HankyuDentetsu Posted January 28 Share Posted January 28 (edited) Hey folks, managed to get back to Japan for the first time in 5 years, so thought I'd try to take shots of as many trains, operators and stations as I could! Hope you enjoy! In chronological order.... Please forgive the number of posts I'll have to make - I've just found out the max combined size for images is 8mb per post - about 3-4 images each. Not trying to spam the thread, just can't be bothered resizing every shot and tanking the quality in the process! Here we go! Haruka - 281 Series from Kansai Airport to Osaka Station, in Hello Kitty livery - taken here from the new underground platforms at Osaka station. A Green Car seat and a tasty beer to accompany the journey in - who doesn't love a "surprise" when drinking on the train??! It was delicious to be fair, although at 6% it hit a little faster than I expected. Green car is expensive but as I was the only one in the car (and the standard class cars were absolutely chaotic and fully booked), this was probably the best decision I made the whole holiday. Extremely comfortable, absolutely silent - just me and the journey. 100% would recommend paying the extra yen. 283 Series on the Kinokuni Line - spotted on the way into Osaka Edited January 28 by HankyuDentetsu 5 Link to comment
HankyuDentetsu Posted January 28 Author Share Posted January 28 (edited) Osaka Station - got to be the most impressive station in Japan, no? It's an absolute animal, and the broader Umeda complex still ranks as mind-bendingly large (and sometimes confusing) Loop line time as I take a 323 Series to Kyobashi Station Edited January 28 by HankyuDentetsu 5 Link to comment
HankyuDentetsu Posted January 28 Author Share Posted January 28 Kyobashi Station, and time for a trip on Keihan's finest. 13000 Series 8000 Series 4 Link to comment
HankyuDentetsu Posted January 28 Author Share Posted January 28 Another few of the 8000 Series - it's a striking piece of work. 1 Link to comment
HankyuDentetsu Posted January 28 Author Share Posted January 28 And my ride for the next leg - 3000 Series.... in the Premium Car. Really treated myself - it was nice, although I preferred the spaciousness of the Haruka Green Car to be honest. There was an odd concierge / ticket collector in the car at all times who collected no tickets, and offered no help. Still a job for everyone that wants one over here - no bad thing I guess! 1 Link to comment
HankyuDentetsu Posted January 28 Author Share Posted January 28 Heading back on the road at Chushojima Station on the Keihan mainline. Great station, there's something just cosy about the platform experience - can't put my finger on it but just feels right? Not too busy but enough people that it's got on-platform Udon and Konbinis. The sweeping curve adds to the fun. An old 1000 (?) Series pulling in 3000 Series in the distance 3 Link to comment
HankyuDentetsu Posted January 28 Author Share Posted January 28 (edited) 8000 Series pulling in - still at Chushojima And onwards to the Osaka Metro - changed at Kyobashi station onto the Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi Line and their rather charming Liner Motor 70 Series More pics tomorrow! Edited January 28 by HankyuDentetsu 3 Link to comment
Tony Galiani Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 Neat to see. Thanks for posting these pics. Looking forward to more. Tony Link to comment
HankyuDentetsu Posted February 11 Author Share Posted February 11 Thanks @miyakoji and @Tony Galiani! Bit more of a delay in this post than expected, but let's continue! Shinsaibashi Station, Midosuji Line - remodelled platform area (in order to get to Midosuji Dori from the Nagahori line you have to cover a lot of ground, including traversing the whole Midosuji line platform) Think it was a 21 Series? 1 Link to comment
HankyuDentetsu Posted February 11 Author Share Posted February 11 Finally made it onto my favourite railway, as my username and profile pic might suggest!! Starting at Itami Station, taking a quick ride on the lesser-travelled Itami Line to Tsukaguchi. 7000 Series At Tsukaguchi Station and transferring onto the Kobe Main Line 1000 Series 1 Link to comment
HankyuDentetsu Posted February 11 Author Share Posted February 11 And then to Juso, my favourite station in Kansai (maybe Japan). The convergence point of all three Hankyu mainlines, and home some of the cosiest platforms of any private railway I've travelled on. Konbinis, restaurants, all on the platforms. The huge curves within the station as each mainline spurs off are also extremely pleasing. Plus Juso is a really cool neighbourhood to visit - real Osaka, just 1 stop from Umeda Station. 9300 Series pulling in on the Kyoto Main Line Just a view of the on-platform shopping/eating - out of shot is a large Lawson konbini too - so much to do behind the ticket-gate line here! 4 Link to comment
HankyuDentetsu Posted February 25 Author Share Posted February 25 Since the last post of Juso was reasonably well liked, here is a shot of the on-platform Lawson I was talking about.. And also a late night shot from around 2am before a sushi platter was drunkenly consumed.... linkage of course being that the restaurant is literally 15 metres away from the ticket games of Juso station 🙂 https://maps.app.goo.gl/VXE6dANM4xWgviT49 1 Link to comment
HankyuDentetsu Posted February 25 Author Share Posted February 25 Back on topic, and popping briefly into Shijo-Omiya station to take a picture of the wonderful Keifuku Electric Raliroad Randen terminus, along with it's distinctive and Kyoto-themed purple rolling stock. Then onwards to Shijo-Karasuma station and onto the Kyoto Subway Karasuma line, where I was treated to riding on a 3200 Series Kintetsu rolling stock as they run a through service all the way from Kintetsu Nara up to Kokusaikaikan on the northern end of Kyoto (famously the location where the Kyoto Protocol was signed). Link to comment
