019 "Blue Ribbon Award" selected by the Association of Railroad Friends (Chair: Hiroshi Suda) with the Limited Express Vehicle "romance car GSE (70000)".

 

The "Blue Ribbon Award" for our vehicles has been won for the 8th time since the 2009 Romance Car MSE (60000).

The romance car GSE (70000) is named after the initial concept of "Graceful Super Express" with the concept of "a romance car that runs the time following Hakone gracefully".

In selecting the Blue Ribbon Award, while inheriting the Odakyu romance car tradition such as the outlook seat and stylish body design, we will actively introduce the latest equipment and technology to actively promote universal design and reduce environmental impact, etc. It was evaluated that it was finished to a high degree of perfection suitable for the trend leader of modern railway vehicles.

 

At Odakyu Family Railway Exhibition 2019, which will be held at Ebina Train Base on Saturday, May 25th, 2019 2019, the romance car GSE (70000 form), which won the 62nd Blue Ribbon Award, and 1958 We display romance car SE (3000 form) which won the first blue ribbon award in the year.

 

 

 

Tourist train "Heiei" of Kashiyama Railway has won the "2019 Laurel Award" for the association of railway friends!

 

* The Laurel Prize is an award given to vehicles recognized as outstanding in terms of performance, design, manufacturing planning, operation, etc. once a year 

Previous Blue Ribbon award winners include:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Ribbon_Award_(railway)

 

Previous Laurel  Prize winners include:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurel_Prize

[grumbeast]

Wow!  that Heiei train is an unbelievable piece of design.  Gotta love Japanese railways for having the courage to innovate whether you like it or not (and I think I do.. although it is a bit wierd!)

 

 

[cteno4]

The Heiei keeps making me think steam punk meets the Residents.

 

jeff

[bill937ca]

But it is typical of far-out Japanese train design.

[chadbag]

The wife was telling me, interestingly enough, today, the "Heiei" does not run on Tuesdays.  We were talking about it as we plan on going to Kyoto and riding the Eizan "tourist train" (as it is called in some online articles)

[bill937ca]

There was a second Laurel Prize winner which was  Sotetsu 20000 series.

 

https://news.mynavi.jp/article/20190523-sotetsu20000/?fbclid=IwAR2hgWQChnEZQawShbZVsCUipnuAf91unfjSjOaGIKqFz3DQ5tTROMagqP4

 

Sagami Railway announced on the 23rd that Series 20000 won the 2019 Laurel Prize for Railway Friends. The Railroad Friends' Association selects the Laurel Prize for vehicles newly selected by the selection committee based on member votes for newly built and remodeled vehicles that began commercial operation the previous year.

Series 20000 is newly built as a vehicle of Sotetsu-Tokyu Direct Line (Sotetsu Shin-Yokohama Line, Tokyu Shin-Yokohama Line) scheduled to open in the second half of 2022, and one formation (8-car formation) starts commercial operation in February 2018 did. Based on the “Design Brand Upgrade Project” promoted by the Sotetsu Group as a whole, the concept is “Safety × Security × Elegant – Design that nurtures not to be influenced by the immediate trend”. The structure is a double skin method in which aluminum profiles are joined. The front of the body also incorporates decorative elements, and does not allow the presence of through doors to be felt. I painted the car body with the dark blue "YOKOHAMA NAVYBLUE" that imagined Yokohama.

 

While the body length is 20 m, the body width is 2,770 mm, which is smaller than 2,900 mm, which Sagami Railway has long been standard for, in line with the requirements for direct operation. In addition, it is said that a system was built that could be organized for both eight and ten. The equipment is compatible with the improvement of power performance, emergency response, and installation of a driving support device in consideration of the linearity of the assumed use route, etc. The controller is a VVVF inverter system with IGBT2 level SiC hybrid module. The main motor is a totally closed fan with an output of 190kW, and can be arranged 1: 1 at all times with the ratio of electric car and accompanying car during formation. Two auxiliary power supply units were mounted during formation, and they were equipped with an IGBT three-level system with a capacity of 260 kVA and an extended power supply function in the event of an abnormality.

The interior of the car is unified in gray tone throughout the guest room. The all-long-seat seating arrangement provided free space and a "universal design seat" at the end of the car. LED lighting adopts the light control type that changes in the time zone. In addition to individual door switches near all entrances and in-vehicle signage installed at the top of entrances and aisle ceilings, it is considered to be a feature of the Sotetsu wire, and the "mirror in the car" has been revived for a long time.

 

In the selection of the Laurel Prize, the Railroad Friends' Association has decided to use a clear concept in the growing number of vehicles that will find limited uniqueness under the premise of commonality in achieving “Direct in the central area” for the 20000 series of Sagami Railway It was evaluated as "a vehicle that clearly shows its willingness to make it compatible with standardization after being formulated." The Sotetsu Group won the Laurel Award and said, "We will continue to make efforts to realize the" selected route "as well as to improve awareness and positivity with mutual direct operation with the city center." I have announced.

 

Edited May 24, 2019 by bill937ca

[ben_issacs]

Folks, 

I know that there is a separate topic for 'The ugliest train', but that Heizan  'Hei' EMU set would take the title in spades!

Looks like something that the designer thought up after a night on the booze!

It looks a bit like the the famous painting, 'The Scream' by the German painter Munch(?)!

Regards, 

Bill, 

Melbourne.