DE10 with 12 series coaches to Oga hot springs

[miyakoji]

This came up on JR East's own YouTube channel:

 

 

On the 10th and 11th of October 2020, JR East operated this train as part of a day-trip package from Akita station out to Oga, where one can enjoy some natural hot springs and various other attractions.  Leaving Akita at 9:50 and arriving at Oga station at 10:44, passengers would transfer to a chartered bus to go on one of two different routes.  Both include lunch and a dip in a hot spring.  The return train journey departed Oga at 4:06 PM and ended at Akita at 5:01.  All fine and good, but the rail portion of the trip should be longer 😁

 

Railfan highlights

• DE10 1759 was built by Nippon Sharyo and delivered to Akita Loco Depot on July 7, 1977 and has been in the Akita area throughout its life.
• 603 12 series coaches were built between 1969 and 1978.  Upon the privatization of JNR, JR East got 219, second only to JR West which got 250.  JR Shikoku only got 10.  A total of 601 were transferred to the new JR companies after 2 were scrapped in 1986.
• Around the 6 minute mark in the video, the train passes one of the EV-E801 sets at Wakimoto Station.
• At the other end of the train is DE10 1187, built by Kawasaki and delivered to Yamagata Depot on August 25, 1972.  It would be based in Yamagata until 1990 when it was transferred to Akita.  Observe operations at 15:45 in the video.