HankyuDentetsu Posted February 25 Author Share Posted February 25 Last two from this journey.. After strolling around Kitaoji, the botanic gardens and the Kamogawa, it was over to Kitayama station to take an old 10 Series back down to Karasuma Oike Station. And then onwards riding on a 50 Series on the Kyoto Subway Tozai Line to Sanjo-Keihan where my train riding adventures came to an end. Because of the extremely tight platforms, harsh lighting and platform doors, it's basically impossible to get a shot of one but here we go anyway! And that wraps up this trip. The idea of this thread was to cover off some of the lines, stock and stations around Kansai, for those who haven't had the chance to visit the region. Maybe even sprinkling in a few shots that visitors or even residents may not have seen themselves. I've got a ton of other shots from over the years, which I'll now work through - I hope you don't mind, and perhaps even enjoy it along the way 🙂 Link to comment
HankyuDentetsu Posted February 25 Author Share Posted February 25 So then... a bit sooner than planned but I thought I'd just keep on going this evening. I'll be posting pics from now on in reverse chronological order - starting Feb 2019 and working backwards. Not promising anything particularly interesting but figured it was worth adding a few more shots in. Kansai is not short of interesting stuff! Starting with a few high up shots of Osaka Station from Molto Craft Beer Bar in the old Hankyu tower! And a little bit of the Hankyu Arishiyama Line with a unique decal! In Arashiyama? Got to get a snap of the old-school Randen.. And shots of Hankyu Saiin station with it's magnificent underground curved platforms - my spiritual home - and the 5000/7000 Series wizzing by. 2 Link to comment
HankyuDentetsu Posted February 25 Author Share Posted February 25 (edited) Heading further back to 2017! And onto another of my absolute favourite stations - Fushimi Momoyama on the Keihan Mainline between Kyoto and Osaka. The tracks and platform essentially run onto the main shopping street/shotengai (Otesuji) in the area making for some utterly tremendous "only-in-Japan" scenes: Great Nihonshu, coffee, and jazz bars to be found in this area - an absolute hidden gem of a place and almost completely devoid of tourists if you're in town and want to avoid the masses. Ultra-niche bonus shot of Premium Malt's 2017 Shinkansen beer can special - a 12 pack of Premium Malt's that I somehow managed to find space (and weight allowance) for in my luggage as I headed back to the UK. Edited February 25 by HankyuDentetsu Link to comment
HankyuDentetsu Posted February 26 Author Share Posted February 26 And the cans..... Earlier that year, a few more shots, including what might be Japan's most distinctive non-Shinkansen rolling stock, the Nankai Rapi:t 50000 Series at Namba Station And some pretty low-res and very poor shots of the soon-to-be defunct (!!!!!), legendary Thunderbird 683 Series from Kanazawa to Kyoto. I'm all for progess and glad to see the Hokuriku Shinkansen extending downwards to Tsuruga, but I personally have so many memories of riding the old Thunderbird up to Kanazawa and Toyama from Kyoto so it will be dearly missed! Link to comment
cteno4 Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 4 hours ago, HankyuDentetsu said: https://maps.app.goo.gl/VXE6dANM4xWgviT49 Now this is one to model! jeff 1 Link to comment
HankyuDentetsu Posted March 1 Author Share Posted March 1 More from 2017, a lovely Hida Kiha 85 pulling up at Kyoto Station, ready to take us to Gero Onsen A rare sighting of the Twighlight Express Mizukaze Series 87 on the Kyoto Mainline between Osaka and Kyoto! A tremendous advert in the walkway between Midosuji-Yodoyabashi and Keihan-Yodoyabashi station 2 Link to comment
HankyuDentetsu Posted March 1 Author Share Posted March 1 (edited) The big lad is back - Osaka Station, first with a 221 Series rumbling in And a classic orange 201 Series pulling in next A lovely Hankyu 9300 Series at Umeda Station heading to Kyoto Kawaramachi A Randen in the wild crossing Nishioji-dori at Nishioji-Sanjo station Edited March 1 by HankyuDentetsu 2 Link to comment
HankyuDentetsu Posted March 1 Author Share Posted March 1 (edited) I have absolutely tons of shots from the Kyoto Railway Museum.... if you want me to do more posts on it, let me know! But here's an N500 just for now! A shot from inside a Keihan 8000, in case it's of interest! An N700 pulling into Kyoto Station Heading back to 2013 now and an old 183 Series at Kinosaki Onsen Signage! Also in 2013 - a 113 Series (!!) at Omi-Maiko station after a July day of BBQing and swimming in Lake Biwa! Straying perilously into perfect summer day at the beach followed up by sweltering hot Japanese summer evening and retro rolling stock *chef's kiss* territory 😄 Last image for a while as I can't find all my other shots! Taken back in March 2011 on an old iphone using one of those daft polaroid filters that were the craze at the time. Probably a boring shot for you guys but for me it's the one I always remember, and will never forget. Hankyu Saiin Station and it's wonderful curved southbound platform, as a local service pulls away, heading down the road towards Osaka. Memories! Edited March 1 by HankyuDentetsu 3 Link to comment
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